AyurJaya

04/24/2022

Fresh produce from Roswell Farmers and Artisans Market! Spring's bounty...fresh garlic and a big bag of bean sprouts!

A simple salad that is anything but....bean sprouts, lots of fresh cilantro, chopped green mango and some green chiles for heat; for the dressing, whisk together raw sugar (or powdered jaggery), generous amount of lemon juice, and salt; add chopped green garlic tops for added flavor. Add dressing to the salad ingredients, toss to combine and top off with roasted peanuts! Delicious!

11/06/2021

Sheet pan soup recipe 2 - sunshine in a bowl! The same drill as the previous one….1 small butternut squash + 2 small sweet potatoes + 1/2 sweet onion + handful of cherry tomatoes + couple pods of garlic; dice veggies large, drizzle with EVOO and roast at 375F for about 30 minutes. When cool, blend with some stock or water, salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

11/04/2021

Happy Diwali everyone! May this year bring good health and joy!

Here is a delicious recipe from my kitchen to yours! This soup is too easy for the taste punch it packs. A sheet pan soup recipe if ever there was one!

Dice BIG: 1 beet, 1 Kabocha squash, 1 granny Smith apple, 1/2 sweet onion and a couple of pods of garlic.

Drizzle all veggies with olive oil, toss on a sheet pan and bake at 375F for about 30 mins.

Scoop out sqaush seeds if needed; toss all roast veggies in a blender with salt, black pepper, and a little broth or water; blend to desired cosistency. (I have also pureed any leftover freezer summer fruit - peaches in the freezer? They will work beautifully!). Enjoy warm or at room temperature!

06/29/2021

This salad called Kosambari is a childhood favorite and now a summer staple! It comes together easily with a half hour prep to hydrate the yellow mung Daal.

For the salad:
4 organic carrots, washed, trimmed, and grated (I keep the peel on to bring in soil based probiotics)
1/2 cup packed organic cilantro, washed and chopped fine
1/3-1/2 cup fesh grated coconut (easily available in most Indian store freezers, these days)
1/2 cup organic yellow Mung Daal, washed and soaked in hot water for at least 30 mins (until the lentil is crunchy and edible); then drain and pat dry if needed
Juice of half a lemon

For tempering or tadka:
Heat 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil of choice (I use virgin coconut or sesame oil)
Add 1/2-1 teaspoon of mustard seeds and let them splutter, then shut off heat.
Add a pinch of Hing or Asafoetida to this tempering oil (optional but adds major Umami!)

Toss all ingredients together, adding salt to taste and enjoy!

06/24/2021

The simplest 2-step tomato soup that is beyond delicous! Summer at its yummiest!

Step 1 - 4 ripe tomatoes on the vine, washed cored, halved; place tomaoes cut side up on a bake pan, drizle with sea salt, and some glugs of olive oil; place bake tray under a broiler for about 8 minutes, until tomatoes are bubbling and the skins look a bit charred.
Step 2 - let cool and add broiled tomatoes to a blender; add some fresh garlic, a couple of glugs of cream (or nut milk if vegan), some sprigs of fresh oregano, sea salt, crushed black pepper and a dash of coconut palm sugar or some other natural sweetener. Blend till smooth - filter if necessary and discard the peel and seeds.

Enjoy warm or cold!

05/06/2021

In the last several weeks, as the Indian subcontinent slipped into a lethal second wave of the pandemic, many of you have reached out asking about loved ones. Every DM or phone call is much appreciated!

Many of you have asked how you can help. While our immediate family is safe, we have heard of so much sad news and the need for a concerted effort to help is real.

If you are a yoga studio, please share on your social media and newsletters. Showing Up is Yoga in Action! A couple of vetted links:

Mission Oxygen: helping hospitals get immediate access to oxygen cylinders and concentrators
https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/mission-oxygen-helping-hospitals-to-save-lives

Food Assistance in Mumbai:
https://fundraisers.giveindia.org/fundraisers/khaanachahiye-mumbai-is-battling-hunger-along-with-covid-19-again

04/10/2021

A virtual workshop hosted by Vista Yoga, on Ayurvedic Spring care! We will meet once a week for three consecutive weeks, starting on Aprl 15th (Thu) in the evening.

This class will include journaling prompts, recipes to try at home, and breathwork to slowly start shifting into this season. We will meet once a week to review, answer questions and discuss progress.

Spots still open. For class description and registration, please see:
https://vistayoga.com/workshops-and-events/upcoming/

04/05/2021

Ayurvedic Spring Care article in Natural Awakenings by moi!

As the earth thaws from winter’s freeze, nature stirs in every nook and corner, bursting forth in vibrant hues. It’s spring!

03/27/2021

The bitter taste is balancing, clearing, and drying for Spring – the perfect counterpoint to the wet and congesting nature of this season. Even though it is a common taste in nature (leaves, barks, roots, fruit and vegetable peels, seeds etc. tend to be bitter), it doesn’t always make it to our modern-day plate and palate often, except of course in the form of coffee, chocolate, alcohol, etc.

Traditional foodways consume the bitter taste in the diet through seasonal, local sourcing but supermarket aisles full of non-seasonal produce have somewhat eliminated this practice.

Consuming bitters 15 minutes before a meal can stimulate digestion, and when consumed after a meal, it still acts a digestif. The taste is reducing in that it scrapes away fat – it is difficult to gain weight when one consumes this taste predominantly. When eaten at the end of the meal, the bitter taste acts as a sanitizing reset, cleansing the mouth of lingering tastes, while also eliminating cravings. (There is a wisdom to the greens being eaten at the end of an Italian meal, or the practice of eating betel leaves at the end of an Indian one!).

There are many readily available, well-made non-alcoholic bitters to try this season. The preparations are convenient and can be dispensed as couple of dropperfuls in warm water.

For tea lovers, some bitter spices/herbs to try in tea form are Dandelion, Neem, Fenugreek, Nettles etc. and when combined with ginger, black pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon, they can be flavorful brews tailored for Spring!

03/20/2021

Happy Spring!

According to Ayurveda, Spring is a wet and cool season that is dominated by Kapha Dosha. In order to bring about balance, Ayurveda emphasizes the bitter taste which is naturally abundant in Spring's produce - fresh greens, berries, and herbs. The bitter taste is cleansing and reducing, working to clear any congestion and reduce body fat that tends to accumulate during winter months. It's time to start shifting to a Spring diet and routine.

Stay tuned for Spring pantry tips and recipes!

02/07/2021

In Ayurveda, garlic is considered heating and is used for its medicinal properties - in skin, respiratory, and digestive ailments among others. It is also used a nourishing tonic, especially postpartum. It pacifies Vata and can aggravate Pitta, more so when consumed raw. Most people can tolerate garlic cooked.

Garlic confit (from the French for 'preserve'), is garlic slow-cooked in olive oil over several hours to infuse the oil, and gently cook the pods soft. It is a delicious way to consume garlic especially in the winter - as a spread, dip or drizzled onto any savory dish. Garlic cooked in this way is sweet and has a buttery consistency.

To make garlic confit on the stove ~
(there are a number of recipes for oven-baked confit as well)

4 heads of organic garlic, pods separated
2 cups olive oil - enough to completely cover the pods and some extra

Bring olive oil to gentle boil in a deep skillet. Add garlic pods and any dried herbs (I used dried thyme).

Lower heat to the lowest setting on your stove and cook for 45 minutes.

Shut off heat and let cool. Store confit in the fridge.

02/06/2021

In the winter, raw greens can be very Vata aggravating (cold, light, dry qualities) and not recommended for most people. I make a variety of green chutneys and condiments that accompany meals, in order to bring in the green! This recipe by Sneh at Cook Republic is delicious on just about anything!

A classic Argentinian staple, this Chimichurri sauce is full of green goodness and has the added health benefits of apple cider vinegar. Truly delicious!

01/12/2021

In clamorous times, this small podcast brings a welcome slice of solace.

Acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton collects sounds from around the world. He’s recorded inside Sitka spruce logs in the Pacific Northwest, thunder in the Kalahari Desert, and dawn breaking across six continents. An attentive listener, he says silence is an endangered species on the verge of extinction. He defines real quiet as presence — not an absence of sound but an absence of noise. We take in the world through his ears.

The acoustic ecologist on collecting sounds around the world and why silence is an endangered species on the verge of extinction.

01/07/2021

Let's make 2021 about deep nourishment, renewal, and loving self-care!

And what better way to start than a three-part virtual workshop on Ayurveda and Food!

Starting next Tuesday night for 3 weeks from 6-8 PM. a 6-hour immersive experience talking about the paradigm-shifting Ayurvedic perspective on food and how it informs my own practice year-round.

We will discuss all the basic concepts, have detailed notes and explore the idea of a seasonal pantry. We will discuss how best to shop and prepare meals in simple, yet delicious ways. We will explore the world of spices and their medicinal properties and maybe explore recipes. For session 2 and 3, we can cook together to fully entrain the ideas.

https://vistayoga.com/upcoming-events/workshops-events/

This workshop is sure to bring many ‘aha’ moments as we explore the deep meaning of food in our lives and learn how to nourish ourselves through the seasons.

01/04/2021

More plant-based eating in the new year? It doesn't get easier than this!

This roast-tomato, red pepper and butternut soup is a winter pick-me up, on regular rotation in our house. It calls for firing up the oven and roasting all the veggies ahead of time.

However, when my daughter's bestie wanted a quick and easy recipe for a work night with virtually no prep time, this version was born. ZERO to SOUP in the time it takes to open three cans and whir up a blender!

All organic ingredients if possible) -

1 can fire-roasted tomatoes + 1 can pumpkin puree + 1 jar roast red peppers + 1 small cup applesauce + 1 teaspoon roast cumin powder (optional) + garlic powder & salt to taste - blend, warm up and enjoy!

11/23/2020

Miso is a deeply flavorful condiment I have grown to love. It has been fun learning about this traditional Japanese food, where the passage of time is a key ingredient to the color, depth and complexity of the final product. Miso is made from adding Koji spores to cooked rice/soy and nowadays a variety of legumes and grains. Let sit for anywhere from 6 months to three or more years and you have what is a gift to mankind from the gods to assure lasting health, longevity, and happiness.*

Nowadays, farmers markets carry a variety of small-batch local miso that makes it easy to experiment and cook with this delicious ingredient. Since it is a live food, it is best added last to a dish, after the heat is shut off to preserve its nutritive properties. It lasts up to a year or more in the fridge so it is not something one must use up quickly. It has many tastes - sweet, salty, sour...Ayurvedically speaking it is a great winter pantry addition!

This recipe is minimalist, quick, and pared down to three ingredients not counting water and heat, but the end result is anything but! It can be easily adapted to any root vegetable. Served as a light supper or as a side for any meal, not necessarily Asian, it is sure to wake up the taste buds!

Miso-glazed Turnips

6 small, white turnips with the greens trimmed lightly; peel and cut into fours.

In a large pot, add enough water to submerge the turnips; add sea salt lightly to taste (miso is salty so go easy on this), cover and poach the turnips to fork-tender – maybe 8-10 minutes.

When done, drain poaching liquid into a bowl; using this liquid, a little at a time, dissolve a heaping tablespoon of miso to make a sauce. Drizzle over poached turnips to coat!

Enjoy!
(I think miso-poached pears are next!)

*Michio Kushi, How to Cook with Miso (Tokyo: Japan Pub.,1978), pg. 27.