Ayurvedic cookbook wins Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2023

“When mustard crackles in hot oil, its healing properties are released. That’s why it’s common in Indian cuisine to temper mustard with spices like cumin, fenugreek seeds, and add turmeric. It’s Ayurvedic. It is common to almost all Vedic recipes,” says author and entrepreneur Gita Ramesh. her book, Ayurvedic health cookbook: Recipes for balance and rejuvenation, The other day (July 3rd), we won the world’s best in the “Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2023” at UMEA Food in Sweden. It was recognized in his two categories: vegetarian and diet.

Geeta, joint managing director of Delhi-based Kairali Ayurveda Group, has a bachelor’s degree in alternative medicine systems and a master’s degree in biochemistry. She has written her two books so far. ayurvedic herbal massage: Comes with an easy self-massage program (1999)and Ayurvedic cookbook: Get healthy in just 2 weeks (2013) — translated into various other languages, including Dutch.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

This book presents a wide selection of vegetarian dishes. Please tell me about it.

As the title suggests, this book is about healthy living and healthy eating. I don’t overeat and always eat on time. It not only tells readers how to make Ayurvedic recipes, but also how much to eat and when. There are recipes for different body types and different lifestyle processes such as rejuvenation, detoxification, and health maintenance. panchakarma Or internal cleansing. There are chapters on basic ingredients, cooking, and alternatives to drinks such as soda and tea and coffee. There are also recipes for medicinal porridge using Njabala rice (medicinal red rice) and various types of millet and chutneys. In fact, it was my second book that made me want the world to know that vegetarian food is delicious and healthy, and that you can create amazing dishes using vegetarian ingredients.

This recognition signals a change in attitude towards vegetarian food.

When and how much should you eat? what do you mean?

Ayurveda is not about counting calories, but a commitment to a philosophy and a way of life. Ayurveda suggests that by using fresh, seasonal ingredients and moving towards eating slowly, eating becomes a mindful and meditative experience. . The Ayurvedic diet differs for each body type. Dinachalaya Or daily life is an important part of an Ayurvedic lifestyle. There are routines to follow, such as when to wake up and wash your face early in the morning, and not only when to eat but also how much to eat. Ingredient moderation is critical to science, as there are no taboos on any of the ingredients. Even sugar is allowed to be used, especially in the form of jaggery obtained from coconut palm. You can also make desserts with it.

Plant-based foods are naturally detoxifying.

What inspired you to start writing a book on Ayurveda?

When we first established Kailali Ayurveda Center in New Delhi in 1989, Kerala Ayurveda was not as well known in these regions as it is today. We wanted to promote it internationally, so we needed to create a tool to explain to people what we’re all about. So I started writing about Ayurveda – its rituals, massages and treatments. The first book was about the therapy we were trying to give people. The second book is about the Ayurvedic diet, which is about eating for health. panchakarma It’s about the body’s detoxification process and was written during lockdown.

Please tell me about Oushada kanji Or a medicated porridge, several versions of which were shared.

There are various versions, UshadaChinese characters And it is consumed regularly during chalkidakam and rainy season. You can change the herbs and spices to your liking. I used a variety of peppers, including black pepper and long pepper (tipiri). If you don’t like it, Chinese characters It’s very spicy so you can remove the black pepper and green chili pepper.There Aosa kanji (porridge with fenugreek), Yamamu kanji (barley porridge), thin kanji (Millet porridge), Chowaripachakari kanji (sago porridge with fresh vegetables), crushed porridge with dried ginger, general Ushada Porridge made of red rice mixed with herbs and spices. Ready-made products are available commercially for consumers who are not very knowledgeable about cooking and find it a little difficult to make. All you have to do is use the right amount of water and cook for the required time.

This book is aimed at a global audience, but what about tropical ingredients?

Most western cities now have Indian stores stocked with Indian vegetables and herbs. Tomatoes are not used in Ayurveda but can be consumed in moderation. Bottle gourd is very common in Ayurveda, but you can substitute it with any vegetable that has a high water content. In my recipe you can try essential spices such as mustard, cumin, turmeric and fenugreek. It uses plenty of green gram and can be enjoyed by both children and adults. Eat whole or cut in half as a soup, Chinese characters. Ghee is a very important ingredient and we have already mentioned its nutritional value. It is also recommended to consume coconut oil daily.

What would you recommend as a daily routine?

I think it would be best to have a daily massage with oil, preferably medicated oil, and a regular diet.

Kairali Ayurvedic Group is one of the pioneers in Ayurvedic medicine manufacturing. Please tell me about this.

My father-in-law, KS Vasudevan, had founded Malabar Chemicals in Palakkad in 1962-63 and was passionate about researching Ayurvedic products. He was the first person to introduce Ayurvedic weight loss medicines in capsule form. He was also experimenting with Ayurvedic injections. So we were always doing research and development. After the New Delhi center, we planned to expand into a treatment center. We didn’t want it to be a hospital, but a place of rejuvenation with a resort-like atmosphere and no compromises in medicine and treatment. That’s how we started The Healing Village at Palcard.

(The Ayurvedic Wellness Cookbook, published by Roli Books, is available online at: ₹995)

recipe

Ushada Kanji (Kerala red porridge mixed with herbs and spices)

serve -2

Cooking time – 35 minutes

raw materials

Ajwain – 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Fennel seeds – 1/4 teaspoon

1/2 piece dried ginger

a pinch of nutmeg

Black pepper – 1/2 teaspoon

clove-3

cinnamon stick – 1/2 inch

Cardamom pod-2

Tippili powder 1 teaspoon

1/2 teaspoon pepper powder

1 cup kerala red rice

Water – 6 cups

Drumstick leaves – 1 tsp

1 teaspoon basil leaves

10 shallots (chopped)

Green chili pepper-1, chopped

Curry leaves – 1 stem

1/2 grated fresh coconut

2 teaspoons ghee

Salt (appropriate amount)

Method

1. In a frying pan over low heat, dry roast ajwan, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, dried ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, tipiri powder, and pepper powder for 2-3 minutes. It will turn brown. Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes.

2. Transfer to a small dry blender. Finely powder on high speed for 2 minutes and set aside.

3. Wash the rice thoroughly and soak it in 2 1/2 cups of water for about an hour. Drain excess water.

4. Add rice, drumstick leaves, and basil leaves to a pressure cooker and heat over medium heat. Add the powdered ingredients and mix well with 6 cups of water.

5. Pressure cook the ingredients until the first whistle. Reduce heat and simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes to allow pressure to release naturally.

6. Add the shallots, green chillies, fresh grated coconut and curry leaves to the blender and grind on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crushed ingredients to the cooked rice.

7. Place the pressure cooker uncovered over medium heat and simmer for another 2-5 minutes.

8. Remove from heat, add ghee and serve hot as is or with horse gram chutney.

horse gram chutney

mudira chamanti

serve -4

Cooking time – 15 minutes

material

Horsegram (kurti) – 1/4 cup

Bengal gram (chana dal) – 1 tbsp

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

peppercorns-8

2 tablespoons grated coconut

Tamarind – 1 tsp

Salty as you like

Water – 2-4 tablespoons

Tempering

1 teaspoon coconut oil

3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

Split black gram (udad dal) – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – Pinch

Curry leaves – 1 stem

Method

1. Dry roast the horsegrams in a medium wok over low heat for 5 minutes until slightly brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to cool.

2. In the same wok over low heat, add Bengal gram, cumin seeds, peppercorns and coconut and roast for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute.

3. Add the Bengal gram spice mixture to the blender. Add roasted horse grams, tamarind, salt and water. Grind on medium speed for 3 minutes to form a semi-coarse paste.

To perform tempering:

Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add mustard seeds and leave for 10 seconds. Add split black gram, asafoetida, curry leaves and mix well. Remove from heat and add chutney.