Ayurvedic Food Culture And Recipes

Ayurvedic Food Culture and Recipes by Dr. Vinod Verma Ayurvedic food means a harmonious combination of food products prepared with various seeds, herbs and spices in order to create equilibrium in your body and to rejuvenate you. This food should increase 'ojas' (immunity and vitality) in the body. The preparation of the food, the way it is consumed and its quantity also play a significant role. The quality of the food should be according to the place, weather, climate, specific situation (like fatigue, sickness, stress etc.) and the fundamental nature of an individual. The food preparation should be balanced in relation to the five fundamental elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth) of which the whole universe is made and in addition the equilibrium should be sought in the above-described factors. It is essential to know all these basic factors to comprehend properly about the Ayurvedic food preparations. This book is a key to health for those who wish to live a long, healthy and disease-free life with optimum energy level. Ayurvedic cooking does not mean 'Indian cooking' and Ayurvedic cooking preparations do not have to be Indian. Ayurvedic principles are largely followed in many traditional homes in India. Nevertheless, not all Indian foods are prepared according to the principles of Ayurveda. Most existing books on Ayurvedic cooking are simply Indian cookbooks and those too at times are westernised. For example, the wheat bread eaten in most Indian homes is made with dough prepared simply with flour and water and this flat bread is baked on an iron pan. It is called chapati and it is freshly made for each meal. There is no salt or fat in the chapatis. They may be slightly smeared with ghee (clarified butter) on the top after they are ready. The chapatis are eaten with various vegetable or meat preparations, which are salted. However, to my utter surprise, many of the so called Ayurvedic cookbooks had instructed to add salt in the dough for chapatis, obviously to make the taste comparable to the salted bread eaten in the West. There are also many deep-fried, oily and fatty recipes written under the name of Ayurvedic cooking. In the ancient texts of Ayurveda, these foods are specifically prohibited and when eaten, they should be made with particular spices that promote digestion. However, these spices are not mentioned in the recently published books. I have written this book to give you an over all understanding of the Ayurvedic concepts of food preparation by illustrating the scientific reasons for using particular spices in particular preparations. This way, you will not only learn the limited Ayurvedic recipes but will also be able to use the specific products in your own recipes at an appropriate time in order to make them according to the Ayurvedic principles of balance and harmony. Many recipes described in this book are specifically designed and are invented by me to suit our modern way of life, available equipment and time constraint. Since I have spent a substantial part of my adult life in Europe and also three years in the USA, and have travelled around the world, my recipes are very often cross-cultural but modified according to the principles of Ayurveda. Dr Verma is a world renowned scientist who has studied Neurobiology in Paris in the University of Pierre et Marie Curie (old Sorbonne) and has worked in prestigious places like National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA and Max Planck Institute in Germany. She resolved to do research in health rather than disease after having worked in a pharmaceutical company in Germany in 1984. She was the first one to bring scientific aspects of Ayurveda to the West. Her books on Yoga and Ayurveda a comprehensive and holistic scientific system appeared in late eighties and early nineties in various European languages. She has written 23 books on various aspects of health until now. For more details see www.ayurvedavv.com

During the recent years, Ayurvedic wisdom has been propagated by religious or sectarian gurus rather than by Vaidyas (traditional Ayurvedic physician), scholars and Indian women, who have kept the Ayurvedic tradition alive for thousands of years. Gurus tend to mould the Ayurvedic wisdom from scientific to sectarian. This book, written by a woman Ayurvedic scholar, who has also had Western education in medical sciences, is a valuable piece of work, as it puts forward the scientific aspect of Ayurveda in context of its food culture and preparations. It is a prime example of the integration of scientific values in Indian cultural tradition. The book highlights the rational basis of what we should eat, when, how and why. The book contains authentic Ayurvedic food culture and mode of preparation of various international recipes by applying Ayurvedic principles. Scriptural wisdom of Ayurveda does not tell you to give up your glass of wine or leave out your favourite dishes. The way to good health is not through insipid food, but to enjoy the colours and flavours of life and have sensuous fulfilment with various rasas (tastes) of the cosmos. The secret to good health lies in understanding the Ayurvedic food culture and following its Eight Golden Principles. The book teaches the art of preparing balanced and rejuvenating food by using different herbs and spice mixtures and by attaining the knowledge about their hot and cold nature. With appropriate knowledge of Ayurvedic food culture, one can enhance energy, immunity and vitality and above all can cure one's minor ailments. The Great Sanskrit scholar and an India's leading Pandit on Indian cultural tradition, Professor Dharmanand Sharma has described this book as follow: "Dr. Vinod Verma's book, which is based upon the ancient scientific principles of Ayurveda and is presenting modern methods of preparation is like a ray of hope in this age of darkness and confusion when our food is little better than poison. It is not only a recipe book but also describes the Ayurvedic food culture, which can help many people heal their digestion-related ailments. The use of modern equipments to shorten the time and systematic preparations of numerous spice combinations make the book a valuable gift to humanity. This book is a commendable and extraordinary attempt to present the ancient wisdom in a modern way for the benefit of humanity."

Ayurveda, the ancient healing art of India, teaches that food plays an essential part in one's health and sense of well-being. Here is an authentic guide of the Ayurvedic approach to food and tasty vegetarian cooking. The recipes are formulated using herbs and spices to help balance constitution of each person. The effects of the foods on individual constitution are included with every recipe together with the medicinal properties of many of the foods. This is a cookbook and much more. The Chapters included in this book are on the principles of Ayurveda and individual constitution; maintaining one's health, digestion and constitutional balance; the importance of proper food combining for optimal well-being; setting up an Ayurvedic kitchen and planning menus inclusive of every member of your family; and more than 100 recipes of delicious Ayurvedic cuisine. Three more important sections are included-nearly three hundred simple remedies for everything from the common cold and skin problems to stabilizing blood sugar in diabeties, all using familiar household herbs, fruits and vegetables; a chart for determining your individual constitution; comprehensive food guide lines; and a listing of the qualities of foods and their effects on the doshas.

Amadea Morningstar, co-author of the bestselling Ayurvedic Cookbook, received many requests for Western recipes that utilized Ayurvedic principles. Well, here it is This is a "one of a kind" book that is sure to be a strong bestseller and represents a dramatic enhancement for people who want to practice Ayurvedic health practices in the West.

Author, artist, and scholar of Tantra and Ayurveda, Johari was also an inspired cook who shared his culinary wisdom in this treasury of vegetarian cooking based upon ancient Ayurvedic principles of healing.

Sacred & Delicious is an award-winning vegetarian cookbook, a primer on Ayurveda (India’s ancient wellness system), and a gorgeous food memoir that celebrates the healing power of food. Author Lisa Mitchell writes inspiring and clear prose about the power of the Ayurvedic system to sustain good health and reverse chronic health problems, recounting her own recovery. The book includes 108 recipes and more than 60 full-page color photos. Most of the dishes include vegan options, and all but two are gluten-free. Only ten of the recipes reflect traditional Indian cooking. The rest demonstrate how to apply the balancing principles of Ayurveda and the creative (yet subtle) use of spices to modern Western cuisines that many Westerners prefer. Mitchell shares the Vedic perspective on why food is sacred and how cooks can bring a sacred intention to their kitchen labors to approach food preparation as spiritual practice. Traditional blessings for food from various cultures are sprinkled throughout the book. In April 2019, Sacred & Delicious won silver medals in two prestigious book industry awards competitions: the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards (in the Body, Mind, Spirit category) and the Nautilus Awards (in the Food, Cooking, and Healthy Eating category). It also won the cookbook category in the Body, Mind, Spirit Book Awards and is a finalist in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards (to be announced in June).

This indispensable kitchen companion brings the ancient art of delicious healthy cooking to the twenty-first century with flavors adapted for the contemporary Western palate. Drawing on her many years of vegetarian cooking, catering, and teaching, in this book Divya Alter explains how to create flavorful meals with seasonal ingredients by applying Ayurvedic principles. With food combinations, methods of preparation, and healing spices customized for individual needs, this is an inspirational guide to achieving optimal health through a personalized way of living and eating. This volume features 100 recipes for breakfasts, soups, salads, main dishes, one-pot meals, treats, and beverages in three seasonal-based chapters. It includes an ingredient guide along with recipes for staples such as cultured ghee, fresh cheese, yogurt, nondairy milk alternatives, dressings, chutneys, and spice blends. Alter offers practical ways to bridge the ancient wisdom of food with modern living beyond the bound- aries of India. Dishes such as Asian-style Stir-Fried Red and Black Rice, Italian-style Spinach Risotto, and French-style Braised Root Vegetables are accessible to all and carry the healing benefits of Ayurvedic cooking.

Eat better and live healthier with this easy-to-follow Ayurvedic cookbook. Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of health and healing based on the principle that each human being is unique and has a distinct individual constitution, genetic inheritance and predisposition to certain ailments. Practitioners can stay healthy and happy by following rules such as: Warm, comfort foods like Shepherd's pie or butternut soup can help alleviate joint pain and poor circulation brought on by chilly, windy weather. In summer, pasta primavera, shimp salad, sauteed tofu, and other sweet and light foods cool off irritable moods and help digestive problems. Pungent, astringent foods—savory lentils, turkey loaf, kasha and the like —can help ease the distress of a winter cold. The Quick & Easy Ayurvedic Cookbook allows you to easily implement Ayurvedic principles in your cooking and improve your health without devoting long hours of study to the subject or breaking your budget. Learn how to cure insomnia and indigestion, and even mood swings, just by making food choices based on your Ayurvedic constitution. The recipes include familiar favorites making this cookbook a practical addition to your kitchen and home.