Delicious Ayurvedic celebration recipes that anyone can make

If there is a wellness system that can teach us how to eat right, it is Ayurveda. Translated as “the science of life,” Ayurveda is full of advice on lifestyle, diet, exercise, self-care, and more and has existed for thousands of years. When it comes to food, Ayurveda offers a deep and rich wealth of information designed to guide each person toward a diet that meets their needs, unique body and mind, and is best suited to the climate and season. One of the basic principles of Ayurveda is “like enhances like” and “opposite brings balance”. So when it comes to making winter recipes, it's all about bringing warmth and brightness to the colder, darker months.

Ayurveda views the world through pairs of qualities; hot and cold, heavy and light, oily and dry, cloudy and clear, mobile and static, rough and smooth, sharp and dull, soft and hard, dense and liquid and coarse and subtle. When we accumulate too much of one quality we experience an imbalance, and the remedy for this would be to bring in more of the opposite quality. During winter, many of us accumulate the characteristics of cold, heavy, dry and harsh due to the cold air, shorter daylight hours and various lifestyle changes (plus the extra festive feast). To bring us back into balance and maintain our well-being throughout the winter, it is important to introduce more qualities of warm and light foods, as well as healthy fats and oils to nourish the body from within, and special spices to keep the 'agni' or 'digestive fire' burning well. Read on for three Ayurveda-inspired festive recipes to try this winter:

Steamed winter salad

A nutrient-dense salad is a great way to get plenty of vitamins, minerals and fiber in a season when we generally turn to sweet treats and mince pies. Ayurveda insists that raw foods should be consumed very rarely. This is because the cellulose that makes up plant cell walls can be very difficult to digest. Therefore, we sometimes only absorb a small percentage of nutrients, as opposed to steaming or lightly cooking, which can essentially help “release” vitamins in plants. Groceries. Gently cooking vegetables also helps prevent bloating and helps maintain a strong digestive fire. I'm a big fan of Waldorf salads and this warmer seasonal version is a healthy, great side dish or lunch option for the holiday season.

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Ingredients

For 4

• ½ Weißkohlkopf, grob gehackt, oder mit einer Mandoline fein hacken
• 2 Karotten, in Streifen geschnitten
• 1 Apfel, gewürfelt
• 1 Pastinake, auf größter Stufe gerieben
• 1 Handvoll gehackte Walnüsse (rösten Sie die Walnüsse, um ihr Öl und ihren Geschmack zu entfalten)
• 2 EL Hanfsamen
• 2 EL Olivenöl
• 1 Prise Kreuzkümmel
• 1 Prise Muskatnuss
• 2 EL Apfelessig
• Prise Salz und Pfeffer

method

1. Das gesamte Gemüse und den Apfel in einen Topf geben und 8 – 10 Minuten dämpfen
2. Das vom Dämpfen übrig gebliebene Wasser abseihen, dann das Gemüse mit Walnüssen, Öl, Essig, Gewürzen sowie Salz und Pfeffer vermischen.
3. Als Beilage servieren oder als leichtes Mittagessen mit warmem Quinoa genießen

Ayurvedic cranberry chutney

In Ayurveda, cranberries are considered an elixir of youth - they prevent the formation of wrinkles and drying out of the skin and give a delicate and radiant complexion. Cranberry also helps improve digestion and has also been linked to improved immune function. The cheerful red of cranberry is also a wonderful way to bring in the warmth quality during the cold season, which is why Yogamatters has relaunched its best-selling Yoga Zafu meditation cushion in cranberry, with a 100% organic cotton cover and compostable packaging. Bring some cheer into your kitchen and your body with this digestive-boosting cranberry chutney.

Ingredients

• 450g frische Preiselbeeren
• 3 ganze Nelken
• 2 TL Zimt
• ½ Zoll frischer Ingwer, gerieben (kein Schälen erforderlich, wenn Bio)
• 1 Tasse ungesüßter Cranberrysaft
• 1 EL Orangenschale
• 1/3 Tasse Ahornsirup
• 3 EL Johannisbeeren
• 6 Pfefferkörner

method

• In einem mittelgroßen Topf Preiselbeeren, Johannisbeeren, Gewürze, geriebenen Ingwer, Saft und Orangenschale mischen.
• Die Mischung zum Kochen bringen, dann den Ahornsirup hinzufügen und die Hitze reduzieren
• Etwa 20-25 Minuten köcheln lassen, oder bis die Mischung eine marmeladige Konsistenz erreicht hat
• Abkühlen lassen, die Nelken erst kurz vor dem Servieren entfernen
• Servieren Sie es zu Ihrem festlichen Lieblingsgericht und bewahren Sie Reste in einem verschlossenen Behälter bis zu 4 Tage im Kühlschrank auf

Winter spice mix

This is a warming, soothing blend that keeps digestion strong and prevents bloating and bloating. Add to your winter meals or stir a teaspoon into hot milk for a nutritious bedtime drink. I like to add a different spice blend to my meals each season, and this is my go-to for keeping my digestive system happy all winter long.

Ingredients

• 2 EL gemahlener Ingwer
• 1 EL gemahlener Zimt
• 1 TL gemahlene Nelke
• 1 TL gemahlener Kurkuma
• ½ TL schwarzer Pfeffer
• Prise Muskatnuss
• 1 EL Fenchelsamen, im Mörser zerstoßen

Combine and store in a glass jar with an airtight lid.

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