The Body Balance Diet is purposely designed to involve as little unfamiliar food as possible because I think it’s important to eat food that’s indigenous as well as food that’s nutritious. But there are certain things I’ve recommended throughout this book, all of which I’ve gathered here for ease of creating shopping lists.
The herbs and spices you may like to explore – many of which are included in the recipes at the back of this book – include:
Asafoetida: You may not have encountered this very pungent powder before – it’s actually a natural gum resin (extracted from the tree) and imparts a very strong oniony flavour to food. It has an extremely strong odour, which will put many off, but if kept in an airtight container it shouldn’t be too offensive.
The tiniest pinch can be added to curries – add at the start, straight to the heating oil or ghee – and once cooked, it imparts a rich, deep garlic/onion flavour to the food. It is particularly good in vegetarian curries – leafy green or pulse/bean varieties benefit from it, as it helps stimulate digestion (firing up agni), and reduce bloating and gas.
Black pepper: Please try to buy good quality organic black peppercorns and grind them yourself in a peppermill – the pepper strength will be far more effective than if you pick up a ready-ground mix. Pungent and heating, black pepper is fantastic for stimulating agni, and gets those all-important digestive juices flowing. Ideal for Kapha and Vata, it helps keep the digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems healthy. Not so great for Pitta, thanks to the heating properties, but a small grind is nevertheless still good for digestion, and when mixed with a cooling or oily base (ghee or coconut oil in particular) can still be enjoyed.
Cardamom: This is a real hero spice with multiple, important uses. Once of its main benefits is how effectively it shifts agni from the system – getting the gut to get rid of mucus and also helping to alkalize an acidic system. Ayurveda fans use it to dispel gas, reflux, bloating and even nausea (it’s ideal for morning sickness, for example).
Ancient Egyptians chewed cardamom pods to help clean and brighten their teeth and freshen their breath. Digestion-boosting, and also aiding the body in the uptake of nutrients from food, it is very versatile as it can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes, and by all doshas.
Cinnamon: Organic ground cinnamon is a great store-cupboard staple. Both pungent and sweet, cinnamon has been proven to improve mood, soothe nervous tension and also strengthen the immune system. Its natural antiseptic properties, coupled with its ability to boost circulation, mean it’s wonderful in the winter, as it’s renowned for warming the internal system and shifting a build-up of Kapha. It’s also a wonderful addition to food for those who have a sweet tooth – proven to stabilize blood sugar and satiate that pang for sweetness without any additional sugar needed.
Coriander/cilantro: Cooling and balancing (and good for all doshas), this can be used in three states – as leaves and stems, as a ground powder or as seeds – and all have their place. Rather a divisive herb (my Cypriot heritage meant I grew up eating the leaves raw in salads, which I adore), it does taste ‘soapy’ to some people, and this can be improved if you blend it, or macerate it into a paste (it’s great in Thai-style curry pastes). I call coriander my ‘palate cleanser’ – the leaves, in particular, are invigorating and refreshing – great for shifting ama. It gets both body and mind balanced, and is also a potent natural immunity-booster.
Cumin: This spice is very, very important – considered by Indians to be the central spice (it’s the second most commonly bought spice worldwide, after black pepper) – and has numerous benefits. For digestion, it is an ama-shifting godsend, as it’s naturally very cleansing without being caustic or aggressive. It stimulates agni too – so you get cleansing and digestion-optimizing properties in one spice – as well as being great at getting overloaded livers back on track.
With its potent antibiotic properties, it’s ideal if you’re always run down and poorly, and its naturally comforting earthy warmth means it helps to create a great base for curries, stews and soups. Ground cumin is used most regularly, but cumin seeds are also valuable – and can be toasted and served on top of almost anything (they are particularly good on warm winter salads).
Ginger: Most cultures are familiar with ginger and use it in powder form in baked goods, and as fresh ginger, as in the classic honey-and-ginger tea. It’s also recommended to those suffering morning or travel sickness, and it really can help. Its unique intense heat, sweetness and zest make it a wonderful digestion-boosting spice, but this heat also means it can shift Kapha, which is ideal in winter when we’re all prone to chesty infections and mucous coughs. Naturally energizing, it is also healing, and can be used in dozens of ways – such as in soups and curries. Good for all doshas, but slightly less so for Pitta.
Saffron: A fabled spice, thanks to its expensive nature (it’s harvested from the stamens of crocuses, which have a very low yield, meaning many thousands of flowers are grown to produce relatively meagre amounts of saffron). Recent research has suggested that saffron has anti-cancer properties, and Ayurvedically it does many things – helping to boost energy, digestion, mood and even sexual appetite. Many people waste the spice, though – it ought not to be added direct to food, but rather steeped in hot water (or added to stock at the start of cooking) until it releases all of its delicate aromatic spice and smoke.
Salt: the best salt you can use within an Ayurvedic diet is natural rock salt, and Himalayan pink rock salt is the queen of rock salts – very rich in body-supporting minerals and also linked to lower blood pressure.
Ayurvedic recipes traditionally use the sugar cane derivative jaggery as a sweetener. As it’s utterly unrefined it’s a great sugar substitute and it has a lovely rich molasses-type flavour. I also use organic coconut-palm sugar and honey. Honey, however, should never be added to drinks when they are still very hot, or used in baking as its properties change when heated above 40°C/104°F.
Chyawanprash: A wonderful naturally sweet jam-like preserve that can be stirred into hot water to make a satisfying tri-doshic tea.
I would say that very few of these recipes require you to be a stickler for exact measurements (apart, perhaps, from the bread). Particularly with vegetables, add more or less of an ingredient if you so choose; it’s your palate, and it’s important to cook something ‘your way’ – which should come in time too, once you’ve worked out how you like your Ayurvedic food to be. As far as spices and herbs are concerned, though, I have endeavoured to offer the best possible balance within each recipe, so I’d advise that you don’t go off-track here (not least because you might end up with something that’s so over- or under-spiced that it’s practically inedible). All veg listed in the ingredients are medium size unless stated otherwise.
The Taste Table is, as far as these recipes are concerned, still your oracle. I will often offer a couple of options and advise on which is best for which dosha, but if you’re ever unsure, a quick glance at the Taste Table will clear up any doubt. For example, for my porridge options you can use your milk of choice, and I suggest goat’s or rice milk; a look at the Taste Table will show that rice isn’t ideal for Kapha, but warm soya is.