Spices: Cumin-Coriander blend, turmeric, and paprika or cayenne for heat
Sizzle the spices in a little ghee or coconut oil.
Add grated ginger, garlic, and diced onions. Let the aromas work their magic for a few minutes. Add diced veggies and saute for a couple of minutes.
Wash the lentils and add in with enough water to cook.
Bring to a boil and cover. Simmer and cook for 45 minutes to an hour till the lentils are done!
Add salt to taste, garnish with fresh herbs.
Enjoy!
I know everyone that read the previous post made Mung bean sprouts! So here is one of my favorite ways to use them up.
Sprout Crepes called Pesarattu
Pesarattu on hot griddle – flatten batter with the back of a spoon to get it thin and fully cooked.
(L) Batter, Finished Pesarttu, (R) Coconut-cilantro-sweet onion chutney
Ingredients
1 cup sprouted Mung or 3/4 cup dry Mung beans, covered fully in warm water and soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup rice flour – available at Asian groceries
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
1 green chile (any kind – depends on the heat you can tolerate)
Salt to taste
Blend all ingredients in a blender with enough water to make a pourable batter (slightly thinner than that for pancakes). I like to add finely chopped onion, cilantro, and green cabbage to this batter. Mix well.
Heat up a griddle and pour a scoop of the batter on it, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon into a round crepe-like pancake. Drizzle a spoon of virgin expeller pressed sesame or coconut oil onto the edges; allow one side to cook well and lift and flip the pancake with a flat spatula to allow the the other side to cook fully – you’ll know when it is done 🙂
Enjoy with a side of coconut/cilantro/onion chutney for a most satisfying meal! Oh the Chutney? Here we go –
For the chutney – blend smooth 1 cup fresh grated coconut (from your Indian market freezer), 1/2 sweet onion, a handful of washed cilantro leaves, 1-2 green chillies and salt with enough water to make a spreadable chutney!
In Ayurvedic cuisine, almond milk is not only a good dairy-free beverage option, it is a valuable food in and of itself. It is cooling to the body and adds nourishing fats to the diet in an easily digestible manner. It is usually consumed freshly prepared and combined with flavorings like saffron and cardamom and sweetened with a natural sweetener like raw sugar. It is a popular beverage in the warm months.
Commercial almond milk has too many unnecessary additives like added vitamins and preservatives that take away the nourishing properties of this beverage.
It is easy to prepare at home, only requiring that the almonds be soaked ahead of time. Here is how –
Soak one cup of raw almonds in hot water, over night. In the morning, rinse the almonds. Using the thumb and forefingers of both hands, the skins of the almonds can be squeezed off easily. Rinse the peeled almonds one more time.
A blend of hydrated almonds and water in a ratio of 1 : 1 and 1/2 cups yields a delicious light milk, not too thin or thick. This can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days and used as a drink or add-in for oatmeal and smoothies.
Note: How smooth and grit-free the milk is depends on your blender. If you find it gritty, you can sieve the milk through several layers of cheese cloth or a coffee filter.
Ayurveda 