Dosha churna spice mix

Using the wisdom of Ayurveda, a well-formed spice mix contains all six Tastes (see here), helping to bring nutritional balance as well as satisfaction to a dish. Pack some up and take it on your travels to sprinkle over everything.

Kiss goodbye to the stale spices in your cupboard and make your own fresh spice powders, known as churnas or choonas. These medicinal spice mixes are your ‘get out of jail’ cards, helping to make sure your Agni (see here) is burning nicely. I mostly need to manage my Vata Dosha, so often make two batches – one with asafoetida and salt for savoury dishes and one without for sweet dishes. I’d recommend this, unless you like to bring garlic- or onion-like flavour to your puds!

Makes 100g (½ cup)

FOR VATA

2 tbsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp ground turmeric

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp asafoetida

1 tbsp jaggery

FOR PITTA

2 tbsp fennel seeds

2 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp dried mint

seeds of 20 cardamom pods

½ tsp saffron strands

¼ tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp cinnamon

FOR KAPHA

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp fenugreek seeds

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tbsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp chilli powder or cayenne pepper

1 Grind all of the whole seeds in a pestle and mortar, then gently toast the spices in a dry frying pan over medium heat until fragrant, stirring frequently.

2 Leave to cool completely, then store in an airtight container somewhere dark for 6–8 weeks. It’s best to make spice mixes in small batches to keep the potency of the spices, so halve the mixture if you think you’ll need less in that time.

TIP

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You could make a quick tarka to enhance your dals, veggie and lentil soups, baked casseroles, curries and stews. Simply heat up some ghee or hot oil, take off the heat and then stir in the churna spice mix. Quickly pour over your dish.