Av TheCompleteAyurvedicCookbook
Av TheCompleteAyurvedicCookbook
Av TheCompleteAyurvedicCookbook
Ayurvedic Cookbook
4th Edition
Acidify and Live – an Ayurvedic Alkaline Diet
Jay D. Mulder B.Hlth.Sc.
Cert. Ayurveda, Dip. Nutr., Dip. Herb.
Member, Australian Traditional Medicine Society
& Australasian Ayurvedic Practitioner Association
“Nothing is good, nothing is bad;
However it is time, place, individual, qualities and
circumstances which determine so!”
Jay D Mulder
Breakfast Ideas 35
Essential Additions 45
Main Meals 51
The Luxuries 65
Ayurvedic Gems 76
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You might pose the question: ‘The
Complete Ayurvedic Cookbook’, so
small how can it be complete?
Complete in the sense of being essential
and dealing with the heart of Ayurvedic
cooking such as the philosophical
concept of tridosha or harmony, the
cooking technic of chauncing and the
unique concept of wholesomeness
according to Caraka 600 BC.
1. TRIDOSHA
The world is constructed of five elements, namely earth, water, fire, air and space
which act as the three dosha, vata, pitta and kapha, in the human body. All foods,
spices and habits affect the doshas either pushing them into or out of balance. A good
example is chilli which is very hot and drying; this can be disturbing to many and
cause disease with overuse in chilli lovers. By using a small about of chilli fried in
ghee then discarding the chilli the energies have been made TRIDOSHIC or
balanced. Ghee is cool and wet, chilli is very hot and drying, and when these energies
are combined they balance each other to a large extent. Ghee aids digestion although
it has a cooling energy.
Some people find it difficult to eat bananas because they are cold wet and heavy,
Ayurveda offers the idea of adding honey and pippali (pepper) to bananas. This
summer please try cold watermelon from the fridge dusted with fresh pippali or black
pepper. Any meal requires balancing too little or too much of any one item causes
imbalances to form over time, therefore meals should have good variety, an entire
meal of potato chips for example will throw the body into chaos if repeatedly
indulged in. The chips need to be accompanied by a well-dressed salad, a digestive
drink and some other vegetables and digestive chutney or sauce.
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Tridosha in other words is using cooking processes, the use of spices, dressing as with
salads and combinations to balance any meal. Brown rice is very heavy and hard to
digest but is also a safe carbohydrate, so over-cooking the brown rice in a traditional
kitchari proves a good idea for those who have not got a cast iron stomach but want
the benefits of wholegrain. Also the ghee and tasty spices add a digestive tridoshic
energy to any dish.
A few very crude example of the tridoshic concept could be that coffee can be
disturbing to the adrenals. If a person is addicted or habituated to coffee, one can
chew cardamom pods with or after the coffee to balance the adrenal blow somewhat.
If one is a chocolate-holic what can be done to balance the habit, besides controlling
it would be to resort to chilli or pippali chocolate. Sweet taste is cold, heavy and wet
and taxing to the digestive fire and damp for the spleen. Sweet also accumulates ama
or undigested toxins, pippali and chilli are light, cutting, drying and hot while
clearing ama.
2. A SPICY CHAUNCE
Ghee which is the best cooking oil for several reasons, namely;
Heat say a tablespoon of ghee, over a moderate to low flame, add a few pinches of
mustard seeds that will pop after a few minutes, turn down the heat once they start
popping, add a good few pinches of cumin seed, stir for 30 seconds add fenugreek
seeds after another 30 seconds add a pinch of hing, stir and remove from heat. That is
a chaunce; you have diffused the flavour and energies of the spices into the ghee.
Children and myself do not like too many crunchy seeds but we love the flavour so if
you wish scoop out some excess seeds leaving the flavoursome ghee.
You can either throw this chaunce into a dahl, over a pot of rice or into a pot of
steamed vegies. A mustard chaunce can be added to yoghurt for a raita. Or vegies can
be added to the chaunce stir fried for a minute then add water or whey and steam.
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3. WHOLESOMENESS
‘That food which nurtures all the tissue of the body, and which puts the body into
balance, is wholesome’.
Wholesome food nurtures the plasma, blood, fat, muscle, bone, nerve and
reproductive system and establishes the body in equilibrium as simple as that.
Wholesome food in order to fulfil these goals needs to be digested and metabolised,
Ayurveda states, ‘Most diseases are cause by mandagni (slow digestion) and the
creation of ama (undigested particles).’ So for the sake of modern times here is a
definition of wholesomeness,
‘That food which is fully digested and also nurtures all the tissue of the body, and which
puts the body into balance, is wholesome’.
In other words a raw organic carrot from the fridge chewed incompletely can be said
to be unwholesome whereas a cooked carrot with digestive spices could be considered
wholesome if fully digested.
The most fabulous smoothie in the world with fresh organic Alaskan ice, and all
health goo in the world is considered unwholesome if not fully digested. If the tongue
is coated the brew has a negative effect by taxing the metabolic fire. Basically it can
be concluded, ‘Nectar turns to poison if not digested’!
I was surprised to find Ayurvedic books on the merits of drinking with meals.
Actually many verses glorify liquids with meals. Of course the Western argument is
that liquids dilute digestive juices and cause indigestion! This of course is a partial
truth.
If it were totally true that one should not drink with meals, then logically, eating dry
powder would have to be the healthiest food!
Yet everyone from Grandma to Aunti knows soup is the best food when illness
strikes. Mother Nature on the other hand has made a huge blunder and has stationed
liquid channels in the mouth generating saliva. Therefore the Ayurvedic view is to sip
a digestive warm or room temperature drink between morsels of food to stimulate
and cleanse the pallet. Warm ginger tea, mild apple cider vinegar in water or salt and
peppered buttermilk, or simply hot, warm or room temperature water depending on
season, time of day and digestive capacity can be taken to enhance digestion and
therefore health.
Of course iced or cold drinks, soft drinks and cold milk or over drinking are harmful
at mealtime and will cause disorders to manifest overtime. According to Ayurveda by
disturbing digestion and the elements of the body, namely vata, pitta and kapha,
diseases are generated overtime by constant accumulation of those elements.
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5. YOGHURT Terribly bad, wonderfully good!
The penalty for over indulgence is congestion that can take the form of coughing,
wheezing, mucus discharge from the mouth, chest infection, halitosis (bad breath),
poor appetite, headaches, fungal infections and fatigue.
Ayurveda recommends taking yoghurt in small amounts; say a few tablespoons, with
Ayurvedic salt and/or pepper, once or twice a day.
In conclusion: avoid sweet meals with large amounts of yoghurt. Save money and
have a dollop of yoghurt with pepper and/or salt for an excellent probiotic and
digestive effect. Avoid yoghurt that has sugar, added milk solids or is too sour. Eat
less than two tablespoons of yoghurt at a sitting. Even if you are lactose intolerant;
try a dash of pure yoghurt like ‘Paris Creek’ with pepper and a warm, savoury meal.
Please remember: Yoghurt is a great medicine, but once the line of excess is crossed
— yoghurt can be a great poison! In the light of Ayurvedic knowledge; you can
maintain your health in balance by choosing and taking your yoghurt wisely.
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6. AYURVEDIC MINERAL SALT
“Salt used correctly would be the most important ingredient of most dishes”!
The salty taste promotes digestion, is moistening, enkindles digestive fire. Salt is
penetrating, sharp and fluid and functions as a sedative, laxative, de-obstruent. Salty
taste alleviates vata, relieves stiffness, contractions, softens accumulations and
nullifies all other tastes. Salt promotes salivation, liquefies kapha, cleanses the
vessels, softens all the organs of the body, and gives taste to food. It is heavy, oily
and hot.
Yet, when used by itself or in excess, salt aggravates pitta causing stagnation of
blood, creating thirst, fainting and the sensation of burning, erosion and wasting
muscles. Over use of salt aggravates infectious skin conditions, causes symptoms of
poisoning, causes tumours to break open, makes teeth fall out, decreases virility,
obstructs the functioning of the senses, causes wrinkling of the skin, greying and hair
loss. The salty taste promotes bleeding diseases, hyperacidity of digestion,
inflammatory skin diseases, gout and other pitta diseases.
“Saindava, Ayurvedic salt this term is applied to rock salt which is the best of all salts.
The pure white crystaline salt is preferred for medical use.”
Indian Materia Medica by Dr A. K. Nadkarnii
“Salt is essential to life in the right proportion. Saindhava rock salt comes from
the open mines inland. It is considered the best of all salts as it is
easy to digest, and does not cause water retention as readily as
other types. it is classified as netya and is beneficial to the eyes.”
Ayurvedic Medicine by Sebastian Pole
Hot substances are digestive but are not tolerated by all, especially the dry extreme
heat of chilli which may cause stomach ulcers if overused. Pippali is warm yet a sweet
after taste calm down the heat with a cooling energy. Pippali is accepted as a tonic in
Ayurveda while chilli long term is debilitating.
Western life is full of hot, drying and acidic foods and many love eating these very
heating foods. The result after some time is ulcers, gastritis, IBS, painful joints and
inflammation.
Pippali is an extremely interesting spice. It is, as expected, warming but also has a
very sweet grounding energy, digests toxins and has a cooling after energy. In India it
is used as a liver tonic and tasty, digestive that is unlikely to aggravate heat at
reasonable amounts. Pippali is a great alternative to acidic spices and pickles that
cause disease long term. Pippali is used in many Ayurvedic digestives and medicines
whereas chilli is rarely found in therapeutic products because of having severe mono
energies, such as extreme heat and dryness. Pippali goes well on savoury or sweet
dishes.
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A GRAIN OF TRUTH
The ancients have said, “Bread is the staff of life”
In the 20th century – “Bread is the bludgeon of life”
The fine line between a staff and a bludgeon is realising the difference between a
complex and simple carbohydrate!
“Here is a whole grain which has many names”, I say to my students. “It is a
complex carbohydrate , long chain saccharides, poly saccharides or a combination of
U U
fibre, starch or basically – a complex sugar. In contrast, table sugar is called a simple
U
carbohydrate or mono saccharide, and some other sugars are called disaccharides
U
(which are two molecules of sugar). Now what is the difference between complex U
carbohydrates (or polysaccharides) and the simple carbohydrates (or simple – mono
U U U
or di – saccharides)?”
carbohydrates are sugars – yet the difference is vast, as we often discuss in a cooking
session. The simple carbohydrates (i.e.: sugar and processed flour items) rush into
the blood, being absorbed from the mouth, throat and stomach. Complex
carbohydrates (whole grains) – on the other hand – are slowly absorbed into the
blood, from the small intestine. Because of the fibre content in complex
carbohydrates, the blood absorption is regulated and thus is within what we call “the
insulin zone”. This means that the hormone – insulin – is not required to be excreted
by the body in vast amounts to balance blood sugars as it is in the case of simple
carbohydrates.
We want holistic balance, both mentally and physically. This can be achieved by
eating complex carbohydrates and not consuming simple carbohydrates or processed
grains. Why are 750,000 Australians taking anti-depressants, as the latest statistics
show? Any herbal help a person is seeking for depression and related problems is
greatly enhanced by a change in diet, switching from simple carbohydrates to
complex carbohydrates. Weight control also becomes feasible. Insulin is sometimes
known as the fat hormone but since complex carbohydrates are within “the insulin
zone”, they do not aggravate the pancreas with excessive insulin production, or
increase weight as sugar does, or ultimately cause diabetes. The liver when
confronted with simple carbohydrates, process this simple energy quickly and stores
the excess sugar as fat, which is called lipogenesis.
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An old fashioned stone mill produces fresh wholesome fine flour!
Commercial oats cook in 30 seconds but organic rolled oats take 15 minutes until
cooked. One is a simple sugar, the other a complex sugar. One is unhealthy, the
other healthy. It is a fine line but to control blood sugars, weight and diabetes it
requires to be drawn.
After eating whole grain breads, you subjectively perceive the difference between
complex and simple carbohydrates. Whole grains put your feet on the ground.
Returning to my cooking lesson, I usually relate some research: “Now in this fresh
dough here, milled 20 minutes ago from organic wheat, is your daily dose of vitamin
E. Over 50% of Australians are suffering and dying from heart disease and
atherosclerosis, which is the number one disease. What is a fine nutrient for arterial
problems, according to Lady Cilento? Vitamin E of course! This is not theory here.
The grains used in this dough are living energy. Take a piece of dough about the size
U U
of a small lime. The dough should be wet, but workable. Add a little fine flour to aid
handling. Press the dough down into a flat round piece and then roll it with a rolling
pin till you have flat bread dough about 3 millimetres thick. Place the dough on a hot
skillet or non-stick frying pan. After two minutes, turn it over. It’s a good sign when
little air pockets develop. Now here is the fun part! Remove the skillet, place the
bread on a piece of wire and turn the flame up full. Move the half cooked bread
directly into the flame. When it puffs up like a ball, turn it over and repeat for 20
seconds. This makes the chapatti light and soft. Add a little butter or ghee or have it
dry, as a bread.”
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The common belief, that all carbohydrates are the same, is not a scientific deduction.
Yes, it is true that every cell in the body and especially the brain require glucose for
energy and to function, but how that sugar is supplied is important. The sugar that
the body requires needs to be packed with fresh and whole fibre, fat, protein, vitamins
and minerals. The absorption rate is of paramount significance. I explain to my
students: “Here is an example: Petrol is the fuel in your car. Fuel is injected exactly
at a monitored rate via a fuel injection system and previously a carburettor. That fuel
cannot be supplied in vast or random amounts – otherwise the car would stall, flood
or backfire. The regulator of blood sugars is nature’s fuel injection system. It is the
whole grain with vitamins, minerals, fat, protein, fibre and long chain
polysaccharides or sugars (complex carbohydrates). Short chain saccharides (simple
carbohydrates) with neither nutrients nor fibre, will simply cause disease – mental or
physical – when they are the mainstay of the diet. It is simply a matter of time. And
unfortunately they are the staple of 99% of the population!”
Back to the Ayurvedic cooking, I see some smiling faces: “These chapatti breads are
delicious, light, yet filling – tear off a chunk and scoop it through the spicy vegetables,
which have been cooked in fresh whey sauce. Enjoy! Would anybody like another
chapatti?”
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If you take the time to make chapatti dough, and cook the chapattis you will
experience the health benefits yourself. Kitchari, the most essential of Ayurvedic
foods mentioned in this booklet can be cooked using brown rice and yellow split
mung or pea. This is also a first class complex carbohydrate plus protein preparation.
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Flaking grain & milling flour
with the Marga Mulino
Please note; for a fine flour you will need a stone flour mill.
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THE ACID ALKALINE STORY- Acidify and Live!
A Practical Ayurvedic Perspective
The blood is slightly alkaline. Digestive juices like pancreatic and bile are alkaline. In
conclusion the body and foods are basically acidic with blood, plasma, bile and
pancreatic juice giving the alkaline balance.
Many drugs derived from natural substances are extracted alkaloids (generally
alkaline organic chemicals containing nitrogen) like opium derivatives and quinine.
Even though they are produced of acid plants they are poisonous because of being
extracted concentrates.
According to Ayurvedic philosophy the universe functions on the principle of the sun
(pitta or acid) giving heat or metabolic force while the moon (kapha or alkaline)
maintains the juice of life. Acid or pitta is the metabolic principle that powers every
cell of the body while alkaline or kapha is the principle that protects, stabilises and
nurtures every cell. A crude example could be your body compared to a car, with
pitta as petrol and kapha as oil. Both are essential, the oil compensates for the
friction of the combustion, while petrol fuels combustion.
It appears that acids are the life sustaining chemicals of human life and that alkaline
is the balancing agent. Accepting alkaline as the balancing agent means just that, in
other words too much or too little alkaline substances will cause health problems. An
Ayurveda verse states, ‘too much of nectar, turns to poison’! So even though alkaline
substances are the balancing agent of acidic substances, over indulgence in alkaline is
as detrimental as under indulgence! This is the Ayurvedic message of mithya yoga, or
‘faulty action’ such as over-action, under-action or improper action. Ayurveda
encourages yoga in action or balanced action. Over-action, under-action or improper
actions are the major cause of roga or disease.
Ayurveda has for thousands of years documented the follies and faults of human
beings namely that faulty action is one major cause of imbalance of the body and
disease. Excess of nectar causes imbalance overtime turning to poison and poison
taken prudently can be used as a profound medicine. The six tastes are a very good
example, each with negative results when taken in excess or deficient intake.
For example; The sweet taste (as it is of the same nature as the human body, whose
tissues taste sweet) promotes the growth of all bodily tissues and ojas (vitality).
Aiding in longevity, it is soothing to the five sense organs and the mind, and gives
strength and a good complexion. Sweet taste alleviates pitta, vata and the effects of
poison. It also relieves thirst and burning sensations and promotes the health and
growth of skin and hair. It is good for the voice and energy. The sweet taste is
nourishing, vitalising, gives contentment, adds bulk to the body, and creates firmness.
It rebuilds weakness, emaciation and helps those damaged by disease. It is refreshing
to the nose, mouth, throat, lips and tongue, and relieves fits and fainting. The
favourite of insects, particularly bees and ants, the sweet taste is oily/wet, cooling and
heavy.
Yet, when used by itself or in excess, the sweet taste creates obesity, flaccidity,
laziness, excessive sleep, heaviness, loss of appetite, weak digestion, abnormal growth
of the muscles of the mouth and throat, difficult breathing, cough, difficult urination,
intestinal torpor, fever due to cold, abdominal distension, excessive salivation, loss of
feeling, loss of voice, goitre, swelling of the lymph glands, legs and neck,
accumulations in the bladder and blood vessels, mucoid accretions in the throat and
eyes, and other such kapha related diseases.
The major cause of the troubles of human kind is documented in Ayurveda as ‘crimes
against wisdom’! Choices which defy intelligence. The choices we make underpin our
very being and health or bring distress and disease. As it is said, ‘We are our own best
friends and worst enemy’.
Night naturally arrives at a predestined time to cover the day; no one can continue
the same activities for twenty four hours. Naturally the acidic activities of work, sport
and executing responsibilities must ebb with the tide of darkness. No human being
has the nervous system, muscle power nor mindset to stay continually focused. Night
arrives to refresh with a covering of darkness, dopamine levels drop and melatonin
begins to rise, cortisol levels which gave us the daytime flight and fight spirit also
wane in a natural cycle. The body and mind relaxes, sleeps and regenerates for the
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next cycle. The intertwining of opposites that support health ebb and flow just as the
earth orbits and
rotates beneath our numb feet. It is not possible to perceive these phenomena with
gross senses. Similarly the mithuna or loving embrace of acid and alkaline, their
interaction, interdepended and interwoven oneness and difference is a fascinating
play of divine balance. I have denoted acid and alkaline with the personal term ‘their’
because this is a super intelligent system which defies pigeon logic of the present day
and is as intelligent and as personal as life itself. To understand acid and alkaline is
no small achievement, it is not purely by science that we can unravel this mystery but
by adding a touch of philosophy!
Ayurvedic Philosophy
The truth of the matter is incredibly simple, yet quite complex. The concept is
to some deep intuition knew he was still alive. She travelled a huge distance; hired
some Sherpa’s and headed for the snow dredged slopes. Sure enough in a cave after
almost 21 days she found her brother still living. He was a very intelligent man, he
knew that if he drank water he would live a long time without food, yet he knew if he
sucked ice he would freeze and die, so what did he do? In his wisdom he took ever so
tiny amounts of ice, dissolved it in his mouth and when warm swallowed the warmed
liquid. In this case the philosophy of Chinese medicine and its fine application saved
his life.
Ayurveda teaches the science of tridosha, how to balance the elements of nature,
whether they are acid or alkaline, pitta or kapha, heat or cold, water or fire, the result
of balance is life or vata. Water is essential to life; we have heard that we are more
water than any other element. Water is therefore nectar. Cold water gulped in cold
season by an elderly person is poison. Warm or hot water sipped in cold season is
nectar. On the other hand hot water in summer can be poisonous and cause disease
with overuse.
Dr Jarvis explains in his book Folk Medicine, the following table of bacteria and
favourable reactions for growth are slightly alkaline.
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We can understand that a salad requires dressing with vinegar for digestion, flavour
and bacterial protection! From the energetic understanding salad is cold, dry and
light which are the qualities to disturb Vata. However when a salad is properly
presented with oil, vinegar, lime juice, Ayurvedic salt and pippali, the opposite
energies like wet, heavy and hot are enhanced thus balancing any faults or
constitution that a salad may naturally have due to its inherent qualities (gunas) as
mentioned. Salad in cold weather, not properly dressed or in excess will retard the
digestive fire causing secondary acidity. This secondary acidity will be explained later
in this article.
In Ayurveda there are four measurements of the all important digestive fire known as
jathara agni, namely; Fast fire, slow fire, erratic fire and balanced fire.
Fast fire may cause ulcers if excessive acids erode the tissue. Slow and erratic fires
may cause ulcers because the digestive bolus sits in the stomach too long and collects
improper acids from fermentation. It is these collected acids, which over time erode
the stomach lining thus precipitating the possibility of ulcers.
In fourteen years of clinic only one high acid individual with several thousand low or
erratic acid conditions tell the story.
This clinical experience gives way to the conclusion that most modern acidic
conditions are due to a low acid stomach brought about by punishing the digestive
fire with processed foods! Saliva is said by Totora to be slightly acidic, yet it is
difficult to find a person who has not alkaline saliva. Make a test, purchase test
stripes from your pharmacy test your saliva and morning urine, both are meant to be
acidic. Constant alkaline urine precipitates UTI, urinary tract infection. Alkaline
saliva effects absorption and energy, showing an alkalosis.
Consider the condition of reflux, after one eats, the food sits in the stomach too long,
(because of erratic and slow digestive fire) fermented acidic substances bubble back
into the throat and erode the valves and tissue. Overtime this erosion gives rise to
Barrett’s Oesophagus and eventually cancer of the throat.
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The modern system of indulging fanatically in alkaline items while demonizing acidic
items can only be described by the unkind words as the system of the square Western
mono-thought; it holds no resemblance to how nature actually works!
The idea of antacids is the modern system of magical health by cheap trick. The PBS
system subsidises antacids to the tune of billions of dollars per year for a refluxed
population. Antacids simply block acidity also blocking digestion in the process. A
good example is, ‘You are driving your car when the red oil light flashes, you pull
over and find an expert mechanic who simply cuts the wire, he tells you the light is
off, the problem is therefore solved’.
Judge a meal by how you digested it, and evacuated nicely, taste is important but
secondary to the above!
Pasty unpleasant taste in the mouth, diarrhoea or constipation, fatigue, dull brain,
depression and lack of motivation, increased bacterial infections, increased food
allergies and bone weakness, fractures and indigestion. But the good news from
doctors is, ‘We have Prosac’!
Antacid drugs cause the diseases of alkalosis variety, as much as excess acidic items
cause acidosis type diseases. Researchers believe the side-effects of proton pump
inhibitors PPI’s (antacids) are worse than the so called disease. After all the disease
that PPI’s are used for is simply indigestion yet the side-effects create much greater
diseases.
Favourable acid is when digestion is in prime condition, when food is fully digested in
the correct time and before taking more food! At this time some acidic substance like
spices, salt, pepper, chilli or vinegar can be used to assist favourable acidity. These
acidic substances are taken relative to the individual, time of year, time of day, time
of life and the digestive capacity. If these acidic digestive substances are under-used,
over-used or miss-used the result will be imbalance or unfavourable acidic conditions.
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If one extinguishes the digestive fire at meal times with icy cold liquids this will cause
indigestion overtime and an alkaline condition. Food will sit longer and develop an
unfavourable acidic nature, from stagnation and fermentation processes. Thus acidic
conditions of the body are generally secondary acidity caused by impaired digestion.
Secondary acidity is naturally an unfavourable acidic condition.
Thus most acidic conditions are directly the result of damage to the digestive power,
and are thus connected to chronic indigestion. Thus this condition is called secondary
acidity which is best treated by improving the digestion which is generally achieved
through prudent use of acidic substances. These acids give an alkaline reaction.
The acidic digestive fire is known in the traditional ancient Ayurvedic literature as
Bhagavan Isvarah or almighty God!
The sun has favourable and unfavourable aspects, however one cannot exist without the
sunshine! Similarly it is not possible to live without acid which also has favourable and
unfavourable aspects!
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presentations of anaemia, bloating and indigestion, fatigued, halitosis, diarrhoea or
constipation and dull brain are conditions caused by over alkalizing or neutralizing
the natural stomach acids at meal time. Modern antacid medications do just that,
they over alkalise the stomach, blocking the absorption of vital minerals which
require acid to be digested. If the sun were not to rise again, how would the world
cope? Similarly with deficient acidity and over alkalinity the energy of metabolism is
covered by cold, wet and darkness.
The body will never be so simple, that by filling the stomach with alkaline water,
health problems will disappear. Possibly we should wonder why nature organised Hcl
acid in the stomach?
Secondly, the blood liberates bi-carbonate which keeps a narrow balanced Ph.
Thirdly,
A sour pineapple is acidic and heating and the same fruit, ripe and sweet is cooling and
more alkaline!
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clears the G.I.Tract known as mahasrota, are easily digested, increase strength and is
the medicine for plasma and blood. Bitter herbs are excellent for clearing toxins from
the body, excess heat and are included in any fever remedy. Finally one incredible
aspect of bitter taste is that it enhances other tastes even though it is not tasty itself.
Ayurveda has a concept known as vipak, which means ‘after digestion’. Nothing we
eat or drink remains the same in the body. This may explain how a radical alkaline
diet will acidify
the body over time due to food stagnation thus causing the
channels to be blocked and acid build up. Also this explains again how acidic
substances have an alkaline response.
Indigestion and constipation will cause many unfriendly acids to form even if the diet
is alkaline.
Incredible Neem!
The Ayurvedic system encourages balance! To take all six tastes daily in moderation
or according to need and the season. An easy way to take a bitter taste is to plant a
neem tree, as simple as that and you have a bitter alkaline tonic with the above potent
qualities as needed for the rest of your life. The cost is only some little care and water.
It is simple, the body is created to simply deal with the perplexities of Ph balance,
you, only have to cooperate with nature of your body!
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The prime actions of this herb is as follows: Radiation protective!
The Radiation & Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of
Rajasthan, Jaipur 302 004, India showed that Guduchi or tinosporia cordifolia is
gama radiation protective in mice. Mice testicles that were irradiated actually
continued to grow with prior internal doses of guduchi, not like the mice that had no
Guduchi.
Villagers go out each day to the vast forests of South India to harvest Guduchi vines
(tinosporia cordifolia-in Latin).
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Actions in Disease:
Famous in Ayurveda as an anti-dote for poisoning and a substance that clears uric
acid from the channels. Guduchi can be safely used in digestive and skin complaints
in newborns from eight weeks.
See, Antimutagenic extract from Tinospora cordifolia and its chemical composition. By
Natural Plant Products Division, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology
(Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Palampur, Himachal Pradesh 176
061, India. 23 July, 2010
In summary:
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In Conclusion
The huge fault with over alkalizing the body through diet, artificial alkaline water or
medication is poor digestion which naturally develops over time. In Ayurveda poor
digestion is to be totally avoided because it is the root of all disease, fatigue and
depression. The fire in the belly gives nutrients to all cells as well as the mind
indirectly.
Alkaline is not bad in itself but when acid items are deficient in the diet and therefor the
body, alkaline disease manifest
When the digestion is covered by a wet blanket, so is the mind, thus enthusiasm,
vitality and brightness suffer greatly. Also the bazaar result of severe alkalizing the
body and retarding digestion is secondary acidity due to slow stagnant metabolism.
The body has been crafted by nature with a keen eye and a sound intellect thus
awarding acid buffeting systems which naturally deal with this fault of metabolism
namely a build-up of acidic substances. The body simply requires a little co-operation
from the knower of the body to make wholesome and balanced dietary choices. It is
noted in Safe and Unsafe Carbohydrates that modern processed foods have an
increased acid reaction therefore whole grains, fruits and vegetables require to be the
wise choice for acid alkaline balance.
Favourable acidity is when digestion is in prime condition, when food is fully digested
in the correct time and before taking more food. Primary acidity is the acidity of
digestion which supplies four billion cells with nutrients and thus vibrate life. For the
purpose of knowledge, favourable and primary acidity require to be differentiated
from unfavourable and secondary acidity.
Herbs such as Neem and Guduchi are natures dedicated servants which not only
reduce acidic conditions in the body but also improve digestion. Guduchi is also
translated as the ‘Protector of the body’.
27
TIMELESS KNOWLEDGE
The 'Muesli', 'Cereal', 'Salad with Tuna' & 'Stir Fry' Health
Farce! P.30
28
Timeless Knowledge
Breakfast Ideas
Pancakes with mushrooms, tomato, onions, avocado or paneer
Pancakes or Chapatti with avocado, lime juice, pepper and salt
Pancakes or Chapatti with hummus or Dahl, sliced tomato and paneer
Pancakes or Chapatti with maple syrup or honey with pepper
Freshly rolled Oats – Naturally sweetened with dates and cinnamon
Old fashioned Savoury oats
Dahl and vegies with a dry pappadam or chapatti and ghee
Leftover Subji’s (warmed vegies) with a dry pappadam or chapatti and ghee
Fresh seasonal fruits or steamed fruits delight p.38 (if digestion slow)
Lunch Ideas
17B
Kitchari*
Grandmas Mixed Bean Vegie Soup*
Minestrone Meal*
Dahl and vegies* with rice, a dry pappadam or chapatti
Subji* with rice, a dry pappadam or chapatti
Chapatti wrap with gourmet salad, add the dressing.
Savoury Pancakes or Pikelets, with salad
Spiced Rice
*Take to work with you in a thermos!
39B
Dinner Ideas
18B
Add a dob of yoghurt sprinkled with Gram Masala and salt to any meal.
Snacks
Seasonal Fruits - Avoid bananas in winter - Steamed fruit and drink hot water!
Fresh dates - use as legal sugar with tea or coffee. Be happy, eat a date!
Avoid nuts as a snack food; they take too long to digest. Nuts are a meal.
29
Timeless Knowledge
clinical situation. Basically some individuals with partial knowledge have written a
book or appeared on Oprah. Now every one conceives such is the healthy way for all
nations, times and individuals. Actually the above heading is generally the idiots
guide to health in a nutshell. Why?
Do you crush a garlic, apple or grain and eat it 8 months later? Why should grain be
any different? The Simple Remedy is to roll your own fresh, soak them and create a
healthy muesli with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pepper. Only eat muesli when your
digestion is powerful, the weather is warm, and you are active. The oats must be fresh
& unprocessed and need to be soaked in hot water for ease of digestion.
Read my book 'Safe and Unsafe Carbohydrates'. Cereal is so de-natured that one
3B
needs sugar to eat it. One night the rats escaped in a friend’s laboratory. They were
found in the morning having left the great “Bix” instead preferring the nutrition of
the cardboard box, Yum! Western cereals are fools gold only, nothing worthwhile
just a little reflection.
Salad is wonderful; there is no doubt about that! However, your well-dressed, fresh
31B
organic delight from Mother Nature’s pharmacy is a summer delight. To eat salad in
cool weather, undressed or with under active digestion is not recommended for
health. As for the tuna or fish, it is stale, denatured and some cats might have second
thoughts! Caned food was developed for soldiers at the battlefront ... ah the trophies
of war. The best source of protein is a poached egg or hommos with salt and pepper
with your salad in summer. In winter you may take soup, kitchari and pikelets to
work for ease of digestion.
So we need to change the name from stirfry to ‘Stir, Fry, Steam, Steam’!
30
Timeless Knowledge
31
Timeless Knowledge
3. Quality of cholesterol!
If the diet is full of low anti-oxidant, sticky, nutrient deficient processed foods which
are high in starches and sugars, what will be the condition of the cholesterol, sticky,
oxidised and excessive. Remedy? Change your diet!
When populations eat processed foods which have a massive dose of simple sugars,
which are 'artifacts' (non-food work of art which are devoid of fresh antioxidants)
and which clog the body and the arterial system because of little or damaged fiber, it
is no surprise that arteriosclerosis is the prime cause of death for more than half the
entire population.
This pandemic is simply diet related, glucose and fructose consumption has doubled
fives times over the last eight decades. For more information read my book Safe and
Unsafe Carbohydrates.
32
Timeless Knowledge
32B Abstract:
“The anhydrous milk fat ghee is one of the important sources of fat in the Indian diet.
Our earlier studies showed that rats fed diets containing greater than 2.5 wt% of ghee
had lower levels of serum cholesterol compared with rats fed diets containing
groundnut oil. To evaluate the mechanism of the hypocholesterolemic effect of ghee,
male Wistar rats were fed a diet containing 2.5 or 5.0 wt% ghee for a period of 8
weeks. The diets were made isocaloric with groundnut oil. Both native and ghee
heated at 120°C containing oxidized lipids were included in the diet. The ghee in the
diet did not affect the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA)
reductase activity in the liver microsomes, but it significantly increased biliary
excretion of cholesterol, bile acids, uronic acid, and phospholipids. The rats fed ghee
had lower levels of cholesterol esters in the serum as well as in the intestinal mucosa.
Both native and oxidized ghee influenced cholesterol metabolism. These results
indicate that supplementation of diets with ghee lipids would increase the excretion of
bile constituents and lower serum cholesterol levels.”
33
Timeless Knowledge
32B Abstract:
“The anhydrous milk fat ghee is one of the important sources of fat in the Indian diet.
Our earlier studies showed that rats fed diets containing greater than 2.5 wt% of ghee
had lower levels of serum cholesterol compared with rats fed diets containing
groundnut oil. To evaluate the mechanism of the hypocholesterolemic effect of ghee,
male Wistar rats were fed a diet containing 2.5 or 5.0 wt% ghee for a period of 8
weeks. The diets were made isocaloric with groundnut oil. Both native and ghee
heated at 120°C containing oxidized lipids were included in the diet. The ghee in the
diet did not affect the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA)
reductase activity in the liver microsomes, but it significantly increased biliary
excretion of cholesterol, bile acids, uronic acid, and phospholipids. The rats fed ghee
had lower levels of cholesterol esters in the serum as well as in the intestinal mucosa.
Both native and oxidized ghee influenced cholesterol metabolism. These results
indicate that supplementation of diets with ghee lipids would increase the excretion of
bile constituents and lower serum cholesterol levels.”
33
Timeless Knowledge
THE 6 TASTES
The best way to maintain health
Include the six tastes into your daily diet!
By keeping a Neem Tree in the garden a steady supply of bitter leaves can be
collected. The way to frighten off a cold or flu is to drink Neem & Pepper tea.
34
35
Breakfast Ideas
PANCAKES
Mill your own fresh flour!
Ingredients:
1 cup of freshly milled whole grain flour, ¼ tsp Baking Powder and a pinch of Cream
of Tartar (or a table spoon of self raising), add ground cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper,
cloves and ginger.
Add milk (organic un-homogenised) for sweet or fresh whey & a large pinch of
Saindhava for savoury. Mix to a thick batter (consistency of double cream) and let it
stand for 20 min. Add more liquid if required.
Cook in a high quality non-stick fry pan with no oil for light, easy to digest Pancakes.
Batter can be stored in fridge for 5 days.
Serving suggestions: unsalted butter, fruit & maple syrup or dahl, tomato, paneer,
coriander leaves & a pinch of Saindhava rock salt.
36
Breakfast Ideas
Western civilisation has developed a sweet tooth. Eastern worlds know not, such a
thing as a sweet meal, like yoghurt and fruit, museli or cereal. All meals in Eastern
culture are savoury and not predominately the sweet taste. Sweet taste consists of the
earth and water elements, therefore over indulgence will give bulk to the body and
cause channel blockages. This over indulgence in sweet taste is explained in my book
‘Simply Ayurveda’. If you are interested in passing by a Western insane mind, try….
37
Breakfast Ideas
Ingredients: Seasonal fruits, apples, pears or pineapple with a few fresh dates, ghee,
cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and cloves.
Place a ½ teaspoon of ghee in a pot, add fresh cinnamon powder, with a little
26B
nutmeg, pepper and clove. If you need the extra digestive lift add grated ginger.
Add the fruit, stir fry for a minute on a low flame, add a tablespoon of water and
27B
Optional: Add some whole strawberries for the last minute and serve with ONE
28B
38
RICE & BREAD
6BBasmati Rice p.40
39
Rice & Bread
BASMATI RICE
Natural white rice
Low on the sugar index, the best!
Ingredients:
One cup basmati
33B
Pinch salt
34B
Wash the rice three times, add boiling water, simmer with a lid on for 15-20 minutes,
add ghee or butter on top.
When very busy, I cook many one pot wonders, by adding peas and vegies to the rice.
Some vegies need to be added after 5-10 minutes so they do not overcook and become
mushy.
Cook your rice as normal, toss in a few vegies if you want that one pot wonder!
Remember to cook brown rice much longer than white basmati. If your digestion is
poor white basmati is preferred over brown rice.
In a separate pot add 1-2 Tablespoons of ghee, fry grated ginger, pop some mustard
seed and then add Cumin seed. In 30 seconds add a pinch of fenugreek seed. Stir a
few times, remove from the heat and add a pinch of asafoetida. Stir a few times and
hold back the spices with a spoon before pouring the spiced ghee into the cooked rice.
Serve with a spoon of yoghurt, toasted pappadam and slice of lime. Drink a little hot
water with dinner and if digestion is low add Apple Cider Vinegar to the water.
40
Rice & Bread
Simply boil Arborio, short grain white or basmati rice if that is all you have, in five
times the water for 30-45 minutes. Add a nice pinch of Ayurvedic Salt and a few
drops of ghee.
Take with a toasted pappadam if desired, take mainly the liquid of the soup if most
suitable. This is Soothing, nurturing and forgiving!
In this material world things are not always what they seem…
Did you know that glass bottles, in general, contain a high percentage of plastic?
41
Rice & Bread
54B You need a gas stove to cook a Chapatti easily but it is also possible on electricity.
I usually make this dough once per week, which is four times the above recipe. The
55B
You want the dough to be free of lumps, moist and slightly sticky and unmanageable
but not sloppy. The dough when needed slightly sticks to your hands.
Dust your hands with white organic flour as well as the rolling pin and board to
57B
make the dough just manageable. If it’s too moist add a little flour, if it’s too dry add
a little water … this way you find a balance.
Heat a non-stick fry pan to a little above low. Flour the board and the rolling pin
with unbleached white flour. Pinch a piece of dough about the size of a large
strawberry. Cover the piece with plain flour (not self-raising). Roll the dough out to
a round shape or near about. The dough can spring back so keep at it. If it sticks,
dust with a little flour. A chapatti can be 2-4 ml thick, so roll until you get a fairly
even thickness.
Place the rolled chapatti on the warm skillet or frypan, and turn after about a minute.
After another minute little hollows begin to develop as the dough rises. Turn the
chapatti back over for half a minute while you get the wire ready. Put the chapatti on
the wire and hold it over a full flame, if all goes well it should puff up like a ball.
U U
Turn over and slightly toast the other side. Remove and add ghee or butter or eat as
is with soup or vegies.
www.eumundimedicineman.com for cooking demonstration
U U
42
Rice & Bread
RICE CHAPATI
A delicious gluten-free bread treat
Ingredients:
1 Cup of Boiling Water
Pinch Ayurvedic Rock Salt
1 Cup of fine organic Rice Flour, Brown or White
1 small bowl of Cold Water (for when kneading the dough)
A variation on this chapati is millet or buckwheat, add a teaspoon of ghee for a millet
recipe.
43
Rice & Bread
Too dry and the chapatis will be stiff and hard to digest, and too wet and the idea of
rolling them will drive you crazy! Try to get a pliable, damp dough.
Heat a thick pan with a solid but even heat.
Take a piece of dough about the size of a small lime. Dust the marble, rolling pin and
your hands with a fine rice flour. Roll the dough using the dust as the non-stick
agent. When the chapati is ready use a template like a steel lid to get a perfectly round
chapati. The chapati should be about 3-4mm thick. They can be placed on a plate
slightly overlaping ready for cooking. Do not directly place them in a big stack as
they may stick together.
Place the chapati in the hot frypan. Turn a few times. When they puff up press them
down with a flat bottom scoop and turn over. If the pan is too hot they will burn and
dry out and if too low not cook at all. A good medium heat is needed.
When cooked remove and place between two plates to keep warm.
Rice or Millett (Ragi) chapatis go nicely with dahl and/or spicy vegies, chutney and
raita. The rice chapatis at Rajah Healthy Acres are perfect every time!
U www.eumundimedicineman.com for cooking demonstration
U
44
ESSENTIAL ADDITIONS
7B Paneer-Homemade cheese p.46
Pappadams p.47
45
Essential Additions
36B PANEER
37B Instant fresh light cheese
60B Ingredients:
Un-homogenised organic milk 2-4 litre
Juice of lemons
Bring the milk to the boil in a thick-bottomed pot. Add the lemon juice slowly.
38B
Add the lemon juice little by little; as the curds forms do not stir them vigorously, a
gentle movement is all that is required. Add enough lemon juice to form curds, and
to turn the remaining liquid or whey clear green.
Sing a song and take your time. Remove the curds with a slotted spoon or sieve and
place into a colander, let sit.
Later when cooled, bottle the whey for storage in the fridge for up to a week. Whey
is the greatest stock on earth, fabulous in soups and vegies, breads and pancakes.
Paneer can be eaten in many ways, fresh in salads, dry fried, deep-fried or as a
Pakorah. Deep fried curd will dress up any dish, or throw it into your soups or wet
vegies. Curd in your pasta dishes, pizza or lasagne will make commercial cheese
(which is generally used) appear quite inferior. Curd will last a week covered in the
fridge.
46
Essential Additions
PAPPADAM CLEANSE
Most people fry their pappadams in ghee, but few know that the healthy way to take
them is toasted on an open flame or yes in your toaster, please don’t burn the house
down.
Make sure they are fully cooked, any shinny uncooked pieces which are un-digestible
may disturb your tummy. Once cooked they are a fun adjunct to any savoury snack
or meal and only take 20 seconds to cook.
Ayurveda treats the dry pappadams as the West considers charcoal - for its drying
and absorbing qualities. Toasted pappadams are great to cleanse the stomach and
bowel.
With pancakarma Ayurvedic cleansing therapy dried cooked pappadams are always
given.
47
Essential Additions
61B Ingredients:
100 gm Dates
1 Tablespoon of Tamarind Paste
1 Tablespoon Crushed Cumin Seeds,
Pinch Chilli Powder & Saindhava Rock Salt
500 ml Water
Whip it up in minutes!
Combine dates, tamarind paste and water in a saucepan, simmer for ten minutes.
Add the pippali or pepper, salt and cumin powder. Add extra water if required and
mash into a smooth paste.
This captivating chutney will last for a week in the fridge but always use a totally dry
spoon when serving as moisture carries bacteria.
Most imbalances and disease begins with improper food, as simple as that!
48
Essential Additions
Add all the ingredients in a blender add water blend to get a smooth paste!
You can pop a ½ teaspoon of black mustard seeds in a spoon of ghee and add to the
chutney for an exotic touch.
49
Essential Additions
Ingredients:
50 gm Fresh Mint leaves or coriander leaves
1-2 Pippali freshly crushed to powder or ¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
3 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon Ayurvedic salt
Add all the ingredients in a blender add a little olive oil to get a smooth paste!
Ingredients:
One medium Cucumber
¼ teaspoon Cumin seeds
1-2 Pippali freshly crushed to powder or ¼ teaspoon black pepper
½-1 Cup Yoghurt
½ teaspoon Ayurvedic salt
Dry roast the cumin seeds, crush to a powder. Grate the cucmber and drain off excess
liquid. Add the cumin powder and all the ingredients, toss and serve chilled.
50
MAIN MEALS
8B 10 – Minute Thermo Kitchari p.52
51
Main Meals
`
Kitchari may be keep over if it is covered in liquid, this prevents the starch particles
63B
from drying out. This change in pre-cooked starches is the main reason the ancients
avoided re-heating starches as they are un-digestible. However if you do not have a
wet kitchari to heat up for lunch it only takes a few minutes to get mobile and enjoy a
great nutritious fresh lunch at work.
To be successful with your Thermo Kitchari you need a wide neck thermos so it can
be properly cleaned.
64B Ingredients:
1/5 cup organic basmati rice
1/5 cup yellow split mung dahl, best dahl for this
You may need to adjust quantities according to the size of your thermos.
Place the rice and dahl in a sieve and wash. Place a dash of ghee in a pot, add cumin
seed and grated ginger, fry for 30 seconds, add a pinch of asafoetida, add a little
cauliflower or vegie, fry for a moment, add the washed rice and dahl, stir. Add 3 cups
of water, a good pinch of turmeric and a few pinches of Saindhava Ayurvedic rock
salt to taste, boil for 10 minutes or so.
Occasionally you can add a touch of tomato paste and a pinch of rapadura. Add your
own twist by powdering up a little cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and pepper or
add Garam Masala or paprika. Occasionally you could add a few chunks of paneer
from the fridge. Preheat your thermos for a few minutes by filling it with boiling
water, remove the water, Pour your kitchari into the flask and quickly seal. The
kitchari will continue cooking and by lunchtime it will be ready to go
Finish off with some 'legal sugar' - Organic Fresh Californian Dates. Do not have
cold drinks with meals, or over fill the stomach with liquid.
52
Main Meals
65B Ingredients:
Half cup organic brown rice
Half a cup yellow split pea/yellow split moong
dahl best
Ayurvedic Salt and Turmeric powder
Wash the grain 3 times, add 5-6 times the water, with the turmeric and salt, simmer
for an hour with the lid on or you will lose too much liquid, if that happens just add a
little more.
You can substitute a little Basmati rice (which is a low GI rice) if you wish to lighten
the Kitchari a little, but these days I think it is best to eat total complex grains. If you
boil for a little longer no one will know that it is brown rice.
1 tsp Ghee, Spice according to season and individual: Chilli, ginger (winter and
change of season), Hing, cumin, fenugreek, cinnamon, coriander & turmeric
The spices should be no more than a level teaspoon or two combined. Slight changes
in the spice combinations make a pleasant surprise each meal. But remember better
too little than too much!
Crush the whole spices in a mortar and pestle, or a coffee grinder. You can not beat
fresh! At times I use whole spice. Simmer the ghee with a little chilli and grated
ginger according to season. Scoop out the chilli and ginger and throw them away
when they turn slightly brown. You have captured the warm energy from those
pungent substances. Add the seed spices into the simmering ghee for about 30
seconds and add the hing, then give a little stir. Immediately add the cauliflower and
vegies, stir fry for three minutes, add to the main stock of almost cooked grains (You
U U
can tell that they are cooked when they begin to dissolve). If the grains are getting a
little dry add whey or water. Please note, whey is great but grains will not cook in
whey. However, for flavour and nutrition you can add whey when the grains are soft
and dissolving. Simmer away for 10-15 minutes. If you want the Kitchari to thicken
a little, leave the lid off. This is the stage where
53
Main Meals
the bottom of the pot may burn so give a regular scrape or add more liquid. I like
Kitchari fairly liquid, close to a very thick soup. It is very tasty and easy to digest
Kitchari is an excellent food to aid recovery from illness, for strength and general
health. I call a meal Kitchari when it borders a very thick soup “pre-digested
complex carbohydrate and total protein power food”. Kitchari is a must. One
original book on Ayurveda mentions 22 different ways to cook Kitchari, claiming
that by eating nothing but Kitchari for 21 days you can turn disease around into
health. By the way, according to my university text Kitchari is a COMPLETE
PROTIEN! Yes! That is rice and dahl together supply you all the necessary amino
acid you need for healthy bodies.
Ingredients:
1 Cup Yellow split mung dahl (washed 3 times)
4 Cups Water
1-2 Tablespoon Ghee
Spice – 1 Teaspoon Cumin, Grated ginger and a pinch of
Hing (asafoetida), Turmeric
¼ Cup Cauliflower or vegies of choice
1 Teaspoon Salt
Yellow split mung dahl cooks the quickest of all lentils and dahl and is the easiest to
digest being less likely to disturb vata, especially with added ghee and spice. The
secret of using any dahl is to COOK IT, and cook it. Hey it is not hard, it just
simmers away! This is an absolute daily must for every vegetarian. Actually this is the
open secret of a non-meat diet. Remember to cook your dahl into a cream so the
beans have no form, merged into the void if that is at all possible.
Mix the dahl, water, salt and turmeric in a pot. Boil for 25 minutes depending on the
dahl, squash with a masher. Add more water if required (when the beans are soft add
whey (see Paneer p.31) this adds a magic flavour).
In a separate pot, on a medium heat, add the ghee, crated ginger root, cumin seed,
after a few minutes when the cumin turns very slightly brown add a pinch of hing,
immediately add the vegies, cauliflower or any vegies, fry for 3 minutes, add a dash of
whey or water and pour into the dahl cream, Mildly simmer for 8 minutes, be careful
not to burn the bottom, stir a little and add more liquid.
54
71B Main Meals
Take a good variety of fresh vegies, all nice colours. Eg: Beans, asparagus,
cauliflower, broccoli, potato, yam and pumpkin or add beetroot, celery or green
papaya. Slice them according to cooking time, the shorter the cooking the bigger the
size. Do not over-do the starchy sweet vegies, like potato, yam and pumpkin.
Add a tablespoon or two of ghee to a pot. Add grated ginger or if you prefer and the
season is chilli, add chilli. If the upper respiratory system is struggling use fresh garlic
(add instead of Asafoetida). Add cumin seed, fenugreek seed, wait 30 seconds. Add
Asafoetida (Hing), a good pinch, and remove immediately from the heat. Add
Ayurvedic salt to taste. Use a spoon to hold back the majority of the spices and pour
the flavoured ghee over the steamed vegies. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime.
Take with a spoon of yoghurt sprinkled with garam masala and salt.
Add a toasted pappadam or two and if it is summer have a few slices of cucumber.
Now thank the Gods with a mantra and take to your satisfaction! Or thank the
Universe, or nature, or just the factory that turned out such vegie delights, ghee and
spice, you know the tin shed down the road.
55
72B Main Meals
Ingredients:
Cabbage
Potato
Other vegies of choice
Chop the vegies into bite size pieces. Simmer the chilli and ginger in the ghee until
slightly browned, after you have captured the mild energy from those pungent
substances, throw the chilli and ginger away.
Add the whole or crushed spices to the ghee, simmer for a minute. Add the hing and
fry for 10 seconds. Add the cabbage, stir fry for 3 minutes. Add the other vegies and
stir fry for a few minutes. Now add a cup of whey or water, simmer for 8-12 minutes.
The idea of this Subji or vegetable dish is not to give you a particular recipe that you
follow but to give you the art form that you may build your cooking on. Drawing the
flavour out of the wet spice (namely the chilli and ginger), then the seeds and fresh
powders, then quickly the dry stored powders, creates incredible flavour. Not only is
the dish a beautiful flavour but it is also medicinal and easy to digest.
56
Main Meals
So we favour ‘legal meat’ and seeing the bull merrily chasing the cows around the
paddock … a far more polite proposal.
That is why we have called this recipe the Paneer ‘Love’ burger, because it is based on
this concept of cohabitation and respect.
Ingredients:
Salad items for 2 – 4 people
Dressing: ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, ½ tsp Saindhava Ayurvedic Rock salt,
U U
Make a delicious salad, roasted pine nuts are always a nice addition.
Mix the ingredients for the dressing together and dress the salad.
Fry the paneer in a little ghee until it develops a slightly light brown crust, add salt to
taste.
Serve the fried paneer with a fresh chappati or fresh bread, the dressed salad and
homemade Tomato Sauce or Sour Date Chutney. Everybody loves a burger!
57
Main Meals
Heat the ghee, cook the whole chilli until it starts to darken in colour. Add the
mustard seeds and when they start to pop turn the heat off. Add the fresh ginger,
cumin seeds and curry leaves. Stir and add the asafoetida
Turn the heat back to high and add the eggplant. Stir well to ensure the ghee is taken
up as evenly as possible. Eggplant is very porous and would suck up endless amounts
of ghee it you let it! So here’s the trick, when all the ghee has been taken up and you
feel like you have to add more ghee or it is going to burn, add ½ a tsp of salt to
release the water from the eggplant. Continue cooking the eggplant until it is soft and
then stir in the Turmeric. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until they start to soften. Add
the jaggery, chickpeas and silverbeet and cook for a few more minutes. Add enough
whey to create a sauce and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Serve with a
lemon wedge. Great with puris or chapatti bread, rice and chutney with a dash of
yoghurt with gram masala.
Pure vegetable oil by legal definition can be up to 49% other oil, hydrogenated animal
fat, 51% is considered pure, that is a relative standard!
58
Main Meals
49B Ingredients:
One cup of Bean Soup Mix, or throw barley
51B
Wash the grain 3-5 times. Bring to boil and simmer away for 1½-2 hours or 20
52B
minutes in a pressure cooker. When the soup has cooked or thickens a little add more
water but best of all add fresh whey from your Paneer, this is a secret flavour
enhancer. Place a little (teaspoon-tablespoon) ghee in a separate pot, on a medium
heat. Add Grated Ginger or a little Chilli or a few Cloves. Fry until slightly brown,
better under do than over-do. Add a teaspoon of Cumin seed or Kalonji, ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds and fry for another minute.
Remove from the heat and add 1/8 teaspoon of Asafoetida (Hing), stir for 30 seconds
and then scoop out some of the seeds and ginger etc, leaving the flavoured ghee. This
is to reduce the seeds and strands in the soup. Add small pieces of cauliflower and
your favourite veggies to the spicy ghee and fry for a minute on a low flame. Add
these spiced ghee veggies to the soup. Make sure you get all the flavoured ghee into
the pot.
Boil the soup for another 10-12 minutes, check if it needs more Sandhaiva Ayurvedic
Rock Salt. This is the most important basic ingredient. For special occasions add
little tomato paste to enhance the flavour, to help with the acidity adds a pinch of
rapadura (pure sprayed dried sugar cane juice). Soup can be kept in the fridge for a
few days, but remember, fresh is always best!
59
Main Meals
MINESTRONE MEAL
Brown rice, beans and vegies
make a complete complex meal
Ingredients: ½ cup Kidney or Bolotti Beans, ¼ cup Brown Rice, a sprinkle of Barley,
2 tbsp Ghee, pinch of Asafoetida, 2 tomatoes, 3 litres of water, 2 tsp Saindhava
Ayurvedic Rock Salt, Carrot, celery, zucchinis, shredded cabbage, spaghetti
(optional), Whey, Parsley and basil, add Parmesan
Soak the Kidney or Borlotti beans overnight and drain. Wash the brown rice and
barley. Slightly heat the ghee, add a large pinch of asafoetida and saute the tomatoes
for a minute. Add the drained beans and brown rice, sauté for a few minutes. Add 3
liters of water and 2 teaspoon of Ayurvedic salt. Boil for 1½ hours –2 hours (less with
a pressure cooker) making sure the beans are soft. Remember it is best for digestion
to overcook your beans.
Add carrot, celery, zucchinis, shredded cabbage and some broken spaghetti if you
like.
Add whey from your paneer for extra flavour. Cook for 20 minutes.
Add finely chopped parsley and basil, have a little taste and add extra salt if required.
Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Delicious with a toasted pappadam and a
spoon of yoghurt sprinkled with gram masala, or if your feasting, have puris.
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Main Meals
TOMATO SAUCE
My goodness! It’s REAL!
Ingredients:
Organic tomatoes, water, ghee and spice
When it comes to an incredible tasting tomato sauce I always insist on real tomatoes
that have a taste. When you make this tomato sauce there is no going back, to the
stale, preserved, tasteless chemical cocktail some poor ill-informed souls perceive as
tomato sauce (dead horse).
Simply boil the whole tomatoes in water for say 3-5 minutes. Drain them in a
colander
In a large pot add a tablespoon of ghee and a teaspoon of black mustard seeds. Heat
on a medium to high flame until the mustard begins to pop. Add half a teaspoon of
cumin seed and a large pinch of fenugreek seeds. After a minute add a large pinch of
Asafoetida.
Now immediately begin to squash the tomatoes through a colander with a masher.
Mash all the liquid into the spicy ghee pot add salt and pepper to taste.
Now you have your REAL Tomato Sauce. Add garlic or hing for an Italiano
experience, for use on pastas and pizza, and of course a sauce for kofta balls
(see p. 68).
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Main Meals
You will need a noodle maker and an egg poacher or idli steamer.
This is fairly quick and easy if you have the noodle maker.
Simply make the rice chapatti dough from page 43-44. You can vary this recipe with
a grain of your choice, add buckwheat, millet or brown rice.
Lightly grease the surface of the steamer with ghee to prevent sticking, press the
noodles from the rice dough and compact a little with your fingers.
Steam for 8-10 minutes, a great favourite being light fluffy and delicious and easy to
digest, serve with samba or soup, coconut chutney and/or date sauce and/or spicy
vegies.
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Main Meals
Ingredients:
2 cups Basmati rice
1 cup Urad dal
2 tbsp Ghee
½ teas Mustard seeds
½ teas Cumin seeds
¼ teas Ginger grated
1 tbsp Carrot chopped
1 tbsp Cashews chopped
½ teas Asafoetida powder
¼ teas Pepper
Saindaiva salt to taste
Idlis are simple, easy to digest and although plain quite sublime, especially served
with samba or soup, coconut chutney and/or date sauce and/or spicy vegies.
Wash the rice and dahl separately, cover with water and soak overnight.
Drain, add enough water to blend to a thick but fine paste.
Add the salt, let sit until the volume doubles by fermentation
(up to 8hrs in summer and longer in the winter)
You can add a chaunce with cashews to the batter for added flavour
Mix the batter with pepper, add to a greased idli steamer, steam for 15-20 minutes.
63
Main Meals
Ingredients:
1 cup Basmati rice
1/4 cup Urad dal
2 tbsp Ghee
¼ teas Pepper
Saindaiva salt to taste
Wash the rice and dahl separately, cover with water and soak overnight.
Drain, add enough water to blend to a thick but fine paste.
Add the salt and pepper, let sit until the volume doubles by fermentation
(up to 8hrs in summer and longer in the winter).
Create a thin crisp pancake by thinning either tilt the pan or thin with a flat spoon
Drip a little ghee around the edges to help the dosa crisp up. Serve with chutney,
spicy vegies, yoghurt and dahl.
A great snack!
64
THE LUXURIES
9B Puri p.66
65
The Luxuries
PURI
Breads from heaven
Ingredients:
That is bread from heaven. Puri’s are a grand luxury and only for healthy people.
Note; The ghee can be used time and time again, simply store in the fridge and filter
occasionally through kitchen paper.
66
The Luxuries
PANEER PAKORAH
47B A timeless treat
Ingredients:
Paneer (curd), cut into chucks
Batter; Chickpea flour 2 Cups
Self Raising Plain Flour 2 Tablespoons
Half Teaspoon of rock salt & turmeric
Ghee for deep frying
You can use a huge array of vegies for these treats deep fried in ghee, cauliflower,
eggplant and spinach for example. Mix up the batter and let it rest, or meditate. If
the batter will cover the curd without all falling off or on the other extreme collecting
in a big lump, then you have it right. Add a little water or flour and get it right. It is
a little like life, a balance. Have the ghee heated, not as hot as for Puri, on a low to
medium flame. Dip the curd in the batter and drop into the ghee. After a minute you
should be able to move the Pakorah and see how it faired. Make any adjustments to
the batter and push on, they always taste great regardless, serve with sour date sauce
and Kitchari. Curd cooks in about 2-3 minutes, vegies take up to eight minutes. If
the ghee is too hot, the outside will burn and the inside will be raw. If the ghee is not
hot enough, they will be soggy. Life again!
Wholesome and healthy is knowing what and how to eat at a particular, time place and
circumstance, Nothing is totally healthy!
67
The Luxuries
Ingredients:
Zucchini, cauliflower, potato and cabbage. Chickpea
flour, Self raising flour, Saindhava Ayurvedic Rock Salt,
Turmeric Powder, Ghee for deep frying.
Simply grate zucchini,cauliflower and potato. Shred the cabbage - total veggies
should be about one cup per person. Add a little chickpea flour and self raising flour -
no more than a level tablespoon per cup of veggies. The idea is to use just enough
flour to hold the mix together. If there is too much the Koftas are like flour balls, too
little and they fall apart ... hey better to use too little. Mix the flour and veggies with a
heaped teaspoon of Ayurvedic salt and equal turmeric powder, mix well.
Take a walnut size amount of kofta mix, squeeze out any liquid and mold into a ball,
place on a plate, repeat until all the kofta are lined up.
When the ghee is very hot, close to smoking but not, pick up each kofta, squeeze once
more to bind them and remove any more excess liquid, then slip into the hot ghee,
repeat.
When they have settled in and developed a skin, gently turn them. Turn down the
ghee slightly and cook for 6-8 minutes.
Drain in a colander and on kitchen paper if you wish. You may have to do two
batches through the ghee.
Here is a quick sauce if you don't have time to make the fresh tomato sauce on page
41.
Place ghee in fry pan on a medium heat, add a pinch of Asafoetida, a little Clove and
Cumin powder. Immediately add a cup of water (or even better, whey) then add
organic tomato paste and a ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil and turn off.
The koftas will soak up liquid so if the sauce is a little thin do not worry. When ready
to serve add the cooling or cooled koftas into the boiled sauce. Add a some greens on
top, basil, parsley or coriander. Add parmesan cheese also if you like. Serve with
Spaghetti or rice - Ayurveda meets Italian!
68
DRINKS & DESERTS
10B Ginger Drink p.70
Chai p.71
69
Drinks & Desert
GINGER DRINK
Fast, inexpensive, pleasant and digestive
Ingredients:
Grated Ginger, Honey, Lemon & water
I generally make this drink for 20 people upwards at a cost of about 5 cents per
person.
For each person grate about half a teaspoon of fresh ginger, pour over one or two
cups cup of boiling water in total, let sit a few minutes.
Add fresh lemon juice and honey (not supermarket honey but certified unheated
honey) to taste, mild is nice.
Stir, add cold water to the required level, serve warm in the winter, and add a
moderate amount of ice in the summer (Ayurveda does not recommend overly cold
drinks with food, because it does retard the fire of digestion!).
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Drinks & Desert
CHAI
Eumundi Medicine Man style!
Ingredients:
Vanilla bean (optional), 5 fresh Cloves, 8 Cardamom
pods, 2 Cinnamon sticks, ¼ whole Nutmeg, 8 Black
Peppercorns, organic Black Tea (optional), Fresh ginger,
4 glasses of organic un-homogenised milk.
Turn OFF the vanilla water or plain water and add the fresh spices. Add one level
teaspoon of organic black tea if you like. Add a small amount of freshly grated ginger
root. Brew for approximately 10 minutes or even leave it overnight. Add the organic
un-homogenised milk, or pure farm milk. Bring to a drinking temperature. DO NOT
BOIL
The concept
By not boiling the spices the original essential oils with fine flavours are not destroyed
and the milk remains light and easy to digest, with intact natural enzymes. The water
also makes the milk light. The spices prevent mucus formation and help digest the
milk for the benefit of nutrition, remember MILK is a perfect food! Chai is great
taken with herbal jam (Chyavana pras) or tonifying medicines (Asvagandha -strength
of horse). Never mix with or drink chai near a large or salty meal. Best on an empty
stomach!
71
Drinks & Desert
Blend or whip at low speed for 2-5 minutes or until yellow fat particles float to the
top, remove the butter and you have buttermilk.
You may add cumin, ginger, chilli or other spices or sweeteners depending on the
11B
There is no actual buttermilk in the Western world, some kind of artificial imposter in
a nice container. Yoghurt in Ayurveda is a building substance which adds bulk to the
body and if over-used and may clog (abhisyandi) the channels with unwise
indulgence. Buttermilk on the other hand is light, digestive and reducing.
72
Drinks & Desert
Ingredients:
1 Teaspoon freshly roasted and powdered cumin seeds
4 Cups Yoghurt or buttermilk
3 Cups water (less for buttermilk)
3 Tablespoons of lemon juice
2 Level Teaspoons Ayurvedic salt
Optional mint leaves and ice
Reserve a few pinches of cumin for a garnish. Simply blend all the ingredients, place
in a glass, top with a little ice if the season permits, garnish with cumin and mint leaf.
Mix the ingredients with a wisk or blender, store in glasses, add a little ice if required.
73
Drinks & Desert
SWEET RICE
Sweet of Sweets
Ingredients:
litres organic un-homogenised Milk
½ cup of short grain white rice
¾-cup cup raw sugar or half rapadura sugar
1-2 vanilla beans and a bay leaf
Bring the milk to the boil in a thick-bottomed pot. Be sure and find a strong steel
spoon to keep any milk from burning on the bottom of the pot.
Add the rice and vanilla beans and bay leaf. Simmer for an hour or so, giving an
occasional stir. Stir more often as it thickens.
When the mix thickens like a thick custard add the sugar. Now be very careful not to
burn the milk, stir fairly constantly. This is the critical time.
74
Drinks & Desert
ADA
Jaggery, Banana Coconut in rice flour pastry
Steamed in a banana leaf!
Ingredients:
Rice Flour Chapati pastry (see page 44)
Jaggery or Rapadura 20 gm
Fresh Cumin seed powder 3gm
Fresh Cardamom powder 5gm
Banana (cooking banana) one small cup cut into small pieces
Banana leaf or grease proof paper and alfoil
Coconut freshly grated one half cup – or soaked and chopped desiccated coconut
In Kerala, South India no person would ever consider to not use a fresh coconut.
However if you use desiccated coconut it will need to chopped in tiny pieces and
soaked for a few hours to try and restore the coconuts natural unctuous soft nature. I
often reflex that India is considered a developing country and the Western cities are
considered developed, yet as mentioned culturally there is no acceptance of processed
foods. You may walk into a shop that resembles timber from the tip and order a fruit
juice, the vendor will produce fresh fruit and prepare the juice as you wait.
If you need to use the desiccated coconut best to give it time to become soft and
unctuous by chopping, blending and soaking and allowing the mixture to sit. Drain
before use.
Assemble all the ingredients and mix, the coconut, jaggery or rapadura, cumin and
cardamom powder and the banana.
Take a banana leaf and press a rough 6-9 cm circle of rice dough to the leaf about 3-
4mm thick, add the ingredients to half the circle of dough, fold and gently press and
fold the banana leaf. Steam for 6-8 minutes.
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AYURVEDIC GEMS
Never re-heat rice, it has indigestible starches, which dampen digestion and block the
channels. EAT FRESH, BE FRESH!
Melons, Eat them alone or leave them alone. They may cause indigestion and
flatulence. Try black pepper on your melon!
Yoghurt requires to be taken in small amounts, two tablespoons with meals with salt
and/or pepper. Yoghurt taken with the sweet taste in large amounts can become a
channel blocker.
Never drink cold milk, it ruins digestion and creates mucus and toxins.
Always drink hot unhomogenised milk with nice chai spices. It is a wonderful tonic
when fully digested.
When you feel a health problem approaching, like a cold, flu or fatigue have a tall
tablespoon of chyavana pras, rosehip jam. Neem and pepper tea is amazing.
Eat for your digestion, if digestion is low, cook the food more.
Drink small amounts of warm liquid WITH meals for good digestion. The Ayurvedic
formula is half fill the stomach with solid food, a quarter with warm liquid, drink or
dahl and the remaining quarter space. Help your digestion with this formula.
Try drinking warm to hot water most of the time, your body will begin a slow
sustainable de-tox. Make your tummy happy.
Begin the day with a few glasses of warm water to clear the channels. Do not torture
yourself immediately with coffee or cold liquids.
Remember a positive change in diet is the first and possibly the best medicine. Diet is
great medicine and the choice is free!
When trying to control a negative habit, try introducing a habit which is better, add
some Ayurvedic harmony and you have a Higher Taste! Our habits are thieves unless
contained they do what thieves do!
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Use a true natural mineral salt in your cooking, salt can be a profound medicine when
the true rock salt, Saindhava, from the mountains is used in moderate amounts. One
teaspoon per person per day is a minium healthy requirement.
Cook a kitchari whenever you need a lift, or feel like nurturing yourself and friends. If
you want a great sustainable de-tox enjoy kitchari meals and fruit snacks for 21 days.
Never eat while the previous food is still being digested, this type of grazing on
grazing causes un-digested toxins to form.
Remember “Digestion, Agni the fire” in the stomach is the key to GOOD health. And
life itself!
Never drink tea or coffee with meals, it taxes Agni and blocks digestion. Drink ONE
cup a day, with No sugar, outside of meals!
Never add sugar to your drinks, read Safe and Unsafe carbohydrates! Eat Safe
carbohydrates.
Remember this great secret, if you are a vegetarian you must eat Dahl everyday to be
protein sufficient.
All the best! Jay D Mulder
77
From the Advanced Diploma of Ayurveda group 2012
Incorporate Ayurvedic recipes, one at a time, ‘Let your food become your friend’.
Maureen Lisle
Avoid eating nuts between meals. If you smoke, only smoke after meals followed by a
cup of licorice tea to sooth the throat.
Bradley Leech
Have a pot of herbal tea on a candle stand, with mantras playing, flowers in vases
and incense burning.
Kerrieann Winkley
Reduce time on iPhones, send text messages instead. Clean your tongue with a
scrapper, oil your nostrils and self-massage with the appropriate oil every day.
Linda Nugent
Go to bed playing the OM mantra! Preform self-massage with the appropriate oil
(according to season) after a shower to nurture the body and soul. Boil water (which
lowers surface tension and removes toxins) and drink a few glasses per day, hot for
vata and kapha and cool a little for pitta.
Lyn Pearsall
When possible avoid taking food too late at night....If unavoidable a warm
lohasavam drink will pick up your digestion quickly.
Heidi Drury
Enjoy life! Be ready to choose a higher taste, for example, do not eat standard milk
chocolate, choose an organic cocoa bean dark chocolate. If you add sugar to your tea
or coffee put a plump fresh date on the saucer instead, the pure sweet healthy taste
makes the taste of processed sugar fade away.
Annabel Parker
78
Remember the Village Wisdom
If you evacuate after breakfast your doctor will become rich and if you have a good
evacuation before breakfast your health professional will be poor!
Consider that if you do NOT have a good bowel movement before breakfast that you
will eat only light fruit for breakfast and drink hot water in order to train the body
and mind over time to evacuate before breakfast.
You might consider Triphala at bedtime, the non-laxative bowel mover, digestive and
liver tonic of Ayurveda. Which tones the bowel and cleanses the body.
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The first lotus from Lyn Pearsall’s garden. Summer 2011
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