Because digestion is the key to great overall health according to Ayurveda, it’s essential to keep the digestive fire strong inside your body. The primary healing spices in this chapter — turmeric, cumin, Himalayan pink rock salt, and coriander — help strengthen your digestion, thereby contributing to your overall health.
Contrary to the common perception that healthy food must taste bland, in Ayurveda, food must stimulate your taste buds, as the sight, smell, and taste of your food impact how well you’ll digest it. Ayurveda says food must be healthy and flavorful.
I immediately noticed a big difference in my own digestion and overall health when I started mindfully incorporating Ayurvedic spices into my meals. My students, too, who come from different racial and cultural backgrounds and are used to eating all kinds of foods, unanimously love the Ayurvedic dishes I feed them in classes and trainings. These spices make it possible for them to continue enjoying foods they’re currently eating by helping them digest their food better.
Armed with these medicinal spices, you can find relief from issues ranging from menstrual pain to the common cold. The mere presence of these spices in my kitchen inspires me to manifest radiant health each day. I invite you to avail yourself of the magical powers of these humble, but mighty, Ayurvedic spice friends in the preparations and recipes that follow.
Many people wrongly equate Ayurvedic food with Indian food. They contain many common ingredients, but how these ingredients are used and combined greatly differs. Ayurvedic cooking contains fewer ingredients, takes much less time, and often tastes fresher because the natural flavors are highlighted. The first time I fed my family Ayurvedic food, they were scared that it wouldn’t taste as good as the Indian food they were accustomed to. They were shocked when they tried my food! They loved the revitalizing and energizing feeling (called prana in the yoga and Ayurveda traditions) that the food contained, as well as its simplicity and freshness.
Turmeric is a friend that can help you on the inside (when you cook with it) and outside (when applied on your skin). It is also called sri kamya, which means “the one who bestows happiness and prosperity.” As health is a type of wealth, physical wellbeing attracts financial health. Turmeric is a great spice to boost your immunity.
When used regularly in cooking, turmeric supports your digestive system by making your food more appetizing. Its cleansing effect helps free you from toxicity while fighting excess fat and ulcers. After it is digested, it purifies your blood. Small, regular doses of turmeric, therefore, are of real benefit if you suffer from anemia or any other blood-based disease. It also has a fabulous anti-inflammatory effect.
Anytime you need a makeover, turmeric is there to help. This spice is known for enhancing your complexion and is widely used in cosmetics to minimize dark spots and blemishes. It’s great for combating acne and wrinkles, too. See here for one of my favorite anti-acne, anti-wrinkle facial recipes using turmeric. Eating turmeric and applying it topically (mix a small amount with water or milk and use as a facewash) can greatly improve your skin’s complexion, tone, and texture. I love washing my face in the morning with a pinch of turmeric, red sandalwood powder, and neem powder.
After reading about how great turmeric is for your skin, sometimes people get excited and start using it in large doses. However, it’s important to follow the quantities recommended in this book or by your Ayurvedic practitioner. Just a quarter of a teaspoon of turmeric per person in your food on a regular basis will work wonders.
Turmeric arrests bleeding when applied externally and works as a wonderful antiseptic, anti-itch solution. In fact, turmeric is so beneficial for wound healing that in India, Johnson & Johnson manufactured a special turmeric-infused Band-Aid! For cuts and bruises, simply make a paste with turmeric powder and a little water and apply directly to the wound. A potent healing tonic for those suffering from post-accident trauma is whole milk cooked with turmeric and perhaps some sugar.
For those of you dealing with thrush, recurring sore throat, oral herpes, or any other kind of oral infection or throat issue, boil a pinch or two of turmeric in a pot of water and drink hot. Turmeric will help clear your lungs of obstructions.
Turmeric is drying. Since Ayurveda believes that obesity and diabetes are both caused by too much of the water element in the body, turmeric’s drying effect helps you lose weight and lower your diabetic count. Turmeric also benefits watery nose, eyes, and swelling.
The only time I limit my turmeric consumption is during my period. Turmeric tends to increase menstrual blood flow, so it’s great for women who have scanty periods but better reduced for those who don’t.
I can’t think of a single savory Ayurvedic dish that doesn’t have cumin in it. Cumin is a powerful ally to call upon for digestive health. It is no coincidence that one of the many synonyms for this pervasive Ayurvedic spice is jarana, or “that which brings about digestion.” My teacher put it so aptly when she shared, “Cumin is like a matchstick that ignites fire in your body in case your internal stovetop isn’t working.”
This pungent, heating herb can help you digest any savory food. Its taste is subtle enough that you can add cumin powder to dishes ranging from Italian pastas to pizza, fajitas, or fried rice. And, unlike other heating herbs, which are best restricted to winter and spring, you can use cumin any time of the year.
Cumin is an excellent spice to use anytime you need an appetite boost. Roasting cumin seeds on a dry skillet until they become slightly darker, but not black, adds more dryness and heat, which helps increase cumin’s potency to crank up your digestion. Just the fragrant smell of freshly roasted cumin seeds is enough to immediately ignite my appetite.
To combat nausea, simply sprinkle some cumin seeds or powder onto a lemon slice and lick it sporadically for quick relief. For diarrhea, drink warm water mixed with 1 teaspoon of cumin powder.
For women with menstrual spotting, irregular cycles, or clotting, this spice is your friend. Cumin also reduces inflammation, helps prevent problems like endometriosis, and is extremely beneficial for post-pregnancy women. It’s an excellent spice for healthy breast milk. The key to receiving all of these benefits is to increase the quantity of cumin you consume. An easy way to do this is to simply boil water with roasted cumin powder in it, and then drink this concoction. You can also cook with cumin seeds, and then sprinkle cumin powder onto your food.
You can create a powerful pain-relieving paste by grinding the seeds into powder and combining them with a little bit of water. Apply cumin paste to any painful and swollen areas for fast-acting support.
Tip: Invest in a mortar and pestle to hand-grind your spices into potent powders that will give you much better flavor than commercially sourced spice powders.
All salts are not equal. Standard table salt comes from the sea. According to Ayurveda, sea salt has more of the subtle water element, which can create water retention and cause you to gain weight. Himalayan pink rock salt comes from the land. It’s more connected with the earth element than ordinary sea salt and hence will not lead to water retention. Rock salt crystals also contain 84 of the 92 trace elements your body needs, such as potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and calcium.
My clients who are trying to lose weight always notice that substituting rock salt for sea salt makes a difference in achieving their weight-loss goals. As a bonus, the fire element in rock salt is less sharp and intense than it is in sea salt, so it helps prevent burning in your body and relieves skin conditions.
But maybe one of its best traits is that it makes your food taste delicious! Just as different salts have different health properties, they have subtly different flavors. Some people notice that Himalayan pink rock salt has a gentle, slightly sweet taste, lacking harshness.
Himalayan pink rock salt is excellent for promoting digestion. To stimulate your appetite and improve elimination, try adding a pinch of it to a small piece of freshly grated ginger before meals. If you suffer from constipation, add a pinch of Himalayan pink rock salt to 10 to 15 soaked seedless raisins (or 5 to 8 soaked jumbo black raisins) and eat before sleeping.
You’ll want to eat a balanced amount of salt in your diet. The concept of quantity is very important in Ayurveda. It is recommended that you eat more salt in certain seasons and less salt in others (see chapter 9 for specific guidelines).
Coriander and cilantro are wonderful Ayurvedic spice friends you can call upon anytime you’re feeling down. In English, we have separate terms for the cilantro plant’s edible parts: its leaves are called cilantro and its seeds are coriander. In Sanskrit, however, there is only one word for the cilantro plant. One of coriander’s synonyms in Sanskrit is hrdaya, which means “heart.” Coriander (and cilantro) help both your physical and emotional heart.
The mere smell of cilantro comforts your heart and uplifts your spirit. I remember feeling pleasantly surprised when my teacher suggested growing a big patch of cilantro and even lying down in it to receive its heartening benefits.
I love brightening up my food with a garnish of cilantro leaves. Cilantro is especially helpful for freshening food anytime I have to eat meals that are left over from earlier in the day or the day before.
Unlike most spices that boost your digestive fire, coriander and cilantro simultaneously boost your digestion while cooling your body. When the weather is hot I like to boil water with coriander seeds and drink this cooling tonic periodically throughout the day. This tonic is especially soothing if you have any heat-related conditions, such as heartburn, acid reflux, hemorrhoids, or heat-related headaches.
To make another wonderful digestive tonic, mix 1 teaspoon of cumin powder with 1 teaspoon of coriander powder in twice the amount of water you’d like to drink. Boil and reduce the water by half, then drink when cool. This helps relieve gas, bloating, colic pain, and constipation.
In its powder form, coriander makes a fabulous curry. One of Chef Sanjai’s secrets to making curry taste so yummy is to wait to add the coriander powder until the vegetables are halfway through cooking. This makes the most of the flavor and texture in the dish.
Ajwain seeds, fresh and dry ginger, black pepper, mustard seeds, and fenugreek seeds are excellent heating spices for igniting your digestive fire. You can freely enjoy them in winter and spring. They are also a great crew to call upon for help digesting heavier foods, like meat, as well as for weight loss. You can add them to any of the savory recipes in this book.
Also called bishop’s weed seeds, ajwain seeds look like cumin but smell and taste more like thyme. These highly fragrant seeds are particularly helpful for bloating and pain relief. I love boiling them in water and drinking ajwain tea on the rare occasions I feel abdominal pain.
Ginger is called a great medicine (maha aushadhi) in Ayurveda. The dry form of ginger is a powerful force to fight against spring afflictions like colds, asthma, sore throats, runny nose, and diarrhea. Anytime I feel a cold coming on or need to stop a runny nose, I apply a paste made of dry ginger powder and water on my nose and under my eyes for as long as comfortable. To stop diarrhea, add a pinch of dry ginger to warm water and drink.
Cooking with fresh ginger, mustard seeds, and black pepper is an excellent way to prevent and reduce respiratory challenges and seasonal allergies. In addition to being part of the fiery fivesome for boosting digestive fire, fenugreek seeds (and leaves) are also a pregnant woman’s best friend, as they relieve breast tenderness and promote healthy breast milk.
Curry leaves, pomegranate seed powder, and mango powder are like true blue friends who are always there for you. They are all great for digestion, especially in the warmer seasons, and add wonderful flavor to your food.
Pomegranate is considered one of Ayurveda’s superfoods. Both pomegranate seeds and powder (also called anardana powder) build your bodily strength and fertility, and are nourishing yet light for digestion — a rare combination. Like coriander, pomegranate is a hrdaya spice, meaning that it supports your physical heart and helps balance your emotions, picking you up if you’re feeling low or bringing you down if you’re getting too high.
Curry leaves are unique in that they’re neither heating nor cooling, but they do wonders to spark appetite (just the smell of them cooking in ghee makes me hungry). They also promote good digestion without creating the possibility of overheating the body, as some of the fiery five can do.
Mango powder, also called amchur powder, is a delicious cooling spice. I like to use it more in the summer and fall to help prevent burning sensations and keep me cool and calm in the heat.
This super-easy, delicious recipe comes together quickly, so it makes a great weeknight meal. Use any variety of veggies that you enjoy — this recipe is just one combination that I love. It involves many of the healing spices outlined earlier.
Serves 2–3
Here’s a creative spin on French fries from Chef Sanjai’s fabulous collection. I love the sheer simplicity of this recipe, which calls for only a few ingredients. They taste much better than store-bought fries and make for a satisfying snack or meal substitute. They’re also great with cilantro chutney (see recipe).
Serves 2
Sooji is a wheat/semolina dish that has a porridge-like consistency. Wheat is one of the most commonly used staple foods in many parts of the world. In Ayurveda, wheat strengthens, rejuvenates, soothes ulcers, increases appetite, heals fractures, and generally enhances stability. Roasting the wheat makes it lighter and easier to digest. This delicious recipe hits the spot for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I love how easy and fast it is to make (15 to 20 minutes). See recipe for sweet sooji cereal.
Serves 2
Mung dal, being light and easy to digest, makes for a very sattvic meal — a meal that promotes balance and peace of mind (see Sattva to learn more about this quality). Mung dal pancakes are a great breakfast for combating stress and for starting your day on a cheerful note. Chef Sanjai loves making this with cilantro chutney (see recipe). You’ll need to plan ahead and pre-soak the mung dal.
Serves 2
I love eating this zesty chutney with khichadi (see recipe) on Thursdays at Vedika Global in California, as part of our simple pre-class community meal. Cilantro chutney is a great condiment for warming your emotional heart, boosting digestion, and alleviating thirst, nausea, and burning sensations (see here for more on cilantro’s qualities).
Note: If you suffer from heat-related conditions, burning, or bleeding, skip the ginger and garlic and go light on the salt and lemon.
Makes 3⁄4 cup
Enjoy Mexican food with a healthy Ayurvedic twist! All of the ingredients and spices used to make Ayurvedic fajitas are excellent for your digestion. The unctuousness of avocados, paired with roasted cumin powder, cilantro, and other flavorful spices, makes the guacamole easy on your stomach. Using split mung dal, cooked with ghee and spices, also helps ensure that you can enjoy Mexican flavors gas-free. This recipe is a great way to introduce Ayurvedic cooking in a way that feels familiar, yet is new and exciting.
Serves 4–5
Butternut squash is by far my favorite vegetable. Its Sanskrit name, kushmanda, is synonymous with health, wealth, abundance, and heart, describing this vegetable’s heartwarming and nourishing qualities for your body, mind, and spirit. Serve with tortillas or rice and dal.
Serves 2
Masoor dal (a lentil with a unique hearty taste and texture) goes particularly well with butternut squash and white basmati rice. Whole masoor dal is brown and is preferred here, though you could also use the split red version (just reduce the cooking time to 20 minutes). This mix of dal and spices is Chef Sanjai’s favorite combination. Masoor dal promotes easy digestion and is especially beneficial for any bleeding conditions or fever. You can also enjoy split masoor dal in a mung dal soup (see recipe).
Serves 2
Here’s another fun twist on a familiar food. Ayurvedic pasta is easy and quick, and it tastes deliciously fresh and flavorful. Something about ghee mixed with tomatoes and Ayurvedic spices is magical. It tastes so much fresher and is much more sattvic (stress-relieving and enhancing peace of mind; see Sattva) than store-bought pasta sauce.
Cooking the pasta and sauce ingredients with ghee — as opposed to olive oil, which is more drying and can lead to constipation in those who are prone to it — helps with digestion. To make the roasted cumin powder, blend roasted cumin seeds in a spice blender or grind with a mortar and pestle.
Serves 2-3