How To Make Chapati

In Ayurveda we are always aiming to cook food as fresh as possible and this beloved chapati recipe is a simple way to enjoy freshly cooked bread every day. Chapati is a classic Indian style flat bread cooked with whole flour over a hot skillet or open flame. It is a staple in the Ayurvedic diet as an augmenting side to any vegetable dish such as a dahl or soup. It’s also a wonderful, light alternative to traditional breads that can be considered heavy and harder to digest.

Whilst it can take a little time to hit your stride with making fresh chapati, once you understand the process, you’ll find it surprisingly quick and easy. You may even find yourself saying goodbye to your well loved toaster like i did!

Ingridients:

1 cup of flour

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of ghee or olive oil

1/2 cup of water

Method:

In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Create a small well in the middle of the bowl and add a tablespoon of oil and half of the water into mixture. Begin mixing the the flour and liquid together until well combined, continuing to slowly add water as you go. You want to work the mixture until it forms into a thick dough. You want the dough to be firm but, not dry. If it is too sticky, then add a little extra water. Once you are happy with the result, leave in the bowl and cover with a damp towel for 15-20 minutes.

When ready to cook, warm a pan over medium heat whilst you prepare the chapati. Ready a dry, clean surface with a dusting of flour. Seperate dough into four pieces and roll into balls. Using the heel of your hand, flatten out the ball into a flat circle and then start to roll out, using a rolling bin to create a small, round and thin chapati. Repeat this with all four balls, adding extra dusting flour as needed.

Add a small amount of ghee or olive oil to the warm pan until it melts and covers the surface of the pan. Place the first chapati on the pan and allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes. You’ll see little pockets of air bubble up and the edges will begin to crisp and curl up. Then flip over and cook on the other side. Keep your eye on these as they can cook very quickly! Ideally you want your chapati to be a little golden but, not too dry. After cooking each chapati, add a little extra ghee over each one and keep on a hot plate or cover with a tea towel, to keep warm before serving.

This recipe can act as a guide and you can play around with all different variations. I love using spelt, whole wheat or buckwheat flour. You can also add a little spice or some fresh herbs to create an interesting flavour. Chapati can also be enjoyed as a sweet dish by using sweet spices, dates or a little tahini.

Get creative and enjoy!

Recipe: Green Mung Dosas

We’ve reached the early days of Spring here in the southern hemisphere and I can already feel the season starting to shift. All of nature slowly begins to come out of hibernation and release the cold, heavy and stagnant qualities of winter. We naturally start to gravitate towards more light, fresh and vibrant foods to create balance.

These Green Mung Dosas are a wonderful spring dish and were inspired by the incredible Jody Vassallo in her book The Yogic Kitchen. This simple, easy recipe is a take on the classic South Indian Dosa, except far quicker without the fermentation time. Enjoy for a delicious and easy spring lunch!

Ingredients:

1 cup split mung dahl

1 tablespoon of fresh ginger

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon of asafoetida (hing)

A pinch of salt

Handful of fresh leafy greens or herbs (I like spinach, kale or coriander)

2 tablespoons of brown rice flour (or any flour you have)

Ghee or coconut oil (for cooking)

Method:

Soak your mung dahl overnight or at least for a few hours to support digestion and quicken cooking time. Once ready to prepare, strain and rinse well. Place the mung in a blender with the fresh ginger, greens and add about 1-2 cups of water or enough to form a thick paste.

Once blended transfer to a bowl and stir in the flour, salt and spices to make a thin pouring batter. Heat a teaspoon of ghee on a dosa tawa or fry pan and using a ladle, add about 1/4 cup of batter to the pan. Quickly, use the back of the ladle or a big spoon to swirl around the batter to make a pancake like shape. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the dosa is easy to flip over. Turn and cook on the other side until the dosa is dry and crispy. Repeat with remaining batter to make about 4-6 dosas.

Serve as a main meal with roasted seasonal vegetables, chutney and fresh herbs as pictured here. You can also have these as a complimentary side dish to a larger meal. Get creative and enjoy!

Seasonal Eating Guide: Spring

Ayurveda is a holistic system of health & healing based in nature’s wisdom. It works to bring each individual – body, mind, and spirit back into a state of true, vibrant health in alignment with nature. 

One of the most simple and beautiful ways we can align ourselves with nature’s rhythms is by honouring the change of season. We’ve reached spring here in the southern hemisphere and Ayurveda views the season as a time dominated by kapha dosha which holds an earthy, heavy, and slow quality.

As all of nature comes out of hibernation, it’s normal to feel a little sluggish as we shake off the stagnancy of winter. You may be experiencing symptoms of kapha accumulated during winter including slow digestion, excess congestion or mucus, low immunity, heaviness in the body or generally feeling a little low and unmotivated.

To shift into the season, we can adopt changes in our ahar (diet) to balance kapha dosha. The foundation of Ayurvedic practice is ‘like increases like and opposites balance’ so to balance kapha dosha we must invite the opposite qualities of warmth, energy, and stimulation into our diet. We want to be moving away from the grounding, comforting foods of winter and towards a more fresh and vibrant diet in Spring.

Supportive Ahar for Spring

Tastes - favour tastes in your food a this time of year are bitter, astringent, and pungent such as leafy greens, sprouts and ginger. Avoid foods that are overly sweet, salty and sour in such as high sugar fruits, excess salt or citrus.

Qualities of food – we want to embrace foods that are warm, light, and energising for the body. We can also consider foods that have a more extractive or cleansing quality on the body to release excess water and heaviness accumulated over winter.

Vegetables that have a light quality, such leafy greens kale, spinach, rocket and lettuce, beetroot, fennel, broccoli, green beans, asparagus, onion (cooked, in moderation), garlic (cooked, in moderation) celery, carrot, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, zucchini, radishes, fresh ginger and sprouts. Avoid vegetables that are overly heavy and sweet such as potatoes, pumpkin, and mushrooms.

Fruits such as apples, pears, oranges, lemon, lime, peaches, berries, pomegranate, and raisins. Avoid fruits that are overly heavy and sweet such as dates, bananas, and mangoes. Citrus can be had in small amounts but, excess sour taste will aggravate kapha.

Grains that have a warm and drying quality such as buckwheat, barley, millet, quinoa, spelt, rye, amaranth brown, and white basmati rice. Avoid having heavy grains such as oats, wheat, and rice in moderation. Generally bread is best avoided ~ try some homemade chapati bread instead!

Spices that have a warming quality or are supportive for digestion such as ginger (fresh and dried), cinnamon, clove, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper, mustard seeds, saffron, black pepper, asafoetida, ajwain, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Generally, most spices are supportive when balancing kapha dosha.

Legumes such as split or whole mung, red lentils, chickpeas, adzuki beans, black beans, or cannelloni beans. It can also be wonderful to sprout your legumes at this time of year.

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 for cooking and flaxseed or sunflower oil for dressing are supportive for kapha dosha in moderation. Be mindful about not using excess oil as you want to maintain a dry, light quality to your food.

Dairy is best avoided or had in moderation at this time of year as it is heavy and can cause excess mucus and congestion. If having cow’s milk always make sure to have it warmed and with a little spice, you can also consider watering the milk down 50/50 with fresh water. Generally, cheese and yoghurt are best avoided however, a small amount of white cheese or takra (digestive lassi) can be had in moderation.

Sweeteners are best had in moderation however, a small amount of honey can be supportive. Avoid having sugary foods such as dried fruit, chocolate, or cakes etc.

We can start to incorporate these types of foods into our meals by simply trying new seasonal vegetables, switching up our spice mix and changing our grain or legume choices. For example adding a little more ginger or ajwain to our dahl, switching our morning oat porridge to millet or buckwheat and favouring zucchini and leafy greens over pumpkin and sweet potato.

Remember, the foundational principle of Ayurveda is balance and whilst this may be the most supportive ahar for the season, we don’t want to treat these as rules. When our agni is strong and we have no symptoms of imbalance, we can enjoy everything in moderation. Let this guide act as inspiration and try out a new spice, vegetable or recipe you haven’t made before!

Spring Recipe:

Guide to Self Abhyanga (Ayurvedic Oil Massage)

Abhyanga is the soothing and healing practice of self-massage that is an important part of an ayurvedic dinacharya (daily routine). It is an incredibly nourishing practice that holds countless benefits for the body and mind. Abhyanga grounds us into the body, calms our nervous system and is particularly helpful for pacifying vata dosha.

Not to mention – it is the most wonderful act of self-love. In sanskrit the word for oil is sneha which holds a double meaning and simultaneously means ‘love’. We all know the healing power of touch and creating this ritual for yourself can be the most potent practice of self-love.

It can sound like a luxury at first and for many they feel they could never have the time for such things. I know I felt this way at the beginning, and abhyanga was one of the last things I implemented into my routine. But once you feel the benefits of a regular practice ~ it starts to feel essential to your wellbeing. And I promise it’s a lot simpler that it sounds when you get into a rhythm with it!

It's now something I am the biggest advocate for and personally practice almost every day. If you invite one ayurvedic body-based practice in your routine, let it be this one. And if you are holding any excess vata ~ consider this your daily essential.

Benefits of Abhyanga

~ Calms, supports, and strengthens the nervous system

~ Reduces anxiety, stress and can improve our sleep.

~ Enhances circulation and moves lymph in the body

~ Supports to the removal of toxins and can improve digestion & elimination.

~ Lubricates the skin and creates overall lustre, strength, and softness.

~ Slows the ageing process and increases longevity.

~ Strengthens and tones our muscles and tissues

~ Creates resilience in the body and boosts our ‘Ojas’ or immunity

Abhyanga is recommended daily or at least 2-3 times a week. It is best practiced in the morning as a part of your dinacharya after your meditation & yoga practice and before breakfast. However, it can also be done in the evening or generally anytime except right after eating so digestion is not disturbed.

The practice can be between as short as five minutes or as long as 20-30 minutes depending on the time you have available. The most important thing is to be slow, mindful, and present with the practice.

The key to abyangha is it is all about the oil and is what makes it different from just moisturising after a shower. If you’ve ever had an ayurvedic treatment with a practitioner, you’ll know they can absolutely cover you in oil (for good reason) ~ so be liberal.

How to Practice Self Abhyanga:

Find a place to practice that is warm and inviting. Treat this time like a meditation and be free from distraction. Lay down a towel on the floor beneath you that you have designated to be your ‘oil towel’ – it will get oily!

Using an oil of your preference, warm about ¼- ½ cup of oil (or maybe even more) either over the stove or by placing a cup of oil in a body of boiling water. (I usually put my bottle of oil in a bowl with boiling water) The oil is gently warm but not hot (or cooked!)

Using the palms of your hands, apply and massage the oil into your body starting from the top of your head down to the soles of your feet. In this order:

1. First start with the crown of your head and give yourself a good scalp massage. If you don’t want to get your head oily (same) then just apply a drop of oil to the crown of your head and massage with your fingertips. It can be beneficial to do a full head massage once a week.

2. Then start to move down your body and massage your face, ears, neck, and throat. Special attention can be paid to massaging your third eye centre.

3. Use circular motions massaging your upper chest area and then continuing down to your whole abdomen starting from your navel and spiralling out. Massage in a clockwise direction to support digestion.

4. Move on to your back and massage as much as your flexibility will allow. Use up and down motions on the spine and circular motions on the lower back around to the hips.

5. Then moving to the shoulders and arms, with long strokes along the muscles and circular motions on the joints. Start with the left side first for the feminine and right for the masculine.

6. Move down to your lower limbs, massaging in the same way all the way down to finish at your feet. Finish with a nice minute or two of grounding foot massage.

7. When you are finished, you can cover yourself with your ‘oil towel’ or some clothes or kimono you have designated for après abhyanga. Leave oil on for a minimum of 10 to maximum of 40 minutes to set the oil absorb into the skin. Often whilst I am waiting, I start getting breakfast ready or have a cup of tea in the sun.

8. When you are ready shower off the oil gently without using soap. The thin layer of oil that will remain on the skin after bathing keeps the skin moisturised and protected to move into the rest of your day.

Contraindications

Do not practice abhyanga if you are menstruating, have a cold or flu or inflamed skin conditions. If you have any particular health concerns or are pregnant, consult your ayurvedic practitioner before practice.

What oils to use & Doshic Variations:

Cold pressed black sesame oil is ayurveda’s favourite oil and used for most ayurvedic treatments. This is generally best to begin with. (Note: This is different from toasted sesame oil many of us know from asian cooking ~ I’ve made this mistake before!)

Although the amount and type oil used can depend on your ‘prakruti’ or ayurvedic constitution. It is also important to consider the season and environment you are practicing in.

Pitta Dosha / Summer  – Use coconut oil for its cooling and hydrating energy. Do not use coconut oil in winter season or cold climates.

Vata Dosha / Autumn-winter – cold pressed black sesame oil or sweet almond oil. For Vata types abhyanga is highly recommended and warming, thick oils are best.

Kapha Dosha / Late winter – spring – sweet almond oil can be a neutral oil to use. It is lighter than black sesame but still holds a warming effect. Kapha types can honour this practice less often than other doshas.

Recipe: Tahini, Rose & Cardamom Cookies

I was introduced to Tahini cookies earlier this year and instantly fell in love with this sweet-savoury treat. I tried and tested different flavour combinations but, Rose & Cardamom has to be my favourite. In Ayurveda it is a combination particularly balancing for pitta and is also well loved in Middle Eastern cuisine.

This balanced, sweet treat is best enjoyed with a warm cup of Chai. They are easy to make, a perfect blend of flavour & consistency and there is something about a touch of Rose that makes the ritual feel luxurious.

Ingredients:

2 cups almond meal

2/3 cup of hulled tahini

1/2 cup of maple syrup

2 teaspoons of Cardamom

1 tablespoon of rose water

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

optional: sesame seeds and pink rose petals to garnish

Method:

First, preheat the oven to 170 degrees on a regular baking setting. You will need one mixing bowl and a medium saucepan. In the saucepan combine the tahini, maple and vanilla essence. Heat and stir till it becomes like a runny sauce (5-10mins) then turn off the heat and leave to cook (5-10mins).

In a large bowl combine almond meal, cardamon and a splash of rose water. Then once tahini mixture has cooled slowly pour in and mix together with the almond meal mix until a dough is created (note: it’ll be quite sticky)

Then line a flat making tray with baking paper. Take 1-2 tablespoons worth of dough and roll into a ball then, flatten into a cookie. Recipe makes about 8-12 depending on size. Bake for only 10 minutes ~ very important as they bake fast! Leave to cool for 5-10 minutes and ready to serve!

Notes:

• I often get tempted to skip the step that heats the Tahini sauce when you are short on time ~ whilst the recipe can still work out, heating the mixture is a game changer and what makes this recipe perfect!

• Make sure to only bake for 10 minutes - these cooking bake very fast and even if they still seem a little bit soft at that time, trust me - they are ready and will overcook very fast if cooked even a few minutes longer. Best to take out of the often to cool directly after cooking.

• A tablespoon of Rose water will be more than enough ~ a little goes a long way!