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Archives for September 2021

Cucumber Semolina Pancakes

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These nutritious and delicious pancakes are a great way to introduce family and friends to ayurvedic cooking. Replace cardamom or combine it with cinnamon for a more traditional taste. This recipe has the sweetness and crunch of cucumbers and can be served hot or cold with ghee or maple syrup. It makes for an ideal breakfast or lunch.

Good for Pitta.
For Kapha, Make the batter with Homemade Coconut Milk.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves: 4 persons

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup of cream of wheat / semolina
  • 1 cup of shredded cucumber
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 t sugar
  • ½ t ground cardamom
  • Milk to make the batter (preferably cow’s milk)
  • 1 T ghee to grease the pan
  • Maple syrup, for serving

Method

  1. Mix semolina, wheat flour, and cucumber in a bowl.
  2. Add salt, sugar, cardamom powder, and milk to make a pancake consistency batter
  3. Set aside for 15 to 20 mins.
  4. Heat the pan and grease with ghee
  5. Ladle out the batter into small pancakes and let it cook
  6. Flip on other side and cook till golden brown
  7. Garnish in a plate with maple syrup and serve

Note

Always make the fresh batter.
Not recommended for diabetic patients.

Check out the Ayurvedic benefits of ingredients used in this recipe

Cardamom

Sweet and Sour Lemon Pickle

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Lemon not only gives a fresh citrus fragrance but also cuts down the greasiness and heaviness of any dish and adds a clean taste. With this preserved lemon recipe you can have this fruit in your kitchen all the time. This pickle is especially beneficial in stimulating digestion and saliva secretion when suffering from fever or in recovery.
Good for Vata. Use sparingly for Pitta, Kapha.

Prep Time: 5 minutes, plus overnight to chill, and 1 month to preserve.
Serves: 2 persons

Ingredients

  • 5 lemons quartered
  • ¼ cup kosher salt
  • ¼ cup raw sugar
  • 2 T paprika (kashmiri red chilli powder)
  • 1 T cumin powder

Method

  1. Toss the quartered lemons with salt, sugar, paprika, and cumin powder in a large bowl.
  2. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  3. The next day put the lemon slice in a jar and pour the liquid from the bowl.
  4. Press to submerge the lemons, seal the jar, and store in a cool dark place for 1 month or longer.
  5. Shake every day, and refrigerate once the rinds are soft.
  6. To use, slightly rinse the lemon slice and serve.

Serving suggestions

Can be served with dishes instead of fresh lemon slices.
Add it to cooking kitchari, stews, or dal in the last 5 minutes.

Notes

These preserved lemons are good for Vata and a great way to add a fresh sunny flavor to winter dishes.
For medicinal benefits, add turmeric (root or powder), brown mustard seeds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, or black peppercorn to the jar before sealing.
As it has a high percentage of sugar, should be used sparingly by diabetic patients.

Check out the Ayurvedic benefits of ingredients used in this recipe

Cumin | Turmeric | Cinnamon | Cloves | Black pepper

Obesity

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What is Obesity?

Obesity is a health disorder in which a person is considerably weighty, and an extreme quantity of body fat has been stored below the chin and on the breasts, belly, bums, and/or thighs. Though it is not a severe disorder, it may reduce the length of life, including weakening effectiveness and susceptibility to diabetes, high blood pressure, low libido, and arthritis. Eventually, obesity decreases joy.

What are the Symptoms of Obesity?

  • The major symptom of obesity is gaining an excessive amount of fat over a short period and facing obesity-related conditions that are sometimes severe.
  • Some of the typical symptoms related to obesity can be difficulty napping, sleep apnea, shortness of breath, varicose veins, skin complications caused by moisture and gallstones.

What are the Causes of Obesity?

  • There are some obvious causes of obesity. In most of the cases obesity is caused by family inheritance. Another major reason for this condition is unhealthy eating habits. Eating foods that are fried and fatty will eventually make you obese.
  • Also, inactivity can make you fat even if you are taking normal food.
  • Pregnancy can also be the cause of obesity, that is mostly short stays.
  • Stress and lack of sleep can cause obesity as well.

When to see a Doctor?

Obesity is not a serious condition and can be managed by following a proper diet and workout routine. However, in case you are very heavy and want to start working out, especially above the age of 40, you need to consult your doctor before that.

Lifestyle Prevention of Obesity

  • It is very much possible to prevent obesity. Some great preventive measures will help you avoid being obsessed.
  • For obvious reasons, working out is the most important step which you need to take in order to reduce your fat. Doing adequate exercise helps you burn calories and eventually reduce fat. So doing exercises such as walking, jogging, cardio, etc. are some of the best exercises to shed those extra pounds.
  • Keeping an on your diet is the most important. I would say it is even more important than exercise. Feeling hungry post-exercise is very normal but you should be very cautious about what you are eating. Avoid drinking cold drinks and fatty food and opt for hot drinks like herbal tea and a healthy diet.
  • Obsessed people should avoid alcohol. Because alcohol consumption may slow your metabolism and will never let you lose fat.

Common Ayurvedic Remedies for Obesity

There are some amazing ayurvedic remedies for fat loss. Some of the Ayurvedic herbs really help to accelerate the fat loss process. Herbs Kutki, Chitrak, Shilajit, Punarnava, are some of the best herbs for weight loss.
  • Drink hot water with Honey and lime juice: Drinking hot water with honey and few drops of lime juice is a great source to boost your metabolism. It is always advised to take this drink on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. However, it can also be taken, whenever you feel hungry. It’s a great alternative for eating and will assist in melting down body fat.
  • Herbal Mixture: Make a mixture with 3 parts of Chitrak, 5 Parts of Punarnava, 2 parts of Shilajit, and 3 parts of Kutki. Take half of this mixture two times daily before food will help you lose weight.
  • Triphala: Taking Triphala 1 hour before dinner is also a very effective fat loss remedy. Mix one teaspoon of Triphala in a cup of warm water and let it steep for about 10 to 12 minutes and drink.
Curative Ayurvedic Herbs:
Katuki | Chitrak | Triphala | Guggulu | Cumin | Coriander | Cardamom | Ginger | Cinnamon
Preventative Ayurvedic Herbs:
Not Known

Nightmares

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What are Nightmares?

Mostly this is a very common condition for children up to age 12 but it can also be found in adults. The major causes of this condition are fears, anxieties, worries and some other psychological pressures and tensions. Nightmares can also be caused by eating too much food late at night. There are some other physical conditions that may cause you nightmares such as, Sleep apnea, nasal crusts that don’t allow sufficient inhalation of the oxygen during sleep. Insufficient oxygen to the brain during sleep can cause nightmares.

What are the Symptoms of Nightmares?

  • There are various symptoms of nightmares. When you are experiencing dreams that seem vibrant and true and are very disconcerting, it is a nightmare. The dreams get more disturbing as it progresses.
  • In most cases, the dreams are related to some sort of threat to safety or survival. However, it can also relate to other disturbing themes.
  • Sometimes it may be so threatening that it makes you sweat or you may have a thumping heartbeat while in bed which will wake you up.
  • It can be so devastating that you may not want to sleep immediately unless the mental trauma from that dream subsides. As a result, you may become angry, disgusted, or disturbed.

What are the Causes of Nightmares?

  • Some of the major causes of nightmares can be stress and anxiety or Trauma. It is seen that people with some sort of history of anxiety attacks are more prone to get nightmares. Sleep deficiency is also one of the common causes of nightmares.
  • This can also be caused by a few medications. Especially when you are being treated for depression and taking antidepressants and blood pressure medications. Some drugs which are used to treat Parkinson’s can also cause nightmares.
  • Sometimes consuming alcohol or recreational drugs may give you nightmares.
  • Mental health plays an important role in this condition. So, any sort of mental health disorder can trigger nightmares. Also, cancer patients tend to get more nightmares because of their mental condition and other medications.

When to see a Doctor?

  • This condition is not considered to be a disorder until you experience it more frequently than normal and it is a persistent scenario for you.
  • In case it is disturbing you to take your routine sleep and causing you the fear of sleeping. Lack of sleep may cause various daytime behavioral issues and difficulty in functioning.
  • So, in case you are experiencing any of these or all of these, please consult your doctor.

Lifestyle Prevention of Nightmares

  • Preventing nightmares is easy. If you are practicing some healthy preventive measures, you may avoid nightmares.
  • Eating early and less in quantity is important before going to bed. So be very particular about this practice. Mental health is crucial and being positive mentally is really helpful in preventing nightmares. The nightmares are mostly caused by negative imaginations, feeling lonely, disturbed relationships, etc. So being positive all the time may be challenging. Trying to read books that talk about positive thinking or prayer is a great way to cultivate a positive mindset.
  • Stress management is again a very crucial practice in order to stop nightmares. So please do pranayama, or meditation to get rid of the nightmares.
  • For the child, some oil massages before bed help to prevent nightmares. Use Brahmi or Bhingraj oil on the soles of the feet and on the scalp.

Common Ayurvedic Remedies for Nightmares

Some of the Ayurvedic remedies are very effective in treating nightmares by dealing with sleep disorders and anxiety. Herbs like Jatamnsi, Brahmi, Licorice root, Ashwagandha are great resources.
  • Jatamansi: It is known to be a natural sedative and hence helps you to fall asleep quickly. Eating it in powder form or soaking it in hot water for about 5 hours, then drinking it at bedtime will help you to get a night of better sleep at night.
  • Ashwagandha: This herb is one of the best herbs for relieving stress and anxiety and also helps in boosting energy. Take ½ tsp of powdered ashwagandha and mix it with milk at night.
  • Brahmi: This is again a very famous herb to treat anxiety, depression and hence called as “Brain tonic”. It is also a natural sedative and can help you sleep as well. 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon of powdered brahmi with honey before or after lunch or dinner.
Curative Ayurvedic Herbs:
Jatamansi | Brahmi | Ginkgo | Licorice root | Sitopaladi | Ashwagandha
Preventative Ayurvedic Herbs:
Jatamansi | Brahmi

Carrot Ginger Soup

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This soup recipe is tridoshic and generally good for all dosha constituents. This warm and comforting recipe is great for fall and winter. The fresh carrots mingling with heart-warming ginger is a perfect dinner recipe for those cold winter evenings.

Good for all Doshas.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves: 6 persons

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of shredded carrots
  • 1 cup of chopped onion
  • 1 T of chopped ginger
  • Salt to taste preferably Himalayan salt
  • 2 T butter
  • ¼ cup of thick coconut milk
  • A pinch each of cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, and clove powder
  • Sugar to taste (optional)
  • Cilantro to garnish
  • Ginger juliennes to garnish

Method

  1. Add butter to a large soup pot and heat it over medium flame.
  2. Add onions, salt, grated ginger, spices and saute for about 5-10 minutes.
  3. Stir in chopped carrots, water, and bring to a simmer and then reduce it to medium-low.
  4. Cover, and let it cook for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are very soft.
  5. Cool the soup and blend into a smooth puree.
  6. Return soup to pot, stir in coconut milk and cook until the soup is hot.
  7. Add salt and pepper as per taste and garnish with cilantro.

Serving suggestions

Can be served with chapatis for light lunch

Check out the Ayurvedic benefits of ingredients used in this recipe

Cinnamon I Clove I Coriander I Ginger I Nutmeg

Soft Quinoa and Black Urad Idli

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Quinoa is a wonder grain, high in protein and inherent fluffy texture. These quinoa soft steamed idlis are sure to be the winner at potlucks. Serve with hot sambhar or coconut chutney for a completely healthy meal.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 16 hrs 45 Mins
Serves: 4 persons

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Quinoa
  • ½ cup Black gram dal (split), dehusked
  • 1 T flattened rice (poha)
  • ¼ t fenugreek seeds
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 T ghee

Method

  1. Rinse quinoa 2-3 times, add poha and urad dal and rinse again.
  2. Soak quinoa, poha and black urad in water for 6-8 hours.
  3. Drain water and blend it with water until it has a pancake batter-like consistency.
  4. Add the batter to a container and let it ferment for 8-12 hours in a warm place or inside the oven with lights on.
  5. The fermentation should create a light fluffy mixture with a pleasant aroma.
  6. To get the idli steamer ready, pour 1 cup of water in the steamer and let it boil. Meanwhile, grease the idli mold with ghee
  7. Add salt and 1 T of ghee to the fermented mixture and mix well.
  8. Add the batter a little at a time to the idli mold. Do NOT overfill the mold as the Idli will need space to puff up once they steam
  9. Place the mold in the steamer and close the lid
  10. Let it steam for 15-20 mins
  11. Open the lid and put a toothpick in the idli, it should come out clean when the Idlis are fully steamed.
  12. Leave the steamer open for 2-3 mins before spooning out the idlis. Serve hot.

Serving suggestions

Serve with coconut chutney or cilantro chutney or hot sambar, or just ghee

Check out the Ayurvedic benefits of ingredients used in this recipe

Fenugreek Seed