Talya Lutzker - The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen: Finding Harmony Through Food

The

A YURVEDIC

Vegan KITCHEN

Finding Harmony
Through Food

TALYA LUTZKER

2012 Talya Lutzker

photos 2012 Book Publishing Company

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, except for brief quotations in reviews, without written permission from the publisher.

Book Publishing Company

P.O. Box 99

Summertown, TN 38483

888-260-8458

www.bookpubco.com

Cover and interior design: Scattaregia Design

Photography: Andrew Schmidt

Food styling: Barbara Jefferson, Ron Maxen

ISBN: 978-1-57067-286-6

Printed in the United States

18 17 16 15 14 13 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lutzker, Talya.

The Ayurvedic vegan kitchen : finding harmony through food / Talya Lutzker.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-57067-286-6 (pbk.) -- ISBN 978-1-57067-923-0 (e-book)

1. Vegan cooking. 2. Medicine, Ayurvedic--Popular works. I. Title.

TX837.L76 2012

641.5636--dc23

2012021290

Book Publishing Company is a member of Green Press Initiative. We chose to print this title on paper with 100% postconsumer recycled content, processed without chlorine, which saved the following natural resources:

For more information on Green Press Initiative, visit greenpressinitiative.org.

Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Defense Fund Paper Calculator, edf.org/papercalculator.

Pictured on the cover: Steamed Collard Wraps,

Pictured on the back cover: Tempeh Reuben, ;

Sandy Lane Cherry Pie,

Contents

Dedication

Just remember one thing:

You are made of light,

And when it is fitting,

You may have to prove it.

Deepak Chopra

This book is dedicated to my mom.

Thank you for being my biggest fan.

Foreword

I met Talya at the Health and Harmony Festival, where I had a booth to introduce myself as a teacher of Tibetan and ayurvedic medicine and founder of the dhyana Center of Health Sciences. Talya came to my booth for support with her health. I thought, Heres an inquisitive woman with a lust for life. It was clear that she had a lot of knowledge and a deep willingness to make changes in her life. I consulted with her, read her pulse, suggested some medicinal foods and remedies, and we discussed emotional patterns in relation to healthall according to ayurvedic philosophy.

Eleven years later, I am grateful for all the time we have spent together and for Talyas support through changes in my own health, as well as her vast knowledge of yoga. She loves to share her knowledge and experience with many people; she brought her mom to the dhyana Center (three hours from home) for treatments and always made time to ask questions for others.

In 2002, Talya began studying in my certification programs, including Clinical Foundations of Ayurveda, Aromatherapy, and Ayurvedic Whole Food Nutrition. I knew ayurveda would serve her life path because she has the ability to feel it in her heart, as well as the intellect to see it as a science. Even as a student, she was testing and documenting recipes, finding ways to cook medicinally to support health, and making sure everything tasted like pure love and devotion.

Once Talya was certified as an ayurvedic practitioner, she dove into her clinical internship, consulting with clients. In the years that followed, she refined her skills in pulse assessment, ayurvedic bodywork, and pancha karma techniques. She recognized that her passion lay in ayurvedic whole-food nutrition, and she rightly made this her lifes focus.

Talya was the first ayurvedic chef at the dhyana Center, and she has been developing her talents ever since. She dedicated her time to cooking beautiful meals for clients in pancha karma retreats, creating menus for each individuals needs, providing ayurvedic catering options, and teaching ayurvedic cooking classes. Shes an avid researcher who checks out every detail of a recipe and learns what each individual client needs for his constitution. Talyas great-tasting recipes have earned her quite the reputation. I am sure this is why we sell so many of her books at the dhyana Center.

When Talya is excited about something, she just has to share it. Her book will inspire you to take charge of your health and help you make one small change at a time. The recipes are designed to keep you engaged and to support you in following through with a healthful diet. This cookbook takes you on an exciting journey through ayurveda, and you will use it for years, picking it up for new recipes and as a reference for nutritional practices.

Talya Lutzker is my dear friend, client, student, and colleague. Healthful cooking, eating, and exploring delicious alternatives are natural for herand she makes it all fun and easy. I have been deeply inspired as Ive witnessed her growth, and I am honored to present you with the opening to this brilliant book. The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen is the perfect balance of knowing your food as medicine and making it taste great.

DeAnna Batdorff

Founder, dhyana Center of Health Sciences

Executive Director, The Aushadi Foundation

www.dhyanacenter.com

Acknowledgments

Let us be together; let us eat together. Let us be vital together;
let us be radiating truth, radiating the light of life.

The Upanishads

Thank you to everyone who has supported the creation of this book, especially all my dear students, clients, and colleagues. Thank you, Natascha Bruckner, for your talented, generous editing and friendship. Thank you to Beth Colyear for your invaluable support. And thank you, Amey Matthews, for your insightful words on what it means to be vegan. Thank you also to DeAnna Batdorff, Jennifer Hogan, Sarah Medlicott, Heather Nagel, Bernadine Rosso, Todd Stellfox, and Mark Tanaka. You rule.

Most of the recipes in this book were taste-tested by friends, family, and students. Thank you, recipe testers. Your enthusiasm, support, and feedback have been invaluable. My heartfelt thanks to Karen Alreck, Tatiana Bachuretz, Mariposa Bernstein, Erin Bucci, Doa Bumgarner, Shama Cameron, Jill Cavanaugh, Hollie Clausnitzer, Nicole Corren, Mary Davison, Tami Ellis, Katie Engelter, Shelly Errington, Bertha Fierro, Leslie Foster, Deb Fountain, Alison Gee, Miriam Goldberg, Michelle Groenen, Cheryce Gutzmer, Julie Holbrook, Rob Holt, Linda Kimball, Virginia Lefever, Kelly Lehman, Gerald Lutzker, Marti Mariette, CeCe McNeil, Jane and Tim McKay, Laura McShane, Christine Mendonca, Sanjuana Padilla, Molly Rizol, Marcia Rollins, Sita Rucker, Katrina Santos, Miriam Sauer, Andy Schneider, Dave Serna, Shayna Shanes, Sima Shore, Kendell Silveira, Jody Solow, Jet Star, Audra Sternke, Patti Theel, Sara Van Artsdalen, Jil Windsor, Tess Waldo, and Mio Yamashita.

And thank you, Carol Lorente, for holding my hand through the editing process.

CHAPTER 1

What Is Ayurveda?

In the beginning, there was absolute stillness.

Bri. Maya Tiwari

Ayurveda is one of the oldest documented sciences, originating approximately 5,000 years ago in exotic, colorful India. Its been documented and perfected by ayurvedic experts since its humble beginnings, and is a science so vast it could take lifetimes to absorb all the knowledge and universal understanding it has to offer.