Amrita Sondhi - The Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook: Healthful, Healing Recipes for Life

The Modern Ayurvedic COOK BOOK The Modern Ayurvedic COOK BOOK
Healthful, Healing Recipes for Life
Amrita Sondhi ARSENAL
PULP PRESS
VANCOUVER THE MODERN AYURVEDIC COOKBOOK
Copyright 2006 by Amrita Sondhi Fourth printing: 2010 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form by any means graphic, electronic or mechanical without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may use brief excerpts in a review, or in the case of photocopying in Canada, a license from Access Copyright. ARSENAL PULP PRESS
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arsenalpulp.com The publisher gratefully acknowledges the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program, and the Government of British Columbia through the Book Publishing Tax Credit Program for its publishing activities. The author and publisher assert that the information contained in this book is true and complete to the best of their knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author and Arsenal Pulp Press. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information.

For more information, contact the publisher. TEXT AND COVER DESIGN by Diane Yee, Electra Design Group
CREATIVE DIRECTION by Lisa Eng-Lodge, Electra Design Group
EDITED by Bethanne Grabham and Nicole Marteinsson
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY by Nathalie Dulex, Heidi Priesnitz, and David Zielonka
YOGA PHOTOGRAPHY by Darren Alexander; CLOTHING courtesy of Movement (movementglobal.com); MODELS are James Nicholson (Pitta body type); Janet Wallden (Kapha body type), and Sonoka Ehara (Vata body type) Printed and bound in Korea on wood-free paper Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Sondhi, Amrita, 1959 The modern Ayurvedic cookbook : healthful, healing recipes for life / Amrita Sondhi. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-55152-286-9 1. Vegetarian cookery. 2.

Medicine, Ayurvedic. I. Title. TX837.S66 2006 641.5636 C2006-903961-5 Dedication I dedicate this book to all my invaluable comrades, students, and teachers, the "fringe dwellers" who keep pushing the edge on the "new normal" by practicing and regenerating the ancient healing arts; to those who pursue and create breakthroughs in health by being shining, living examples of vitality; and to the community of yogis and yoginis - locally and globally - who keep connecting to the source and transmitting the light. Table of Contents Acknowledgments I would like to thank my parents, family (all of you!), and friends who have always stood by me as I have gone off the beaten path. Joan and Nevenka, thanks for being shining examples of practicing what you preach, and having fun while doing it! Sandra Sammartino, thanks for synthesizing all your yoga knowledge, for being an invaluable teacher who appeared at the perfect time in my life, and for showing me how to transmit from my spirit, connect to the source, reconnect to my body, and how to pass on that learning.

I would like to thank all who have hosted or helped me with cooking classes and fundraisers for the Pamoja Foundation. And to the residents of Bowen Island, among others, who constantly encouraged me to write this book and share my knowledge of Ayurveda, and who helped test recipes. Finally, I would like to express my deep gratitude for the wonderful team at Arsenal Pulp Press who worked tirelessly to help make this book a reality. Introduction Originating in India more than 5,000 years ago, Ayurveda is the oldest system of healing. The name derives from two root words in Sanskrit (the ancient Indian language): Ayus, which means life, and Veda, which means knowledge or science; therefore in English, Ayurveda is life knowledge or life science. At the heart of Ayurveda is our intimate connection to the elements in nature, and how they can help us to achieve a physical and spiritual balance in all aspects of our lives.

For the sake of our health and well-being, this balance can be accomplished through a number of means, including diet and exercise. The ancient sages of India, who lived in the mountains practicing meditation and yoga, believed that all material forms, including our bodies, are made up of five essential elements ether, air, fire, water, and earth in varying degrees, maintaining a balance among these five elements is key to our physical, mental, and spiritual health. Historically, the ideas and philosophies of Ayurveda were transmitted orally through the Vedas (ancient songs). The oldest song known is the Rig Veda (in praise of knowledge), which is almost as old as Ayurveda itself, and describes healing herbs and how they can be used. Later, by about 500 BCE, Ayurvedic knowledge began to be written down by the writers Charaka, Sushruta, and Vagbhata, which hastened its popularity. Two hundred years later, Ayurveda thrived with the advent of Buddhism, which was established in India under the rule of Ashoka the Great, and spread to China and Japan.

But the Muslim invasion of India in the twelfth century CE led to Ayurveda being widely replaced by the Muslim system of healing, then further suppressed centuries later by the British, who feared the powers of the Ayurvedic doctors who were able to heal (or kill, if need be) in minutes by pressing specific marma (acupressure) points. With the return of Indian independence and the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi in the twentieth century, Ayurvedic schools and medical practices finally rose once again. Today, this ancient and holistic healing science is arguably more popular than ever, and is a source of influences for many medical practitioners both east and west. Ayurvedic schools throughout India teach herbal medicine, massage, surgery, psychiatry, obstetrics, gynecology, astronomy, the use of mantra, meditation, and yoga among many other healing practices to improve every aspect of life, balancing body, mind, and spirit. And most importantly, because Ayurveda considers food an integral part of its healing system, it originated some of the oldest and most time-tested principles of nutrition. Indian women cooking in their homes know a lot about Ayurveda and regularly use its principles in their meal preparation both to maintain health and to cure a variety of illnesses, from the common cold to more serious ailments, with appropriate foods that balance the doshas.

Currently, these ancient remedies are now being proven scientifically and practiced around the world, most notably by Dr Deepak Chopra, the medical doctor and well-known scholar of Ayurveda.
My journey to Ayurveda started during my mid-thirties, when I burnt out long before most people do. I was designing my clothing line in Europe, manufacturing it in Asia, and wholesaling it across Canada, as well as opening my own retail clothing store in Vancouver. I was on an emotional roller coaster driven by my passions and deadlines I thought that taking breaks for exercise and making time to cook were self-indulgent and inevitably, my health began to suffer. Luckily, I met a private trainer, Joan now a good friend and began my slow journey back to health. According to Joans brochure, A man spends his health to get his wealth and then he spends his wealth to get his health back again. This idea hit home for me.

Exercise and healthy eating became an essential part of my daily life. Over time, I became aware of the effects of different activities and nutrients on my body. I started to track my changes according to the various seasons and times of day as well as what I was doing, and what I ate. I learned later that there was a science to it all: Ayurveda. After my clothing store was robbed, I began practicing yoga to deal with stress, including the breathing exercises (