India, Jan. 11 -- Winter, according to Ayurveda, is a season when Vata dosha tends to aggravate due to cold, dryness, and stiffness. This imbalance often manifests as joint pain, weakened immunity, and increased vulnerability to respiratory and lung infections. The right winter diet, therefore, functions as preventive medicine-nourishing tissues, strengthening digestion (Agni), and protecting vital organs.

Central to this defence is the use of lipophilic carriers and thermogenic aromatics, integral to classic winter dishes such as ghee-rich moong dal khichdi and til (sesame) ladoo. In moong dal khichdi, ghee acts as a Yogavahi-a catalytic agent that carries nutrients deep into the tissues and bone marrow-while the moong dal and rice offe...