Here's a photo of the Cranberry Apple Chutney before it was devoured.
Vata: Decreases
Pitta: Neutral
Kapha: Neutral
Season: Fall
This mulled fruit compote turned into a chutney can be served with many holiday meals including Thanksgiving. This chutney can also be paired with spicy dishes. Or serve on bread for an appetizer.
Ingredients:
2 cups cranberries
1 large apple or 2 small
2/3 cup apple juice
1/2 cup agave syrup, jaggery or brown sugar
¼ cup raisins
1/2 t freshly grated ginger
¼ t or pinch of cinnamon, clove and allspice
Directions:
Boil cranberries, apples, cider, sweetener and raisins 8-10 minutes until cranberries pop.
Lightly mash.
Mix in spices.
Chill until fruit pectin has gelled or put in a mold.
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
For Individual Doshas:
Vata: Add 2 t grated orange zest. Add apples after cranberries are done to keep them crunchy.
Pitta: Add 1/4 cup coconut or a dash of nutmeg.
Kapha: Add spicy oil, onions and vinegar for a savory chutney.
Enjoy Kitchari in any season for protein and balance.
Vata: decreases
Pitta: decreases
Kapha: decreases
Season: All
This simple recipe can be used year round. Additional spices and vegetables can be added as available and to taste. Salt, pepper and oil (ghee) can be added as well. Use all or some of the spices listed below.
Ingredients:
1 cup white basmati rice
1 cup yellow split mung dal
1 handful copped cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon turmeric
6 cups water
Optional:
1/2 to 2 teaspoons cumin powder
1/2 to 2 teaspoons coriander powder
1/2 to 2 teaspoons fennel powder
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1-2 t dry basil (or more fresh)
1-2 t grated fresh ginger
1-2 cloves garlic
1-2 T vegetable oil or ghee
1 bay leaf
2-3 cups chopped fresh vegetables
2 t mustard seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Wash and rinse beans and rice twice.
2. Saute mustards seeds until they pop. Add additional spices.
3. Add grains and water and simmer 25-30 minutes.
2. Add fresh vegetables and cilantro after 15-20 minutes.
4. Cook until tender. Add additional water and salt to create desired consistency and taste.
Serves: 8
Preparation time: 40 minutes
For Individual Doshas:
Vata: Add hing
Pitta: Top with ghee
Kapha: Add cayenne. Option to use brown rice and whole mung beans. Cook 50-60 minutes.
For Vata balancing choose black lentils, for Pitta choose common lentil, for Kapha use a red lentil. This recipe calls for tomatoes, which are more balancing for Kapha. To balance Vata and Pitta use peas instead.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups lentils (4 1/2 cups water)
2 T ghee or vegetable oil
Cardamom seeds from 2 pods crushed in mortar and pestle (or 1/4 t pre-ground)
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seeds
1/2 t freshly ground coriander (or 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 t fenugreek seeds or powder
1/4 t cinnamon
dash allspice
pinch nutmeg
pinch cloves
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon berberre (or cayenne and paprika)
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
3 medium tomatoes (or peas)
1 tablespoon fresh basil (1 teaspoon dried)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional:
1 cup green peas or other vegetable
Directions:
1. Wash lentils twice and boil until tender, about half an hour.
2. Meanwhile heat ghee or oil in a large pot and roast seeds until they pop, add onions until translucent. Turn heat to low and add garlic, and the rest of the spice. Mix in tomatoes and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add lentils to the spices and then cook another 5 minutes.
Sweeten the Pitta in you or around you with this chocolate cake dessert.
Vata: increases
Pitta: decreases
Kapha: increases
Season: Summer
Since when can chocolate cake possibly be Ayurvedic? Well, in the summer, sometimes our fire and Pitta can get a bit much. If you’re feeling overheated and irritable and ready to remind yourself of the sweetness that’s always available to your inner self, try this moist sweet cake. I also use it as my standard birthday cake for chocolate lovers. It’s especially good for the Pitta ones who can digest wheat, dairy, sugar and eggs. I do have some wheat free and alternative chocolate cakes–ones with beets and zucchini–but this is a good basic cake. Don’t tell anyone it’s Ayurvedic, since it’s really just a Northeast cake I’m serving in the Northwest. Shhh!
Ingredients:
4 ounces (squares) unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup jaggery
1/2 cup hot water
1 3/4 cup flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup jaggery
4 organic eggs
2/3 to 3/4 cup buttermilk (depending on thickness)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350* F and butter two round 9 inch cake pans
2. Melt together first three ingredients
2. Combine flour, soda and salt in a separate bowl
3. Beat butter and second measure of sugar. Add one egg at a time.
4. Alternate adding flour mixture with milk.
5. Stir in chocolate and vanilla.
6. Cook for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Invert cake from pans after 5 minutes of cooling.
Frosting Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons butter at room temperature
(Optional: 1 ounce unsweetened melted chocolate)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoons vanilla
Directions: Mix above ingredients until well blended and frost cake. Adjust sugar or milk for desired consistency.
Our CSA (community supported agriculture) farm like growing Mizuna (a spiky green leaf similar to young collards) since when you cut it, it will grow back. That means that we often get this spring green in the summer and forget what to do with cooked greens anymore. Although this one can be eaten raw in salads, we have had an unusually rainy summer this year with highs in the 60s and lows in the 50 for the middle of July. That means cooked greens are more appealing than raw ones right now.
This green along with zucchini will decrease Pitta and Kapha, and the BBQ tofu on top will make you feel like you’re indulging in a Southern feast. Top with fresh basil if the slugs haven’t gotten to yours first.
Ingredients:
1 Bunch Mizuna Greens (or use collards, kale or dandelion)
1 Tablespoon sunflower oil
1 small fresh spring onion
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 / 2 small Zucchini
1 teaspoon agave syrup
pinch of rock salt
1 block firm tofu
4 Tablespoons BBQ sauce
Directions:
1. Sautee onion, zucchini and basil in oil 5 minutes over medium heat
2. Add washed, dried, de-stemmed Mizuna greens until wilted
3. Add salt and agave, and set aside
2. Slice tofu into 4 serving blocks and sautee with BBQ sauce until well heated (10 min over low heat)
This is a fabulous way to cook Mustard Greens for Kapha and spring balancing. To decrease Pitta, substitute collard greens or kale for the spicy mustard green. Greens are a wonderful dairy-free way to increase your stores of calcium. Adzuki beans, like mung beans, are a small bean that is easy to digest and cooks quickly. Most grocery stores carry them in the bulk foods section. Serve over fresh turmeric rice with curry leaves for a full protein and a colorful meal.
Ingredients:
1 Bunch Mustard Greens
1 / 2 cup Adzuki beans
1 small fresh spring onion
2 Tablespoons Bragg liquid amino
1 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
1. Rinse the beans, then brink them to a boil for 5 minutes and allow them to soak for 1 hour. Rinse the beans throroughly.
2. Cook beans in 1 and a half cups of water for 40 minutes until soft.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for another 10 minutes. Optional: add a little fresh grated ginger or a pinch of hing.
If you’ve had a wet and damp spring like we have in the Pacific Northwest, you may have collards and other green leafy vegetables in great abundance. This variation on spinach lasagna can be made with spelt or quinoa noodles (instead of wheat) and tomatoes for more Kapha balancing. Those with Osteoartritis or Amlapitta should be sure to avoid the tomatoes and make this with zucchini–or a summer or winter squash.
Ingredients:
15 Collard leaves (or Kale or broccoli greens or other green leafy vegetable)
1 / 4 teaspoon baking soda
1 / 8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoons almond butter
2 Tablespoon sunflower oil (or other high heat vegetable oil)
2 Leeks
1 medium zucchini, sliced squash (or 2 medium tomatoes)
1 / 2 cup water
1 / 2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons basil
1 / 2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon herbs de provence
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
8 ounces fresh soft Chevre
8 ounces soft white goat cheese (of a softness like mozzarella) grated
8 ounces manchego (hard sheep cheese) grated
1 / 2 cup water or goat milk
one package lasagna noodles
Sprinkle of Hungarian paprika
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350* F
2. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish
3. Remove collard stems/stalks, chop and place in half a cup of boiling water for 3-5 minutes until wilted
4. Puree greens in cuisinart or blender with baking soda, nutmeg and almond butter
5. Saute leeks in oil with spices until fragrant, add squash or tomato and water until soft
6. Beat egg, chevre and goat milk (or water )
7. Place a few spoonfuls of tomatoes sauce on bottom of baking dish, add 1 /4 cup water
8. Cover bottom of baking dish with uncooked lasagna noodles
9. Layer on 1 / 3 of the Chevre mixture
10. Add half the greens mixture
11. Cover with half the squash or tomato sauce
12. Repeat layers of lasagna noodles, chevre, and grated goat cheese
13. Cover the top layer of lasagna noodles with the last bit of sauce, semi-soft goat cheese and manchego
