Why We Love This Recipe
Most spices enhance digestion, and that's one of the reasons spices are revered in ayurvedic cuisine. Not only do they help enhance digestion, but they also help remove accumulated ama (toxins), so they are valuable additions to your daily diet. Turmeric, cumin, coriander, fennel, mint, asafetida (hing), black pepper, dried powdered ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne are among the ayurvedic spices that enhance digestion and metabolism, cleanse ama from the body and help prevent digestive distress such as gas and bloating. If you are new to ayurvedic cooking, try the Maharishi AyurVeda Churnas (ready-to-use spice mixes) formulated especially to be Vata, Pitta or Kapha balancing.
Spices contain a lipid-soluble portion and a water-soluble portion, so ideally some of the mixture should be sautéed in ghee or a healthy oil such as olive oil and added to dishes, and some cooked in the liquid portions of dishes, such as by being added to soups, stews or sauces during the cooking process. Ghee helps transport the therapeutic value of spices to the different parts of the body, so ayurveda generally recommends including a ghee-spice mixture in at least one meal of the day.
Spices are like herbs: they work gently and gradually, with the benefits adding up over time and no dangerous side effects.
Ingredients
- 1 part ground black pepper
- 1 part ground dried ginger
- 2 parts ground coriander
- 3 parts ground cumin
- 2 parts ground turmeric
- 1 part crushed black cumin (for women only)
Directions
- Mix the spices together and store in an airtight container. Sauté small amounts in ghee to spice vegetables and grains.
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