Maharishi Ayurveda Newsletter Archive

Cooking an Ayurvedic Meal at Home

If you have an organized kitchen and your ingredients handy, cooking an ayurvedic meal can be simple and fun, taking about 15 minutes to prepare and 20-25 minutes to cook.

Your kitchen should have the following staple ingredients on hand:split mung beans, basmati rice and/or other whole grains such as barley, quinoa, or couscous, Ghee or olive oil, spices such as ginger, cumin, coriander, and turmeric, the freshest vegetables you can get, yogurt, wheat flour and a pre-made chutney.

To save time, have spices appropriate to your needs for balance pre-mixed in a container or have handy some Maharishi Ayurveda spice mixtures such as Vata, Pitta, or Kapha churna. Keep your beans and grains in glass jars for easy measuring.

Split mung dahl or moong dahl are the green whole mung beans that have been split and the green skins removed. Split mung is the easiest to digest of all the beans and is balancing for all the doshas. It provides protein and the astringent taste. The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians recommends that you try to include all six tastes in a meal - sweet, salty, sour, astringent, bitter, and pungent. If you are on a diet to pacify a specific dosha, it is still good to include all six tastes, focusing on the ones related to the specific dosha and taking less of the other ones. For example, a person trying to reduce pitta would include more of the sweet, bitter and astringent tastes and less of the pungent, sour and salty tastes.

Basmati rice is considered to be a highly beneficial grain according to ayurveda. It is balancing for all the doshas, however, eating it every day is not recommended because it is a little heavy. People with a kapha imbalance can dry-roast the grain before adding the water for cooking as this will make it a bit lighter.

Quinoa, barley or couscous can be used for the grains portion of the meal as well. Quinoa has high protein content and is delicious and fast cooking.

As your beans and grains are cooking, start preparing the vegetables. Vegetables should constitute a substantial portion of your meal and it's good to have at least two different vegetables at each meal - such as carrots and broccoli, or cauliflower and green beans. Dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach, or collard greens can be added to the vegetable dish or prepared separately. Dark leafy greens have minerals that other vegetables do not have and it is important to eat them several times per week or even every day if available. You will notice increased benefits from including them in you diet on a regular basis.

According to ayurveda, the best way to cook vegetables is to sauté them in ghee with spices. By first sautéing the spices in ghee the volatile oils of the spices are drawn out into the Ghee. These spices have therapeutic value. Turmeric, for example, has been found to be an antioxidant, and other spices such as cumin and coriander help with digestion and assimilation. The spices cook into the vegetables and act as carriers, transferring nutrition from the vegetables into the bloodstream as we consume them. They also make the food taste aromatic and delicious.

First gently fry the spices in the ghee, taking care not to burn them. Add the chopped raw vegetables to the spice mixture and stir so that all the spices are mixed with the vegetables. Add a couple of spoonfuls of water to prevent sticking. Cover and cook on low heat until the vegetables are well cooked. Not mushy, but just "fork friendly". Add salt to taste at the end and some fresh cilantro leaves for garnish.

Ghee is considered a beneficial oil in ayurveda. According to traditional ayurvedic texts, it is a rasayana, good for overall well-being and longevity. Modern research shows that it is an antioxidant and contains beta-carotene. Since the milk solids have been removed, ghee does not spoil easily like vegetable oils do. If you are on a weight loss program, limit your intake of ghee or oil to judicious amounts.

The dahl should be spiced using the same process of sautéing the spices in the ghee first. But the ghee-spice mixture should be added to the dahl at the end, when the dahl is finished cooking. (See recipe)

Lassi (yogurt drink) is a digestive aid for the afternoon meal. (It is not recommended in the evening.) Sweet lassi is a drink made from fresh yogurt, water, Organic Rose Water, and sweetener. Fresh organic yogurt is full of fresh lactobacilli, necessary for a well-functioning digestive tract. When made into a drink it is useful to reduce bloating and allows the digestion of the lunch to be smoother. Plus it adds nutrition and the sweet taste. It is worthwhile getting a yogurt maker to make your own yogurt. The yogurt purchased from grocery stores is sour and does not contain the lively bacteria freshly made yogurt does.

Chapatis, or flatbreads add the sweet taste. They are made from wheat flour and are energy-enhancing foods. They are time consuming to make at home but if you can invest the time and the effort they are worth it because they taste much better than store-bought ones. You can purchase organic chapatis at most health food stores if time does not allow the homemade ones. However, if you do buy them readymade make sure you heat them before serving.

Chutneys are usually combinations of spices and cooked fruits. They aid in digestion and add variety, taste and interest to the meal. Keep a few of them stocked in your refrigerator to add some quick variety to your meals.

With practice, a meal that includes grains, beans or lentils, vegetables and the yogurt drink should only take about 15 minutes to prepare and about 25 minutes to cook. You will enjoy a home-cooked ayurvedic meal that is wholesome, nutritious, balanced and fresh.

Split Moong Dahl
2 servings

• 1/2 cup split moong dahl
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 carrot, cut into thin slices
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated
• 1 teaspoon MAPI Vata Churna
• 1 tablespoon MAPI Ghee
• 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Rinse dahl in cool water 3 times. Place water, carrots, and dahl in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam that forms on the top of the boiling water with a tablespoon and discard.

Lower heat and continue to simmer for 20 minutes, till the dahl is tender. If you want a thicker dahl you can continue boiling for 5 minutes longer. Add the salt. In a separate saucepan melt the ghee. Add the fresh ginger root and sauté for several minutes. Add the Vata Churna and sauté briefly, about 30 seconds, with the ginger root, making sure that the spices do not burn.

Add spice mixture to dahl. The dahl may splash when you add the hot oil toit. Add the fresh cilantro and lemon juice. Stir and serve over rice or asa side soup with your main meal.

Saffron Risotto with Asparagus and Zucchini
Serves 4 as a main course
This dish is a derivative of the delectable Mediterranean variety. Arborio is the standard variety of risotto found today. However, there are others available in specialty stores. We urge you to try them all. This family of rice is famous for its creamy texture and will absorb many times its weight in water and the unctuous quality can be a great comfort!

A Tip: When preparing risotto, do not wash the rice beforehand.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Maharishi Ayurveda Ghee
• 1 tablespoon Maharishi Ayurveda Vata Churna
• Pinch of saffron
• 1 1/2 cups of Arborio
• 5 1/4 cups of warm water
• 1 large zucchini
• 1/2 pound of asparagus (about 12 medium spears)
• 1/2 yellow onion (optional)
• 1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
• 1/2 lemon
• Salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• Fresh cilantro for garnish
• Fresh ground Pecorino or Parmesan cheese (optional)

Melt ghee in a medium stockpot. Bring to a medium high heat, careful not to burn. Sauté finely chopped onion over medium high heat until golden and add Vata Churna. Stir in the saffron and the Arborio. Bring the water to a boil on the stove or in a kettle and set aside. Sauté above ingredients for a few seconds, then add 1/4 cup water to slow cooking. Add cubed zucchini and chopped asparagus, the lemon pepper and sauté lightly, mixing the contents of the pot well. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat to a medium simmer. Add remaining 2 cups of warm water, 1/4 quarter cup at a time, stirring frequently as the rice mixture absorbs the liquid. Stir in the juice of the lemon and 1/2 tsp. of salt. The absorption time is approximately 25 minutes, which may vary slightly according to cooking temperature. After the liquid is integrated and the dish is creamy as a good risotto should be, turn off the stove and allow the dish to set covered for five minutes. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with ground Pecorino or Parmesan on the side which can be sprinkled liberally over the top. Enjoy!