Ayurvedic pantry essentials include:
In any Ayurvedic kitchen, a few items are always present. The first is the use of high-quality cooking oils in cooking. The chef recommends using cultured ghee rather than canola oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil when cooking. He explains that cultured ghee is easier for the body to digest than an oil created with chemicals. "Cooking with coconut oil, which has a cooling effect, is recommended during hot weather, and olive oil is frequently used as a finishing oil [all year round]."
Now that you've taken care of the oil, you can turn your attention to another all-star component for your kitchen: white basmati rice. According to both experts, the grain is the easiest to digest. Last but not least, a spice cabinet stocked with anti-inflammatory spices such as turmeric, ginger, and cardamom is a must. Chef explains, "it is the entire reason I started Countertop in the first place." "I wanted to create blends that would make cooking this manner simple for everyone," she says. As a result, everything in her collection, at least for the time being, is produced with turmeric, one of the most effective anti-inflammatory spices available.
Preparing food in accordance with your dosha:
As a practitioner of the ancient science of Ayurveda, you may be wondering how your dosha—also known as your emotional and physical constitution—interferes with all of this. Specifically, if you are predominantly a pitta, cooling dishes and spices can assist in balancing out your fiery personality, according to the chef. Conversely, warming foods are preferable for people with colder vatas. Additionally, light, warm, and dry foods are the most effective for kaphas.
So, how precisely do you prepare a meal for a group of people with varying doshas in their bodies? According to the chef, the idea is to serve a moderately spicy main dish with other ingredients or spices that customers may put on top, such as avocado or yogurt if they are Pitta and want something cooling, or a chutney sauce if they are Vata and want something hot.
"That's what makes kitchari, a dish comprised of rice and lentils, so delicious, the chef explains. According to the author, "it's the one meal that every person on earth should know how to cook because it's healthy, delicious, and can feed an entire family for less than $5." The chef shares her go-to kitchen recipe with you so that you may make it at home for yourself.
What we take in with our senses, such as our mouth (food, drink), nose (breath), ears (chanting, lovely music), skin (sunlight), and eyes (nature), is referred to as "food." When we take food in sufficient quantities, it contributes to our long life and youthful appearance. When taken in insufficient amounts, it increases the creation of toxins, which is detrimental to human health. Having the proper nutrition is the first step toward living a healthy lifestyle. However, simply eating the right foods is not enough. It's also crucial for a person to eat the right combination and proportion of foods.
Poor nutrition or a lack of timely access to nutritional foods causes the majority of illnesses. The nutritional content and effect of a particular food are determined by the flavor and characteristics of the food. In Ayurveda, there are three main areas of emphasis: healing, prevention, and health-care provision. This medical science is a means of tailoring meals to the specific needs of each individual's healing process. Ayurvedic style cooking is a logical method of preparing meals while considering the nutritional requirements of an individual depending on his or her body type.
I grew up in a very traditional Maharashtrian family, and I remember my mother preparing meals for the entire family every day. Because cooking was one of my favorite pastimes, I was able to pick up some of her recipes. She was an excellent cook, and her foods were well-liked by her friends and family. However, when it came to the nutrition of her family and the quality of the food she served, she was a stickler. She was also quite fussy about our way of life, which was understandable. We were determined to finish our dinner by 8 PM, no matter what. Dooth-Poli would be the breakfast of choice every day ( milk with fresh chapati and homemade ghee ). I vividly remember how it would provide me with incredible energy till midday, which I used to use for studying. Medical education is time-consuming, and her cuisine would easily keep me going until the late afternoon.
Depending on the season, she would make sure that the dish changed, for example, during the month of Shravan (a Hindu auspicious month that would start somewhere from mid-August till mid-September). Then, we would finish dinner before the sunset, and there would be unique dishes prepared that were appropriate for the season in question. Fortunately, I have inherited her characteristics, and as I previously stated, I have also learned her recipes! As a result, I began making minor adjustments to my recipes to the principles of Ayurveda, and I shared those modifications with my clients, which provided a significant amount of support for their healing procedures. Today, I'll share some key diet lessons based on my 15 years of clinical expertise. Additionally, after knowing your prakruti through Nadi Pariksha, we can present you with customized recipes tailored to your constitution.