How To Make Dosa

These simple breakfast dosas are a delicious, savory option on the days where you need something a little more grounding that’s still light on digestion. 

Dosas are a South Indian staple and are similar to a crepe or pancake made with fermented rice and legumes. Don’t let the idea of fermentation scare you. Once you’ve mastered the process, this favourite recipe will become an easy, weekly rotation in your kitchen. And take only minutes to prepare! 

Simple Dosa Recipe:

Serves 6-8 (about 2 dosas per person)

Preparation time: Includes overnight soaking, 8+ hours of fermentation and 10 minutes to cook

Ingridients:

1 cup of white basmati rice

1 cup of urud dahl (if not available you can also use split mung)

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

½ teaspoon rock salt 

Ghee for cooking 

How To Make Dosa:

First we need to soak the rice, dahl and fenugreek overnight or at least for 8+ hours. 

Once soaked, rinse and drain the water. Then transfer to a high speed blender with a small amount of fresh water (less than 1 cup) and blend it into a thick pancake like batter. 

Be careful not to make the batter too runny, as this will be harder to cook and aim for a thick consistency. 

When ready transfer to a vessel and leave to ferment for between 8 - 24 hours. The time it takes for the batter to ferment depends on the climate you are in - the warmth helps it to ferment quicker whereas the cold takes longer. 

You’ll know when it’s ready once the batter has an air quality and you may see bubbles on the surface. You might also notice the batter increase in size. 

Once the batter has fermented, stir in the salt.  You may also like to add in any agni kindling spices such as ground cumin or coriander. You can then leave in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

To cook your dosa, heat a cast iron pan on medium heat with a tablespoon of ghee. Add 2-3 tablespoons (about 1 quarter cup) onto the centre of the pan. Then using the back of the spoon, spread the batter out in a circle to create a crepe-like shape. 

Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the bottom has become lightly browned and crispy. Flip and cook on the other side for another few minutes. 

We love these simply paired with a homemade chutney or a few slices of avocado for a light breakfast. 

You can also enjoy dosas as a side to a more grounding meal such as a vegetable curry, dahl or even soup as a bread substitute. 

This recipe acts as a simple guideline and just like many Ayurvedic dishes, there are many different variations you can explore. Get creative and enjoy!

The Shad Rasa: An Ayurvedic Guide To Taste

Understanding how nature is present in our food, starts with connecting to the six tastes or ‘shad rasa’. There are six tastes of sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent that we aim to have present in each meal.

 Each of these six tastes is an expression of the five elements and holds certain qualities. Taste can have a significant effect on the body & mind and the misuse of taste can send us out of balance.

 When we can create a meal that incorporates all six tastes, we can create balance for the doshas and feel truly satiated. This also stops us moving into further imbalance, helps us to calm cravings and reduce the need for snacking.

 For example: raw salads that are bitter, astringent, and pungent have a lightening and stimulating effect and when eaten in excess increase vata and can have us feeling ungrounded (and then often craving sweets as the body seeks balance).

Madhura or Sweet Taste

“When the sweet taste is banned from our lives due to a fad diet, an inconclusive scientific theory, a sort of self-punishment, or any other reason, we are as if deprived of the very essence of life that nurtures and soothes us.” - Acharya Shunya

Elements: earth + water

Qualities: heavy, cooling, unctuous, wet

 Effects on the doshas: decreases vata and pitta, increases kapha.

 In balance: the sweet taste is grounding, calming, and nourishing for the body and mind. It builds our tissues, increases ‘ojas’, quenches thirst and helps us to feel supported, comforted and loved.

 In Excess: when we have too much of the sweet taste it can cause heaviness in the body, weight gain, create excess mucus and congestion, emotional attachment and make us feel tired and sluggish. It can also lead to issues such as diabetes, stroke paralysis and high cholesterol.

 Foods with the sweet taste: fruit, ghee, honey, dates, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and most whole grains.

Amla or Sour Taste 

Elements: fire + earth

Qualities: sharp, light, heating, wet.

Effects on the doshas: decreases vata, increases pitta, decreases kapha in balanced amount but in excess increases.

In balance: the sour taste in stimulating & refreshing for the body and mind in small amounts. It supports digestion and elimination, stimulates appetite, brings out taste in meals and enlivens the mind.

 In Excess: when we have too much of the sour taste it can cause aggravation in the body such as excess thirst, sensitive teeth, heartburn or burning sensations, skin inflammation, loose stools as well as, agitation or anger.

 Foods with the sour taste: lemon, lime, yoghurt, cheese, grapefruit and fermented foods.  

Lavana or Salty Taste

“If you remove salt from your diet you will feel tired, fatigued, lack interest, and your whole life will become bland.” - Dr. Vasant Lad

Elements: fire + water

Qualities: heating, heavy, oily, nourishing

Effects on the doshas: decreases vata and pitta, increases kapha, in excess can increase pitta

In balance: in small amounts the salty taste is stimulating and nourishing for the natural functions of the body. It aids digestion, improves elimination, maintains electrolyte balance, and provides energy & strength. It also enhances the tastes of our food.

In Excess: the salty taste can be the overpowering and many people have too much salt in their food. When we have too much salt it can cause skin conditions, high blood pressure, hair loss, anger, and agitation.

Foods with the salt taste: mineral salt and sea vegetables

Katu or Pungent Taste 

Elements: fire + air

Qualities: heating, drying, light, sharp

Effects on the doshas: decreases kapha, increases pitta and vata in excess.

In balance: the pungent taste is stimulating, invigorating, and reducing to the body. In moderation it kindles our agni and supports digestion, elimination, appetite and helps to burn ama. It also helps to clear the sinuses, improves circulation, and stimulates the mind.

In Excess: when we have too much of the pungent taste it can aggravate pitta and vata dosha and can cause loose stools, heartburn, skin irritation, insomnia, anxiety, or aggression.

Foods with the pungent taste: most spices, chilli, garlic & onion (when raw), ginger, radishes, rocket, and some spicy greens.

Tikta or Bitter Taste

Elements: air + ether

Qualities: light, drying, cool, reducing

Effects on the doshas: decreases kapha and pitta, increases vata

 In balance: in conscious moderation the bitter taste is a powerful cleansing tool. It kindles agni, reduces ama and kills pathogens & parasites in the body. Helpful in clearing excess kapha dosha.

In Excess: when we have too much of the bitter taste it increases vata dosha and dry out the digestive tract. It can cause emaciation, dry skin, anxiety, nausea, fatigue and low libido.

Foods with the bitter taste: leafy greens, coffee, black tea, dandelion root, bitter melon, fenugreek, turmeric.

Kashaya or Astringent Taste

Elements: air + earth

Qualities: light, cooling, drying, reducing

Effects on the doshas: increases vata, decreases kapha and pitta

In balance: similar to the bitter taste, in moderation the astringent taste is a helpful digestive tonic. It helps draw toxins out of the body, improves absorption and binds the stool.

In Excess: in excess the astringent taste can aggravate vata dosha and cause bloating, constipation, insomnia, anxiety, dryness in the mouth and low libido.  

Foods with the bitter taste: most legumes and beans, pomegranates, unripe bananas, sprouts and most raw vegetables.

Bringing The Six Tastes Into Your Diet:

Ayurveda generally recommends to have all six tastes present within each meal in order for us to feel truely satiated and balanced. Whilst this may sound daunting at first, it dosen’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as adding a squeeze of lime or a handful of bitter greens to your meal.

We can also understand how to use the six tastes to bring us back into balance. Remember in Ayurveda we say, ‘like increases like and opposites bring balance’ and this applies to the tastes.

When we are in balance, we naturally gravitate foods and tastes that will nourish us and when we are out of balance, we can move towards tastes that will further tip us over the edge.

For example, when kapha is out of balance and maybe we feel low, heavy, or sad – we tend to crave sweet foods for comfort. Whereas what would truly balance us in these moments is to have more stimulation and vibrancy, which are found in more pungent, bitter, and astringent foods.

To learn more about the shad rasa and how to eat in alignment with Ayurvedic principles, join my 6 week online course Foundations of Ayurvedic Nutrition & Cooking. This immersive course goes far beyond using spices or cooking with ghee and truely teaches you what it means to eat, cook and live ‘Ayurvedic’. Available now as a self-paced program and currently on sale till the end of November!

Seasonal Eating Guide: Winter

In Ayurvedic wisdom, we understand that there is subtlety in nature and that the seasons aren’t bound to dates on a calendar. Ayurveda holds the perspective that there is actually six seasons instead of four with winter being split into two subtle transitions.

Early winter is a time when vata dosha is naturally more predominant and there is a more light, dry and unstable quality as we settle into the seasonal change. During this time, you may find that you need more grounding, slowing down and softness.

Whereas in late winter, once we have grounded into the season there can be a greater sense of heaviness and stagnation as kapha dosha becomes more predominant. In the depths of winter, our body and mind naturally start calling for more stimulation, movement and heat to shake off the stagnancy.

The key to staying balanced in winter, is noticing these subtle shifts as they occur within your own physiology. We want to stay warm and grounded throughout the season whilst, also noticing if we are starting to feel heavy or stagnant.

When looking towards our ahar or diet, we want to be embracing foods that are warming, nourishing and stimulating for our agni. Enjoying foods that keep us grounded and comforted whilst not leaving us heavy or dull.

Tastes – favour tastes in your food that are sweet (in moderation), salty, sour, and pungent such as root vegetables, pungent spices and seasonal fruit such as oranges and mandarins. Avoid foods that are overly bitter and astringent such as leafy greens, sprouts, or bitter vegetables as they aggravate vata.

Qualities of food – we want to embrace foods that are nourishing, warming, and stimulating for our digestion. Favour foods that are well cooked, adequately spiced, and soupy such as vegetable curries, hearty soups and dahls.

Avoid foods that are cold or raw such as salads, smoothies or cold drinks.

Vegetables that have a nourishing quality whilst not being too heavy, such as beetroot, carrot, sweet potato (in moderation for kapha), cauliflower, broccoli, kale, spinach, green beans, Brussels, radish, cabbage, fresh ginger, garlic (cooked, in moderation) and onion (cooked, in moderation).

Avoid vegetables that are overly heavy and sweet such as potatoes, pumpkin, and mushrooms in late winter.

Fruits such as apples (cooked), pears, avocados, oranges, mandarins, kiwifruit, rhubarb, lemon, lime, dates (in moderation for kapha) and raisins.

Grains that have a warm and slightly dry quality such as quinoa, millet, barley, brown and white basmati rice, spelt, amaranth, buckwheat (in moderation for vata),

Avoid having heavy grains in late winter such as oats, wheat, and rice in moderation. Generally, bread is best avoided ~ try some homemade spelt chapati bread instead!

Spices that have a warming quality and are stimulating for digestion such as ginger (fresh and dried), cinnamon, clove, fenugreek, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper, mustard seeds, saffron, black pepper, asafoetida, ajwain, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. The more spice the better in winter!

Legumes such as split or whole mung, red lentils, chickpeas, adzuki beans, black beans, or cannelloni beans.

Nuts and seeds are generally best avoided as they are heavy and oily however, light seeds can be had in moderation such as sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, or flax seeds. Ground flaxseed can also be supportive for elimination if digestion is feeling sluggish.

Oils including ghee, olive oil or sesame oil for cooking and flaxseed or sunflower oil for dressing. Be mindful of not using excess oil in winter to keep kapha dosha balanced.

Dairy can be supportive in early winter to pacify vata dosha and ground us into the season. Ghee, fresh milk (warmed with spice), whole cottage cheese, panner and buttermilk can be enjoyed in moderation.

However, when had in excess dairy can aggravate kapha dosha in late winter. If experiencing congestion, mucus or heaviness in the body dairy is best avoided.

Sweeteners such as maple syrup, honey, jaggery, coconut sugar and dates in moderation.

How To Make Ghee

What is Ghee?

Ghee is considered one of the most (if not the most) ancient, healing foods in Ayurveda.It is a staple in an Ayurvedic lifestyle from cooking to self-care remedies and rituals.

Ghee is clarified butter that is prepared in a specific way and is used for cooking, Ayurvedic medicines and treatments, amongst many other unique uses. This powerful golden liquid nourishes the body on a deep level by strengthening our agni, building our tissues, boosting our ojas and bringing sattva to the mind.

Benefits of Ghee:

~ Strengthen our agni and improves elimination

~ Contains butyric acid which builds our gut lining

~ Nourishes the tissues of the body

~ Builds strengthen, resilience and stamina

~ Boosts our Ojas or natural immunity

~ Lubricates the body and counteracts dryness

~ Detoxifying and draws out ama from the body

~ Improves reproductive health

~ Calms our nervous system

~ Provides mental strength and clarity

How to prepare to make Ghee:

Ghee is considered a healing, medicinal food and when making ghee we want our environment and state of mind to be as sattvic as possible.

Before cooking, ensure that your kitchen and greater environment are clean and tidy. Gather all your cooking utensils which are clean, sterilised and dry. You also want to make ghee seperate from other food, to ensure that it doesn’t get contaminated and that your attention is fully present.

Ensure your kitchen is calm and free from distraction or noise as best as possible. Avoid having TV, loud music and only engage in light conversation as you cook.

A traditional practice is to chant mantra whilst you tend to the ghee, or you may even like to play mantra music in the background. This helps to enhance the sattvic quality of the ghee and makes the ritual feel more sacred.

When to make Ghee?

In the Vedic tradition, the Purnima or full moon is considered an auspicious time to make ghee. It is when nature is at its most whole and the moon’s soma or healing energy is most potent, which is thought to then enhance the healing properties of the ghee.

The best time to make ghee is either on the full moon itself or when the moon is its waxing phase. It is considered inauspicious to make ghee on the new moon or during its waining phase.

Whilst this isn’t essential, it can be a wonderful way to tune into the more subtle aspects of the Vedic tradition and also creates a beautiful sense of ritual.

How to make Ghee:

Using 500g of unsalted organic butter (creates about one medium jar)

Using a heavy bottomed stainless-steel pot, melt the butter on a medium heat. Once mettled, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20-30 minutes. (The cooking time of ghee will change depending on how much you use, larger quantities will take longer)

 Whilst the butter cooks down, a foam will bubble up to the surface – this is both milk solids and water evaporating. You can allow this to happen and if you wish, every so often you can skim the excess foam off the top and discard it. Be sure to use a clean, dry spoon so to not contaminate the ghee.

Be present with the cooking process and watch how the butter transforms. You can continue the process of skimming and discarding the foam as it starts to harden at the top.

You will know when the ghee is ready when the foam has boiled off and the bubbling has stopped. The milk solids will have browned at the bottom of the pan, and you will see a golden translucent liquid.

Once the ghee is done, allow it to cool on the stove for about 10-15 minutes. When ready, strain the ghee using muslin bag or a fine mesh strainer covered with a paper towel into a clean sterilised glass jar. Allow to sit uncovered for another 10 minutes to cool before sealing. Then, place the sealed jar in the fridge to set.

You can store your ghee at room temperature and keep it in your pantry or in the warmer months of the year (or if you live in a hot climate) you may like to keep it in the fridge to avoid moulding.

Enjoy ghee daily with your meals, herbal remedies and beauty care routines to feel the benefit of this healing golden elixir.

Seasonal Eating Guide: Autumn

We’ve arrived at the first days of Autumn in the southern hemisphere and i can feel the season slowly starting to shift. The humidity of summer is beginning to dry up, there is a sense of lightness in the air and nature is slowly starting to turn inwards.

Ayurveda views Autumn (and early winter) as a time dominated by vata dosha which holds an airy, light and dry quality. It is also considered one of the great seasonal junctions and a time when our health can be more vulnerable.

It can be common to be experiencing symptoms of vata imbalance during this time of year including irregular digestion, dryness in the body, an aversion to cold & wind or generally feeling a little ungrounded.

The foundation of Ayurvedic practice is ‘like increases like and opposites balance’ so to balance vata dosha we must invite the opposite qualities of warmth, grounding and nourishment into our diet.

We want to be moving away from the more light, cold and raw foods of summer, towards more more grounding and comforting foods of Autumn.

Tastes - favour tastes in your food that are sweet, salty, and sour. Avoid foods that are overly bitter and astringent such as leafy greens, sprouts, or bitter vegetables as they aggravate vata.

Qualities of food – we want to embrace foods that are warm, grounding and nourishing for the body. Favour foods that are well cooked, soupy and have a healthy amount of oil.

Vegetables that have a nourishing quality such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin, beetroot, carrots, asparagus, zucchini, fresh ginger, onion (cooked, in moderation), garlic (cooked, in moderation). In smaller leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, celery, and cabbage.

Fruits such as mangoes, bananas, apricots, berries, figs, pineapple, cherries, coconut, and dates. Enjoy apples and pears only when cooked and avoid raw as hold an airy quality.

Grains that have an earthy quality such as white and brown basmati rice, oats, amaranth, quinoa, barley and whole wheat. Small amounts of millet, buckwheat, and rye.

Spices that have a warming quality are supportive for vata dosha such as ginger (fresh and dried), cinnamon, clove, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, fennel, cayenne pepper, mustard seeds, black pepper, asafoetida (particularly supportive for vata), rosemary, thyme, and parsley.

Legumes such as split or whole mung, red lentils, adzuki beans and small amounts of tofu.  

Nuts and seeds such as almonds (soaked and peeled), cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds. Ground flaxseed can also be supportive for elimination if constipation is present.

Oils are supportive for vata dosha or dry climates when extra lubrication is needed. Enjoy healthy amounts of ghee, olive oil and sesame oil. If feeling particularly dry, you can have an extra teaspoon of ghee on top of your meal.

Dairy is particularly nourishing for vata dosha and can be enjoyed in healthy amounts. Favour ghee, fresh warm milk, whole cottage cheese, paneer, fresh yoghurt, and buttermilk.

Sweeteners such as maple syrup, honey, jaggery, coconut sugar and dates.