Indian Seasonal Produce- January

Happy New Year Dear Earth Community :) 

"Nourish your body as Nature intended- Eat seasonally" - MJ 

With a climate that ranges from Himalayan to tropical, India has much to offer in terms of fruit diversity. While major fruits like mango, banana and citrus varieties are grown in abundance in many parts of the country, there are several unique and increasingly rare minor fruits that are collected from the wild and eaten mostly by the locals. It is only during these cold winters and searing summers of the subcontinent that some of these fruits appear on the rickety carts of street hawkers in Indian towns.
January is a good month to consume roots/ tubers (as the starch/ carbs keep us fuller for long hours), fresh beans/ legumes, crisp and fresh whole spices apart from the indigenous fruits. Also, we can enjoy variety of citruses, which are in their best moment.

Here is the list of Fruits, Veggies, Grains and Sea foods in season this January that give us the maximum health benefits needed to help us tackle all of them if cooked in a correct way. (Note: Read the list and know your local produces and consume them)
We are going through the Kharif season. The crops sown in June- July that are harvested in September, lasts till January. This season is known for storing food grains and dry produces in abundance. 

Here’s the list to buy and eat sustainably this month.

Fruits:
Grapes, Ber (Indian Jujube/ Plum), Mosambi (Sweetlime), Narangi (Orange), Citrons, Sygarcane, Dahu (Monkey fruit), Buddhas hand, Noni, Elephant apple/ Chalta, Grapefruit, Prickly pear, Custard apple, Chikku (Sapota), Fig (from mid Jan), Langsah/Lotka (Langsat), Phalsa (Indian Sherbet Berries).
Other common Fruits- Pomegranate, Papaya, Banana, Guava, Apple, Pineapple.
 
Vegetables:
Carrot, Sweet potato, Purple yam (Kaachil/ Rasavalli kil(zh)angu/ Konfal), Tapioca/ Cassava, Palmyra sprout (Panang kil(zh)angu), Colocasia, Yam, Beetroot, Cluster beans, Broad beans, Flat beans, Normal Beans, Singhada/ Water chestnut, Cauliflower, Raddish, Cow peas/ long beans, Cabbage, Turkey berry, Beetroot, Papdi/ young hyacinth bean, Naval kol (nool khol/ turnip), Lotus stem, Goa bean/ chowdhari.
Fresh & green beans/ peas/ legumes like green peas, thuar/ pigeon peas, hyacinth beans, double beans, hara cholia/ harbhara.
Other common Vegetables- Bottle gourd, Ash gourd, Lady’s finger, Bitter gourd, Raw banana, Banana stem/ Plaintain pith, Chayote/ Chow chow, Snake gourd, Teasel gourd, Brinjal, Corn, Capsicum, Potato, Pumpkin varieties.
 
Food grains: All the food grains (rice, dals, legumes) since it's the best and last season to stock up.
Bajra, Maize, Rajgira (Amaranth), Kuttu/ Papparai, Ragi.
Pulses & Legumes- Channa dal, Kulith (horse gram/ kollu), Bhatma (soya bean), Chole (kabuli channa), Cholia, Urad dal, Tuvar dal, Chow dhari (Goa bean) Vaal (Fava beans), Rajma, Kala vatana (black peas), Kaaramani/ Lobia (Black eyed beans), Groundnut.
 
Green leafy vegetables: Purslane, Dhekia xak, Methi, Beet leaves, Radish leaves, Spring onions, Gongura, Sarson (Mustard greens), Bathuwa (Chakwat/ Parupu keerai), Mukkarattai, Carrot greens, Shepu (dill), Spring onions, Indian brahmi (mandukparni/ vallaarai).
 
Herbs and spices: Turmeric, Ginger, Garlic, Cardamom, Jeera, Clove, Pepper, Mint, Coriander, Green chilli.

Sea foods: 

Eat seasonal, be sustainable and  stay active! 

Note: I have studied the Indian seasonal produces with the help of farmers network and various research articles following the guidelines of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) based on the cropping seasons – Kharif, Zaid and Rabi. Thereby, I’ve curated the fruits & vegetables, food grains and rest mentioned that would be available to us based on the sowing- growing and harvesting time period calculated for each month covering every Indian region to the maximum. 
Kinds of seafood were studied and curated based on its availability along the West Coast and East coast from CIBA (Central Institute of Brackish Aquaculture) and knowyourfishes.org.in. 
I hope this information is helpful to consume local and seasonal produces thereby keeping a check on health too. 
Kindly let me know your thoughts if this benefits you all through comments below. 

Thank You! 
Maria Jenita, PhD