Ayurveda Recipes from Maharishi Ayurveda

The Three Seasons of Pasta

Pasta tossed with sautéed vegetables, besides being delicious, is about as fast as Ayurvedic fast food can be. Great for dinner and a lovely lunchtime meal with cheese and nuts added, pasta with vegetables is my first and last resort when mealtime calls and cook time is in short supply. Here are three seasonal vegetable combinations. They all contain tri-doshic elements: asparagus in spring, French beans in summer, and fennel in winter, so you can create each mixture with the types of oils, pastas, and additions that are most balancing for you.

Additions to Toss with Pasta with sautéed vegetables:

• toasted nuts and seeds
• sautéed tofu, Panir, or seitan cubes
• pesto
• red pepper purée
• grated Parmesan cheese
• dabs of cream cheese or chevre, added to the vegetables while cooking
• thick coconut milk, added to the vegetables while cooking
• Maharishi Ayurveda churnas (ayurvedic seasonings) -- Kapha, Vata or Pitta

Reprinted with permission from Heaven's Banquet by Miriam Kasin Hospodar

Summer Pasta for Pitta
4 servings

From the wonderful summertime bounty of fresh vegetables and herbs, here is a combination that nourishes and balances Pitta and would be equally balancing for Kapha. Because of the oil, it could also be considered within range for Vata. The mint should be minced to smithereens, as the leaves can be a bit coarse.

Step 1

• 1/2 pound (230 g) dried pasta shapes, such as penne, small shells or orecchiette

Step 2

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil or Ghee
• Pinch of hing (optional)
• 2 cups (200 g) French or green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 3 cups (320 g) zucchini or other summer squash, quartered lengthwise and sliced
• Liquid seasoning or salt

Step 3

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Pinch of hing (optional)
• 3/4 cup (90 g) dry bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) finely chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) minced fresh mint
• Black pepper

Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain. Heat the Ghee or oil with the hing in a skillet over low heat. Add the French or green beans, cover, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the zucchini or summer squash, sprinkle with liquid seasoning or salt, cover, and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Heat the second amount of oil in a skillet. Add the hing and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the bread crumbs and sauté, stirring constantly, until golden brown and crisp. Add the basil, parsley, mint, and a sprinkling of black pepper, and stir. Toss with the pasta and vegetables. Adjust the seasoning.

Spring Pasta for Kapha
4 servings

Slicing snap pea pods brings out a different personality in the vegetable than leaving them whole.

Step One Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound (230g) -- dried fettuccine or linguine or 1 pound (500g) fresh

Step Two Ingredients:

• 2 cups (240g) -- snap peas, stringed and cut into thirds
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) -- sunflower oil
• Pinch of hing (optional)
• 2 1/2 cups (375g) -- asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
• 4 cups (350g) coarsely chopped arugula
• Liquid seasoning or salt
• Black Pepper

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain.
2. Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet. Add the hing and sauté over medium heat for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the vegetables. Sprinkle with liquid seasoning or salt and pepper to taste, cover, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender, stirring a few times. Toss with the pasta. Adjust seasoning.

In general, serve salads during hot weather, when their cooler temperatures can help balance Pitta. Chilled ingredients extinguish the digestive fire, Agni; room temperature is a wiser choice.

The Vaidya's Salad
4 small servings

Here is a delicious, satisfying grated salad that was developed by a traditional Ayurvedic doctor, a vaidya, to serve in very small amounts at lunch. The proportions of the ingredients are flexible; this is a basic guideline.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (90 g) -- finely grated carrots
• 1 cup (240 m) -- sprouts
• 3/4 cup (70g) -- finely grated beets
• 1/4 cup (30g) -- finely grated daikon radish
• 3 tablespoons -- minced fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons -- minced fresh parsley
• 2 to 3 teaspoons -- minced fresh ginger

Toss all the ingredients together.

Recipe is reprinted with permission from Heaven's Banquet, by Miriam Kasin Hospodar, April, 1999.