The Ayurvedic Kitchen’s Essential Ingredients
Ghee
“Ghee increases digestive fire and improves absorption and assimilation. It nourishes Ojas,
the subtle essence of all the body’s tissues, strengthens the brain and nervous system, and
improves memory. It lubricates connective tissue and makes the body more flexible. Ghee
carries the medicinal properties of herbs to all seven Dhatus (tissues). It pacifies Pitta and
Vata and is fine for Kapha in moderation.”
Dr. Vasant Lad
Ghee has been given the cherished title of Rasayana in Ayurveda, meaning that which
provides rejuvenation and deep nourishment for longevity and wellbeing.
Ghee is one of those good fats. However it is still a fat and therefore we only need small
amounts to gain the benefits it gives. According to an Australian Health Lipid Study 57gms is considered to be the average good level to be consumed daily.
Ghee
contains
significant
levels
of
fat
soluble
vitamins
A,
D
&
E;
Omega-3s
(monounsaturated fats) & other fatty acids such as conjugated linoleic acid and butyric acid,
both of which have positive health benefits in the body.
For many years fat has been vilified but modern studies show we need fats for brain
function, building hormones creating good cholesterol and many other cellular functions.
Specific Health Benefits of Ghee
Sustains energy: The wide range of fats that compose ghee include medium chain fatty acids,
which are processed by the liver and burnt as energy, not passing into adipose tissue or
contributing to weight gain. Ghee can provide the necessary burst of energy you might need
to get through a particularly challenging day!
Heart Health: Recent studies have confirmed that it is not fat but rather excess sugar that
contributes to our pandemic decline in heart health, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes.
The rich variety of fats in ghee can provide a healthy boost to the heart. Omega-3 fatty
acids can help decrease your levels of unhealthy cholesterol and provide an energetic balance
to your fat intake.
Reduce Inflammation: Ghee contains butyric acid which is one of the most beneficial shortchain fatty acids that the body needs. In recent research butyric acid has been shown to
decrease inflammation in parts of the body, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract and is
now a recommended dietary addition for some people with ulcerative colitis. Ghee in the
duodenum reduces acid secretion, aiding hyper-acidic related digestive disorders.
© 2015 Living Ayurveda
Antioxidant Activity: The antioxidant capacity of vitamin A & carotenoids, plus the
inflammation reducing power of linoleic and butyric acid, which eliminates free radicals,
creates a powerful substance that can help reduce oxidative stress within the body.
Eye Health: vitamin A and carotenoids are antioxidants that specialize in neutralizing the
free radicals that attack the macular cells, thereby preventing macular degeneration and the
development of cataracts. Ghee eye baths are often prescribed in Ayurveda to soothe and
strengthen the eyes.
Immune System Booster: Butyric acid, perhaps the most important element in ghee, has also
been linked to the stimulation of t-cell production, which are the heavy-hitting cells of the
immune system. In other words, ghee can supercharge your immune system in addition to
all of its other health benefits!
Ghee for Cleansing: Ghee is useful in cleansing and in the detoxifying process of panchakarma
because it pulls fat-soluble toxins from deep on the tissues into the circulation to then be
expelled. It also improves fat metabolism.
Making Ghee
Ingredients:
A heavy based saucepan
Organic Butter - Minimum amount is 600gms Organic any less tends to burn
- Why organic? Many chemicals and pesticides are lipophilic meaning they
are attracted to & are stored in fats outside of and within our bodies
A piece of fine muslin about 30cm square & a jam pourer
Method:
Place the butter into pot and cook on a medium to high heat.
The butter will melt and start to froth up. Now turn the flame down to medium/low &
allow it to simmer uncovered until it begins to turn a clear golden colour and you can see to
the bottom where the solids have fallen and are turning golden brown.
It has also become very quiet now…another sign that it is ready
Pour ghee through the muslin into clean jars
Leave the lids off until cool to avoid condensation moisture forming
Does not need to be stored in the fridge as not milk solids remain.
© Living Ayurveda 2016
Cumin is pungent/warming, bitter.
Especially good for Vata and Kapha people
Cumin & Digestion
Its pungent taste warms and stimulates blood flow to digestive organs.
Its bitter taste stimulates peristalsis, the rhythmic contractions of your digestive tract.
Together these tastes address the root causes of gas and bloating: slow breakdown of food,
sluggish mobility, and poor absorption of vitamins and nutrients.
Cumin's Drying Effects
Cumin warms and dries the body.
In early spring its drying effect is useful to expel excess kapha, (dampness & wetness)
It dries mucous in the lungs & absorbs fluids from large intestine helping to bind loose stool.
It is a mild diuretic
Skin & Blood Cleanser
Bitter tastes purifies the blood therefore cumin's warm pungency and purifying bitters
encourage clear complexion.
Cumin opens the pores, revitalizing the skin and restoring colour after a cold winter.
Cumin is useful for improving circulation and metabolism in general.
Muscle Relaxant
Cumin is antispasmodic, meaning it calms and smoothes spasms whether in the digestive
tract or even for menstrual cramps.
It also relieves pain and inflammation of the uterus.
Cumin, like many diaphoretic herbs that open the pores, promotes the flow of breast milk
for new mothers.
Coriander
is bitter, slightly pungent with a cooling effect in the body. It Balances all 3
doshas but is especially good for cooling aggravated Pitta
Cooling Digestive
Coriander aids digestion, acts as a carminative preventing gas, and reduces ama. There is
evidence that it is useful for chelation, the removal of heavy metals from the blood stream
Calms the Immune System & Rashes
Coriander is a traditional remedy for rashes like allergy related hives, or even sunburn
It Is hypoallergenic due to a natural anti-histamine and directly calms the immune system.
Drying & Detoxifying
Is a diuretic that clears inflammation from the urinary tract. Drinking water that has had
coriander seeds soaking in it can relieve bladder infections and cool summer heat
It cools the liver & improves eyesight.
Its fresh leaves are rich in Vitamin c
© Living Ayurveda 2016
Fennel is
sweet, pungent, slightly cooling and balances all 3 doshas
Actions are carminative, stomachic, stimulant, diuretic and antispasmodic
Digestive
Sweet and stimulating, fennel possesses a unique combination of warming and cooling
qualities that stimulate the appetite before meals and facilitate digestion afterward.
Fennel relieves gas and bloating.
It also reduces burping, acid reflux, and alleviates nausea and indigestion.
Fennel improves the digestive agni by stimulating blood flow to the stomach.
Babies can experience relief from colic pains by drinking fennel water
A Cooling Spice
Although many spices are heating, fennel is tempered by a cool quality the calms the mind
and increases clarity.
As a diuretic it relieves Pitta, flushing and soothing burning sensations in the urinary tract
and detoxifying the blood.
Fennel has been shown to protect the liver, a pitta organ, from chemical toxicity.
Relieving Spasms
Fennel, like many aromatic herbs, is effective in relaxing smooth muscle spasms.
It specifically relieves bronchial spasms in the lungs, colic in the GI tract and uterine
cramping, thereby helping with diverse conditions from asthma to menstrual cramps.
Fennel's aromatic quality relaxes blood vessels and opens circulation, reducing swelling and
pain.
Its circulatory stimulating qualities are effective in countering rheumatism.
Other Uses
Fennel is estrogenic in nature, so it increases growth of breast tissue. It also has diaphoretic
properties that increase the flow of milk in lactating mothers.
Cardamom
is sweet, pungent and slightly heating in nature. It is good for Vata & Kapha
but those with very high Pitta should not take too much due to its heating and stimulant
qualities.
Actions: stimulant, expectorant (clears mucus), relieves bloating, and open channels
(diaphoretic) and is clearing with a downward and outward moving energy.
Cleansing the Stomach
When digestion is sluggish creating belching and nausea the food stagnates or moves up,
cardamom helps move it back down by accelerating the gastric emptying rate, meaning it
relaxes the stomach valves that prevent your food from entering the small intestine.
It is good for nervous stomachs in kids with high Vata, especially mixed with fennel and
made as a tea.
© Living Ayurveda 2016
Muscle Relaxant
A strong aromatic, cardamom has a fresh and clean & clearing quality which numbs muscle
tissue - forcing it to relax. That's why so many muscle balms like Tiger Balm are highly
aromatic they relax your muscle tissue.
This property makes cardamom a calming antispasmodic useful in colic, asthma, and the
throbbing pain of a headache (caused by a spasm in blood vessels).
Mucous Clearer & Cleanser
Cardamom is a powerful mucus destroyer. It clears kapha from the stomach and lungs and
stimulates the spleen and agni.
As with all aromatics, cardamom is a diaphoretic that opens your pores, encouraging a mild
sweat that cleanses the skin, aids low grade fevers, and cleanses the lymphatic system.
It is a bronchodilator - helping to improve breathing is asthmatics.
Sattvic
Cardamom is considered a sattvic herb which promotes clarity in the mind and heart and
builds rasa (joy!)
It is particularly good for opening and soothing the flow of prana in the body there is good
for Yogis.
Other benefits
Ancient Egyptians chewed cardamom to whiten teeth and sweeten their breath and I keep
some in my handbag!!
Cardamom helps take the edge off of caffeine in the famous drink Turkish coffee.
Cardamom is a member of the ginger plant family along with turmeric.
Ginger
is pungent and sweet with a heating quality but has a sweet post digestive effect.
It is great for Vata and Kapha individuals but Pitta should use sparingly
Actions: stimulant, diaphoretic, expectorant, carminative, antiemetic/nausea, & is Sattvic
Ginger and Congestion
Ginger breaks up congestion as it liquefies mucus and invigorates circulation. Ginger is most
effect in late winter, naturally a mushy, soggy time of year.
Combining ginger with black pepper and long pepper, pippali, forms a famous Ayurvedic
formula called trikatu. This formula is excellent for eliminating mucus and congestion in the
lungs.
Ginger and Digestion
It gets juices flowing, stimulates the production of saliva, it stimulates digestion without
aggravating acidity and increases metabolism. Eating a slice of ginger will aid with nausea in
the stomach or burping due to excess mucous.
Ginger, Salt, and Lime before a meal stimulates digestion.
1/4tsp of Ginger mixed into 1 tbsp of castor oil is a home remedy for arthritis.
© Living Ayurveda 2016
Dried ginger and fresh ginger are different not just because one is dehydrated as the process
of drying the root instigates a chemical reaction that makes the two chemically different.
They are so different that Ayurveda has a different name for each.
Fresh ginger root can help stop a fever, is a better diaphoretic and is better used in colds,
coughs, vomiting and high vata conditions as it is not as drying as the dried version.
Fresh ginger is a pain-reliever, sedative, assails fevers, and has antibacterial properties.
Dried ginger is extremely pungent and more drying. It is a better stimulant for agni for
Kapha individuals and is a strong medicine aiding those with sluggish digestion.
In high Kapha conditions and clears congestion by burning it away with spicy strength.
Its potency is not for everybody. If you have a tendency toward heat, with loose stools,
redness in the skin, and intensity, use caution with dried ginger.
Dried gingers pungency has a tendency to be very drying and could exacerbate disorders of
dryness.
Black Pepper
is pungent with a heating post digestive effect.
It is great for the dampness of Kapha while Vata & Pitta individuals should use sparingly
Actions: Digestive, stimulant, clears mucous, relieves gas and increases metabolism
Digestion
Black pepper strongly stokes agni and burns away ama/toxins
It is a good antidote to cold foods like cucumbers and excess of raw foods
It relieves gas and bloating
Congestion
Taken with honey pepper is a strong mucous cleanser and dried up excess secretions.
It can also be taken nasally mixed with ghee to clear sinus congestion.
Teas for each dosha
Vata
Pitta
Kapha
fresh ginger
coriander seeds
dried ginger
cinnamon stick
fennel seeds
cloves
fennel seeds
licorice
black pepper corns
licorice root
cardamom
turmeric
cardamom
rose petals
honey
© 2015 Living Ayurveda
Mung Bean Soup Recipe
This soup is excellent for cleansing and giving the digestive system a rest. It is said
that having this soup for breakfast for 30 consecutive days cleanses and balances the
digestive system. Or, eat only this soup for one day along with herbal teas and
water.
Ingredients:
1 cup washed & rinsed green mung beans
1 inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
sliced finely
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/8 fresh lemon slice rind and all
1 teaspoon coriander powder
Fresh coriander
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt and lemon juice to taste
Method:
Put all ingredients except coriander, salt and lemon juice in a pot with 6 cups of water. Or
dry roast the seeds first to increase their flavour and potency.
Simmer until soft (about 45mins to 1 hour)
Blend and add fresh chopped coriander and salt.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and ½ tsp of ghee (if needing a little more nourishment)
per serve.
Ruby Soup Recipe
This delicious soup helps to build the blood and supports good immunity.
Daikon a Japanese white radish is found in Asian grocery stores.
Ingredients:
2 cups of peeled chopped daikon
1 small clove of garlic chopped
2 cups peeled chopped beetroot
1 ½ litres of water
1 ½ cups peeled chopped carrot
2 heaped tsp coriander powder
2 tbsp ghee
1 scant tsp turmeric powder
1 large tbsp fresh ginger peeled & finely
diced
Method:
Chop the vegetables into ¼ cm thick wedges, sauté in the ghee for about 20 mins until they
begin to smell sweet.
Add the ginger and garlic, sauté for a minute.
Add the water and coriander powder and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
Then add turmeric powder and simmer for another 5 minutes. Blend and add a little more
water to achieve desired consistency. It is nice reasonably thick.
Add a little salt and serve with a garnish of fresh coriander leaves.
© Living Ayurveda 2016
Kitchadi Recipe
Kichadi is a delicious, balancing and easy to digest meal which is suitable for all doshas. It is
commonly used to help with healing an irritated digestive system
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of basmati rice
1 tablespoon fresh chopped ginger or ½ tsp
1/2 cup of split mung dhal
dried ginger powder
2-3 tablespoons of ghee
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin seeds and 1tsp fennel seeds
6 cups of water
Salt to taste
Optional extra spices – coriander powder, cardamom powder or pods, mustard seeds
Method:
Wash the rice and mung dhal together until the water runs clear. If you have the time (and
forethought), allow them to soak for an hour or two. This renders them even easier to digest.
Put the ghee into a heavy based pot. Fry the seeds, as they begin to turn golden brown add
ginger and turmeric powder and fry a little.
Add the drained rice and dhal and stir through.
Add the water and bring to a good simmer. Put the lid on and cook until the grains are
very soft (about 20mins).
Stir through salt to taste.
Vata types - add more ghee, fennel, curry leaves, extra ginger, garnish with yogurt.
Pitta types - add more ghee, fennel, cardamom pods, garnish with fresh coriander.
Kapha types - add more ginger, curry leaves, mustard seeds, can use less water, garnish
with lime juice and black pepper.
Carrot and Beetroot Salad
Ingredients:
2 medium carrots
Large bunch fresh parsley
1-2 medium beetroot
Large squeeze lemon juice
Olive oil
Handful sunflower and pumpkin seeds
Salt and pepper
Method: Peel and grate carrots and beetroots. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice to
your taste. Dry roast seeds until starting to browm and pop, stir them into salad. Add
chopped parsley. Stir and enjoy! Lovely with avocado, goat chevre or fetta.
© Living Ayurveda 2016