SA om n r d i t ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old holistic healing tradition from indiah whose a history is linked to the development of yoga, in which physical, mental, and ispiri tual well-being comes from a number of sources, including a healthful diet based on one’s individual constitution. Today, it has a growing constituency, incluTding well-known practitioner Dr. Deepak Chopra. h This all-vegetarian cookbook based on Ayurvedic traditions features delectable e and nutritious recipes that appeal to each person’s individual constitution, which is made up of doshas. Every person’s primary dosha is determined by Midentifying both their physical and mental characteristics (the book includes a dosha questionnaire so readers can determine their own). And while the recipes are croeated according to the traditional Ayurvedic principles, they feature easy-to-find dingredients and modern-day cooking methods appropriate for busy lifestyles. In addition, the book e includes yoga postures, cleansing programs, a food guidelines chart for easy refer- r ence, and information on aromatherapy, colour therapy. n C O O K B O O K Written with both converts and beginners in mind, The Modern Ayurv edic Cookbook is A a twenty-first-century approach to an ancient tradition that will restore your health, energy, and sense of well-being. y u r v The Modern Ayurvedic e d i c C “This is not only a wonderful cookbook, but a valuable resource and a comprehensive o introduction to the profound health science of Ayurveda. I heartily recommend it! It’s one of the most user-friendly books on Ayurveda I’ve seen.” o k – Frank Jude Boccio, author of Mindfulness Yoga: b The Awakened Union of Breath, Body and Mind o partial proceeds benefit the pamoja foundation, dedicated to helping people o find their way from poverty to financial self-sufficiency (pamoja.org). k amrita sondhi is a certified yoga instructor, Ayurvedic cooking teacher, and owner of Movement (movementglobal.com), a cutting-edge clothing line specializing in sus- tainable fibers. She lives on Bowen Island, British Columbia, Canada. Cooking (Healthy/Vegetarian) Healthful, Healing Recipes for Life ISBN 978-1-55152-204-3 $24.95 US / $26.95 Canada arsenalpulp.com Amrita Sondhi The Modern Ayurvedic Amrita Sondhi C O O K B O O K The Modern Ayurvedic Healthful, Healing Recipes for Life Amrita Sondhi THE MODERN AYURVEDIC COOKBOOK Copyright © 2006 by Amrita Sondhi Fourth printing: 2010 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form by any means – graphic, electronic or mechanical – without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may use brief excerpts in a review, or in the case of photocopying in Canada, a license from Access Copyright. ARSENAL PULP PRESS #102 - 211 East Georgia St. Vancouver, BC Canada V6A 1Z6 arsenalpulp.com The publisher gratefully acknowledges the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Indus- try Development Program, and the Government of British Columbia through the Book Publishing Tax Credit Program for its publishing activities. The author and publisher assert that the information contained in this book is true and complete to the best of their knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the au- thor and Arsenal Pulp Press. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. For more information, contact the publisher. TEXT AND COVER DESIGN by Diane Yee, Electra Design Group CREATIVE DIRECTION by Lisa Eng-Lodge, Electra Design Group EDITED by Bethanne Grabham and Nicole Marteinsson COVER PHOTOGRAPHY by Nathalie Dulex, Heidi Priesnitz, and David Zielonka YOGA PHOTOGRAPHY by Darren Alexander; CLOTHING courtesy of Movement (movementglobal.com); MODELS are James Nicholson (Pitta body type); Janet Wallden (Kapha body type), and Sonoka Ehara (Vata body type) Printed and bound in Korea on wood-free paper Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Sondhi, Amrita, 1959– The modern Ayurvedic cookbook : healthful, healing recipes for life / Amrita Sondhi. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-55152-286-9 1. Vegetarian cookery. 2. Medicine, Ayurvedic. I. Title. TX837.S66 2006 641.5’636 C2006-903961-5 7 Acknowledgments 9 ITntarodbuclteion of Contents 13 What are Doshas? 16 Dosha Questionnaire 20 The Six Essential Tastes of Ayurveda 21 Getting Started: Tips and Basic Recipes 27 What the Symbols Mean 29 Breakfast 53 Appetizers & Snacks 79 Salads 111 Soups 133 Entrées 217 Breads & Grains 237 Desserts 257 Condiments 271 Beverages 291 Appendix 292 Seasons of the Year 293 Menu Plans 299 Cleanses 302 Yoga Poses for the Doshas 313 Alternate Ayurvedic Therapies 318 Food Guidelines for Basic Constitutional Types 326 Index I dedicate this book to all my invaluable comrades, students, and teachers, the “Dfrinege ddwiecllears”t wihoo kneep pushing the edge on the “new normal” by practicing and regenerating the ancient healing arts; to those who pursue and create break throughs in health by being shining, living examples of vitality; and to the community of yogis and yoginis – locally and globally – who keep connecting to the source and transmitting the light. • 6 The Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook I would like to thank my parents, family (all of you!), and friends who have always sAtoocd kbyn moe aws I lheaved ggonem offe thne tbesaten path. Joan and Nevenka, thanks for being shining examples of practicing what you preach, and having fun while doing it! Sandra Sammartino, thanks for synthesizing all your yoga knowledge, for being an invaluable teacher who appeared at the perfect time in my life, and for showing me how to transmit from my spirit, connect to the source, reconnect to my body, and how to pass on that learning. I would like to thank all who have hosted or helped me with cooking classes and fundraisers for the Pamoja Foundation. And to the residents of Bowen Island, among others, who constantly encouraged me to write this book and share my knowledge of Ayurveda, and who helped test recipes. Finally, I would like to express my deep gratitude for the wonderful team at Arsenal Pulp Press who worked tirelessly to help make this book a reality. • Acknowledgments 7 Originating in India more than 5,000 years ago, Ayurveda is the oldest system of healing. The name derives from two root words in Sanskrit (the ancient Indian Introduction language): Ayus, which means life, and Veda, which means knowledge or science; therefore in English, Ayurveda is “life knowledge” or “life science.” At the heart of Ayurveda is our intimate connection to the elements in nature, and how they can help us to achieve a physical and spiritual balance in all aspects of our lives. For the sake of our health and well-being, this balance can be accomplished through a number of means, including diet and exercise. The ancient sages of India, who lived in the mountains practicing meditation and yoga, believed that all mate- rial forms, including our bodies, are made up of five essential elements – ether, air, fire, water, and earth – in varying degrees, maintaining a balance among these five elements is key to our physical, mental, and spiritual health. Historically, the ideas and philosophies of Ayurveda were transmitted orally throu- gh the Vedas (ancient songs). The oldest song known is the “Rig Veda” (“in praise of knowledge”), which is almost as old as Ayurveda itself, and describes healing herbs and how they can be used. Later, by about 500 BCE, Ayurvedic knowledge began to be written down by the writers Charaka, Sushruta, and Vagbhata, which hastened its popularity. Two hundred years later, Ayurveda thrived with the advent of Buddhism, which was established in India under the rule of Ashoka the Great, and spread to China and Japan. But the Muslim invasion of India in the twelfth century CE led to Ayurveda being widely replaced by the Muslim system of healing, then further suppressed centuries later by the British, who feared the powers of the Ayurvedic doctors who were able to heal (or kill, if need be) in minutes by pressing specific marma (acupressure) points. With the return of Indian independence and the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi in the twentieth century, Ayurvedic schools and medical practices finally rose once again. • Introduction 9