One of the simplest pleasures in life is enjoying a beautifully prepared meal especially if there is a fine blend of tastes and spices dancing on the palate.  Yet,  many don’t realize the tremendous benefit that spices can have on your health.  AS a matter of fact my four favorites below could be moved from the kitchen to the medicine cabinet,

Well, in my house the kitchen is the medicine cabinet.  And this is true of most who live an ayurvedic lifestyle……spices are a frontline therapy for health and restoring balance.  If you new to this idea, just take a peak at the list below and look at all the remedies one can get from just 4 spices.

Of course, like anything else, you should always check with a trained medical professional before embarking on a new alternative approach to healing, but spices have been around as a healing therapy for thousands of years and are very gentle yet, effective.  These 4 spices are good for all ayurvedic constitutions.

~~ Cumin

Best for Dosha: All

Best for Conditions: digests bread, along with caraway,
fennel and dill relatives; colitis, gas, digestion,
abdominal pain, distention, for overeating and eating heavy foods.

~~ Cardamom

Best for Dosha: All

Best for Conditions: Absorption of nutrients,
asthma, bronchitis, colds, cough, excellent for stomach complaints, hoarseness, indigestion, loss of taste, helps the spleen and pancreas, reduces Kapha in lungs and stomach, stimulates the mind, with milk it reduces mucus formation, detoxifies caffeine in coffee, nervous digestion, vomiting, headache, belching, acid indigestion, nausea, expels Vata in colon and digests foods in colon, convalescing from diarrhea, biliousness, respiratory disorders, involuntary urination.

Spiritual Uses: spiritual peace and purity; gives clarity and joy

Antidote: Helps digest foods if they create sluggish digestion.
Ice cream, milk, cold or sweet foods like bananas, coffee.
~~ Coriander

Best for Dosha: All

Best for Conditions: Griping, flatulent colic, rheumatism,
neuralgia, indigestion, vomiting, intestinal disorders,
removes excess Kapha, eyewash, conjunctivitis, relieves internal heat and thirst, skin/rash problems, urinary system
(cystitis, infections, etc.), sore throat, allergies,
hay fever, for all Pitta disorders, burning, juice for allergies,
and skin rashes (and externally as well);
antidotes hot pungent foods, bleeding hemorrhoids.
Used to balance very hot foods and spices (eg, chillies).

~~ Fennel

Best for Dosha: All

Best for Conditions: Abdominal pain (gas or indigestion),
menstrual cramps, hernia, diarrhea, colic, vomiting,
morning sickness, nausea, anorexia, cough, dry cough,
promotes semen, increases vision, raises agni, difficult
or burning urination, digestion-children and elderly;
promotes menstruation, nursing mothers-increases breast milk flow.

This recipe is good for all dosha types and is appropriate to eat during all seasons.  It’s qualities are Sattvic. *

It is soothing, nurturing and tasty.  Perfect for vata/kapha season, depending  on the climate where you live.

This recipe comes from Ivy Blank, based on a dish made by Drs. Smita and Pankaj Narem of Bobay.   It is specifically designed to reduce ama (accumulated toxins) and rest the digestive tract during illness,
convalescence or rejuvenation therapy.  It is reprinted with permission from The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amodea Morningstar with Urmila Desai.

The mung beens are cooling by nature, yet are warmed by the addition of ginger and spices.   Adjust the type of vegetables and amounts of spices to suit individual needs or conditions.

A stick of Kombu can be added to reduce gas and add trace minerals.

* -Vata, -Pitta, -Kapha (without garlic)
* -Vata, +Pitta, -Kapha (with garlic)

In a pressure cooker, put:
 2-3 cups sprouted mung beans
 3-4 cups water
NOTE: if you don’t have a pressure cooker you can use an electric steamer,
or steam/simmer on top of the stove.

Bring to pressure and cook about two minutes or cook the beans and water in a covered sauce pan until soft.
Blend the beans and cooking liquid in a blender.  Set aside.

In a stainless steel soup pot, warm:
1 1/2 Tbsps. ghee or olive oil

Add:
1-2 inches fresh ginger root, (1-2 Tbsps.) peeled and finely chopped
1-3 cloves garlic, minced (omit for high Pitta)
1/2 – 1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2- 1 tsp turmeric  (I use freshly chopped)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2-3 bay leaves
1/8 tsp. each of fennel seeds, hing, cinnamon, and cardomom

Toss until coated and their aromas emerge.  Add to the spices and oil:
2-3 cups chopped vegetables ( broccoli, carrots, greens, sprouts, green beans
or asparagus work well).

Toss until coated.  Stir for two minutes then add:
4-6 cups additional water

Mix well.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered until veggies are cooked.  Add pureed mung beans to soup pot.  Stir. Bring to a boil again.  Reduce heat and let soup simmer for 5 minutes.  Add: 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste.

Serve.    I enjoy mine with a little Bragg’s amino acids instead of salt, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and some fresh chopped cilantro as a garnish, to encorporate all the six tastes in onedelicious meal.

I have to admit I love beets, but for many years I couldn’t find something “tasteful” to do with the greens, other than steaming them or juicing them with other fruits and vegetables.  Since I am harvesting my own organic beets this year, I decided to find a nourishing seasonal recipe to put all the greens to better use.

But it also had to be Tridoshic, ( appropriate for all ayurvedic constitutions with very few adjustments) something simple, easy, quick and tasty….appealing to all.  This is it!  From Maduraham’s Eggless cooking……it is YUMMY!  It “fits the bill” on so many levels.  A little spice, a little protein, a good dose of cleansing and fiber-filled greens…… yet, it is warm, sweet, and comforting for the cooler days of September.  Depending on your dosha you can serve it with organic white basmati rice, (cooling in nature for Pitta), or brown rice, (warming in nature for Vata).  Kapha types will likely want to add a little more spice when serving and serve it with a small amount of barley or other Kapha friendly grain.

A FEW RECIPE NOTES:  The recipe calls for a pressure cooker but I gently steamed the greens until tender.  I used my vita-mix blender to grind a few dried chickpeas into flour and I also used it to blend/gring the dry ingredients and then added the yogurt.  It created a perfect consistency.

Beet Greens in Spicey Yogurt Sauce (Mor Kootu)

For Tempering:

3. Now grind together the coconut, cumin, chillies, besan. Add little water if required.

4. Mix this mixture with the yogurt and add enough water. This should be in the consistency of pancake batter or even thinner.

5. In a saucepan add the cooked greens, salt and yogurt sauce. Remove the pan from the stove after the first boil.

6. Add coconut oil in a small frying pan. Once it heats add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once it splutters pour this in the kootu.

Let me help you on your Ayurvedic eating adventure……it’s much simpler than it seems.  Here is a well balanced tridoshic recipe……make it as a smoothie, a fruit bowl, or a chilled soup.  You can change the spices to make it “dosha-friendly”, Pitta types can add ice in the blender, Vata and Kapha types will probably enjoy at room temp, unless the heat is on where you live.  Want to get your kids to eat it?  Pop it in the dehydrator and Voila! Fruit Leather.

Cardamom Plum Delight

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients: 

4 plums
1 banana
sprinkle cardamom
sprinkle allspice
dash sea-salt, (opt)
sprinkle almonds, or nut of choice

Preparation: 

Puree plums and banana in food processor until liquefied (if you want it thicker, add another half or whole banana). Sprinkle a very light bit of cardamom over the top, then a bit of allspice, then salt, if desired. Pulse briefly to combine. Taste and adjust, if necessary.

The almonds complement the plum perfectly, adding good fats and a little protein!  Cardamom aides digestion relieving acidity and gas, and bloating.

Here in Western New York state is beginning to feel pretty darn chilly and it’s time to swing full gear into a Vata (Ayurveda) pacifying diet.  In Ayurveda food is the first line of healing.  Rather than eat particular foods just because of their specific “health” properties, foods are recommended according to the properties they contain, such as: bitter, sweet, sour, salty.

This recipe sounded so tasty and simple but I had to adjust it for Vata season.  I added half a fresh lemon, fresh ground turmeric, and a pinch of “Hing”, (found in Indian and Asian grocery stores), to counter the effects of the gas and wind producing qualities of the cabbage.   I use organic ingredients whenever possible. Enjoy!

3 Tablespoons Olive oil

seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, turmeric, fresh or ground,

pinch of Hing

1 small Savoy cabbage

3 cups low sodium veggie broth

1/2 cup Arborio Rice ( I love rice, I add a bout 3/4 cup to make it creamy).

1/2 of a Lemon

4 Slices whole wheat bread (or a dosha appropriate bread)

Grated Parmesan Cheese (or vegan substitute) , for optional garnish.

Heat oil in a large pot. over medium heat.  Add seasonings and heat for 60 seconds to release the aromatics.  Add the cabbage and stir to coat with oil.  Stir in the broth and 3 cups water.  Season with more salt and pepper.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes.

Stir in rice.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes , or until rice is tender.  Squeeze in the juice of the half lemon during the last five minutes.  (I toss the whole lemon in too, after I get all the juice out of it)

Meanwhile rub each bread slice with 1/2 clove garlic. Toast the bread and cut into fingers or cubes.  Divide the garlic toast among four bowls.  Laddle the soup over the toast and garnish with cheese if desired.