It’s time to start sharing some recipes! This is going to be fun…

There’s a whole line of knowledge behind the technique of meditation I teach. It’s the body of Ayurveda.

The key to maximum health for me is incorporating Ayurvedic principles into my daily life.

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian preventative medicine and health care system which extends back more than 5000 years, aimed at maintaining health and balance.

Ayurveda is massive body of knowledge to digest. So how about I give you small mouthfuls at a time? With a recipe. Sound good? Hope so.

It’s all about balancing the “doshas” – vata, pitta and kapha. We’re all made up of all three, but tend to have one that dominates, and when that gets out of balance, hello health and emotional issues.

Here’s a run down:

Vata in balance: Flexible; clear and alert mind; sporty; enthusiastic; imaginative; happy; and energetic.
Vata out of balance: Anxiety; restlessness; poor circulation; irregular hunger and digestion; underweight; interrupted sleep; pain; dry skin; and cold.

Pitta in balance: Acuteness of sight and sharp thinking; strong appetite and thirst; disciplined; confident; orderly; manages energy, money and time efficiently.
Pitta out of balance: Anger; impatient; irritable; heat; skin rashes eczema etc; and excessive perspiration.

Kapha in balance: Deliberate thinkers and speakers; affectionate; tolerant; forgiving; and have a great memory.
Kapha out of balance: Weight gain; depression; procrastination; congestion; stubbornness; and aversion to change.

As the seasons change one dosha becomes more dominant in nature than the others.

Vata: Air and space element (dry) (Autumn and Spring)
Pitta: Fire and air element (hot) (Summer)
Kapha: Earth and water element (heavy) (Winter)

If I’m losing you now, I promise I can make this make sense.

The Auyrvedic thinking is that we are a microcosm of the macrocosm of nature. So, as the seasons change and one dosha becomes more dominant in nature than the others, that same dosha becomes more dominant within us.

Autumn, March to May, is particularly Vata activating, with the shorter, colder, drier, windier days.

When vata dominates, there is an increase in the dry, rough and cool qualities of both our external systems and internal systems. Most noticeably, dry skin and lips are examples of the way this imbalance prints out in us.

Most importantly is that Vata controls all of the doshas, meaning that if vata becomes imbalanced all of the doshas become imbalanced.

I’ve got masses of vata in my constitution. So vata pacification is key. I need to get warm, get consistent, favour heaviness and smoothness over lightness and roughness and use oils to compact dryness.

Now lets get balancing your vata dosha…

Ayurvedic Pumpkin Rice Recipe
Serves 6 as a side dish or 2-3 as a main.

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons of ghee (or butter)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1/3 butternut pumpkin, grated
½ cauliflower, finely sliced
2-4cm fresh ginger, grated or chopped finely
1 bunch of chives, finely diced
1 teaspoon of good salt, unrefined ground black pepper, as desired
½ cup red lentils
½ cup rice
2 cups of water
1/3 cup sultanas
1/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 lemon cut into wedges
3 tablespoon natural yoghurt

Method

1. Melt the ghee in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds. Once they start to pop, add in the cumin powder. Fry spices for a few seconds, until fragrant.

2. Add the pumpkin and cauliflower to the spices and cook on a medium heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ginger, chives and season with salt and pepper.

3. Add lentils, rice and water. Stir for a minute. Simmer gently until the lentils are soft – approx. 30 minutes. (You may need to add in more water depending on the size of your frying pan).

4. Add sultanas and pepitas and fry for a few minutes.

5. Serve with chopped parsley, fresh lemon and natural yoghurt.