Masala Dabba.... Indian spices storage.... you must have!!

Masala dabba.... for Indian spice storage... this you must have!!  I just purchased mine on Amazon.com and it comes all the way from India!  Very reasonably priced.  Now,  the questions come...in the masala dabba above,  you can see that each container has a name on it.... fennel,  turmeric.  cardamum, chili powder, etc.  This is very helpful.  The dabba I bought does not have these names,  and is less expensive than the one pictured above.  I think the named containers will help you recall the spices that you need to have for authentic Indian cooking.  Bon appetit!

Wake at dawn... and realize your potential..

Ayurveda suggests that we wake at dawn... around 6 AM or so... to experience the full freshness and aliveness of the early morning.   In so doing,  you may more fully realize your potential.  This is the period of time you may bathe,  of course, in the holy Ganges (Maaiya Ganga) shown above in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India,  the devotees are fully immersing in an ultimate body of water.  You may not be along the Ganges,  but you may bathe  fully immersed in the thoughts of the Ganga.  Bathing in such a state brings not only optimal health in this body,  but is said to bring Enlightenment. So,  go ahead and realize your potential.

One... with the Coconut....

The coconut is a staple of Ayurvedic culture.   This includes every aspect of this magnificent fruit.  Around the world, in other tropical cultures,  the coconut is also highly revered and has been utilized for thousands upon thousands of years.  In the ayuvedic tradition,   the uses of the coconut are varied.  Coconut oil for example is used for skin and hair care as well as for ingestion and cooking.  The west has lately come upon the coconut,  and coconut water, oil and butter are now the rage among many in the organic health food movement.  I have attended my local health food store, Wheatsfield, here in Ames, Iowa for a wonderful class on the many and varied uses of coconut oil.  I am experimenting with using coconut oil on my skin and hair,  while also trying products that include coconut oil, such as in skin lotions (Coconut Trip from Colorado) and hair products (shampoo and conditioner).  But frankly,  my Indian students have informed me that I can purchase coconut oil rather cheaply from the local Indian food store (Pammel Groceries),  and I have lately been exploring that option as well.  The local yoga studio (Ames Yoga) has also recently brought in an established ayurvedic doctor from India,  and I attended his workshop.  The follow up ayurvedic support group included 15 simple and easy ayurveda principles you can add to any daily routine.  One of these included oil massage,  without specifying what oil you might use,  but the oil potions recommended were following the Vata, Pitta and Kapha traditional ayurvedic body types.  So,  becoming one.. with the coconut... is also recommended by the ayurvedic physician especially for cooking and for post menopausal women.  Trying out and experimenting with the coconut... whether it is with the coconut water that has so many benefits as a replacement for western sports drinks... or coconut oil... butter... flour... or other products... coconut yogurt... coconut milk... coconut kefir.... these products will keep you busy!!
I have also lately gotten into SoDelicious coconut milk products... their  yogurt is outstanding!!

Chyawanprash.... Ayurvedic superfood... mixture of 52 different herbs, flowers and spices..

I have begun using CHYAWANPRASH... thanks to Dr Ram Sharma advising me to do so.  Considered an Ayurvedic super food,  it is a mixture of between 25-80, and often 52, different herbs, flowers and spices in the base of clarified butter (ghee) and honey or raw cane sugar.  Taken with warm milk or water,  this helps as an antioxidant, boosts immunity and improves the functioning of brains cells and the nervous system.  It is also an anti-aging herbal tonic.

The real recipe of chyawanprash is given in ayurvedic texts like Ashtangahridayam, Carakasamhita, Sangandharasamhita,etc. Nowadays different companies are making chyawanprash in their own ways by removing some ingredients and adding their own. The number of herbs used in preparation of the paste varies from 25 to 80, but the main ingredient of all Chyawanprash is amla. Other chief ingredients are:

• ashwagandha
• asparagus
• bamboo manna
• blue Egyptian water lily
• cardamom
• chebulic myrobalan
• Chinese cinnamon
• cinnamon bark
• clove
• Indian rose chestnut
• country mallow
• feather foil plant (Phyllanthus niruri or Bhumiamalaki)
• galls
• ghee
• Giant potato (Ipomoea mauritiana or Kiribadu Ala)
• honey
• Indian kudzu
• Irish root
• liquorice
• Long pepper (Piper longum)
• Malabar nut (Seed of Adhatoda vasica)
• Nut grass
• Potassium sorbate
• Raisins
• Round zedoary
• sandalwood
• sesame oil
• Spreading hogweed (Boerhavia diffusa)
• Sugar
• Tiger's claw or Ice plant
• Wild black gram
• Wild green gram
• Winter cherry (or Ashwaghanda)

Coconut oil... super oil...

Ayurvedic doctors recommend that coconut oil be used... especially for post-menopausal women.  This is not to exclude other healthy oils, such as olive and others.  But coconut oil is a favorite for many Indian  men and women at all ages. Dr Ram Sharma has always used coconut oil in his village, Salawa, and it is widespread in India. 

( http://chakrapaniayurveda.com/ At Ames Yoga last night (4/6/13),  we had Dr Kotecha from chakrapani ayurveda Jaipur India address the group.  He mentioned that coconut oil is especially good for post-menopausal women.)

Moong dal chaat.... healthy snack on Delhi roadsides..

This moong dal chaat is a healthy snack found on Delhi roadsides and elsewhere... I know that there are so many ways to prepare moong dal.... I found over 300 recipes on the internet from all over India... this moong bean is a versatile legume... namaskar friends...

Moong beans... Asian superfood...

According to Ayurveda and Chinese medicine,  moong beans are considered a cooling food, with sweet and astringent tastes and have a nourishing and cleansing effect.  They are considered very easy to digest,  especially if prepared with digestive herbs and spices.  They are pacifying to the body and mind (ie: a SATTVIC food) and are considered the most balancing legume for all of the mind/body constitutions (doshas-- vata, pitta, kapha). They are best prepared accompanied with digestive herbs and spices such as ginger, cumin, black mustard seeds, coriander, turmeric, basil, rosemary, sage, tarragon, black pepper and bay leaf.  The beans have a mild flavor and very much absorb whatever flavor you cook them in, so spice away.  I prepared a moong bean soup with Indian vegetables and added curry powder for spice.  It is so delicious and nutritious.  They are an excellent source of protein and dietary soluble fiber, and also contain vitamins A, C, and E, folacin, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and calcium.  They are also a source of phytoestrogens. (The photo shows a traditional  Indian moong bean curry)