Recipes for the Season and Zoom Cooking in January!

 

Here is to a safe and healthy holiday season for all!

 

Continue to prepare warm food, eating your big meal at lunch and maybe kitchari or a soup for a lighter dinner.  Please reduce your consumption of ice water as we head into the coldest time of the year.  Use warming and immune boosting spices that also promote good digestion like fresh ginger and turmeric.  A simple drink of ginger slices in hot water is great.

 

Below are two recipes. One is a Spice Mix, Vata Churna, that is especially good in the fall and early winter (Vata season).  Use it to flavor cooked vegetables, any dal or lentil dish and with grains.  One ingredient, hing, or asafoetida,  is only available at Indian grocers and you may leave it out, but it is one of the best spices for reducing gas.  The other, Golden Milk, is a delicious drink for the winter holiday season.

 

If you want to feel more confident in preparing Ayurvedic inspired Indian Vegetarian food, I will be holding another Zoom Cooking Class in January.  It will be  Sunday, January 17 from 4 to 6 pm.  We will be preparing several dishes including making our own ghee.   The cost is only $35 payable by check or through Zelle.  Once I have your fee, I will send you the recipes and you can buy the ingredients. If you have difficulty in finding some of the spices, you can purchase them from me.  Please contact me to register and for questions at dhelfeld@starpower.net.

Vata Churna

Churna means powder in Sanskrit, and churnas are mixtures of a variety of spices. Grind the spices that are whole (I use an electric coffee grinder that is dedicated to spices), and mix them well with the powdered spices. Store in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid at room temperature out of the sunlight. You can make more or less of the mix, but use the same proportions.

1 T cumin seeds

1 T coriander seeds

½ to 1 T fennel seeds

1 T fenugreek seeds 

 

 1T turmeric powder

1T ginger powder

1 t asafoetida (hing)

Grind the seeds and put in a glass jar along with the other spices. Stir to mix and store in a dark place. Use with kitchari, dal, rice or vegetable dishes.

Debbie's Golden Milk Drink for the Holidays

1 cup organic whole milk, non-homogenized preferred, or good quality unsweetened almond milk

about 1/8 t ground cardamom

¼ t turmeric (is anti-inflammatory, and cuts mucus building properties of milk)

about 1/8 t cinnamon

1 t to 1 T ghee (less for Kapha, more for Vata), optional

1 t raw honey or maple syrup

Slowly heat milk with the cardamom, turmeric and cinnamon. Add ghee. Let milk come to a soft boil, stirring frequently. Pour into a mug and sweeten with maple syrup or honey (honey needs to be added after the milk has cooled slightly). Enjoy!

All three spices add heat and stimulate the blood flow to the digestive tract, making the milk easy to digest and nourishing for the cold winter months as well as strengthening to the body. It is also quite tasty!