In Ayurved, the way to living peacefully and disease free is to eat foods full of prana (chi/qi) especially when stressed, unwell or seeking spiritual growth.  I understood Prana when a friend was describing what happened at the entrance of a hospital- she was supporting her dad with her arm under his armpit when suddenly he became really heavy- it was the moment of his departure from his body- the life force left him- Prana is what had kept his weight upright and no amount of oxygen or all those things we take as nutrition could have helped.  Prana is lost daily but can be our food habits replenish this.  Let me share how Prana in food is available to us:

Soil:  This is where the life energy thrives: plants growing in rich natural soils are bursting with Prana- organic farmers using hydroponics or homa or using dynamised water with vermiculture compost are all serving Prana- here deep in the soil life far larger than nutrients is thriving and bursting with generous prana.  Food grown here and consumed fresh and raw is the highest prana you can find- even a small bunch of leaves will fill your being- Grow your own food– spinach, kale, salad leaves…. nourish some soil in your balcony, roof or garden and see how the missing connect with food reappears.

Freshness principle:  The food you cannot grow is best purchased from organic sources – farmers markets are good as you can meet the source person and know what is growing seasonally.  Store bought food is well travelled and Prana does not travel well.  For thousands of years humans ate fresh foods- either grown in their backyard or bartered from the community.  In the last fifty years that pattern was reversed by ‘industrialization’ of food- the processing, packaging, preservation, transportation and food additives have stripped the Prana completely.

High Prana food: The pranic pyramid would have a descending order on these lines

• Straight from garden foods- freshly plucked- eaten raw
• Whole organic fruits and vegetables that are local and fresh- eaten raw
• Whole organic seeds and nuts- eaten raw
• Whole organic vegetables – lightly cooked
• Whole organic grains- well cooked
• Non organic fruits, vegetables and grains
• Meat, fish, eggs
• Processed foods

Nutritional values and Prana have no common ground.  Prana is a vibrational energy tapped from Nature- best done by plants.  There are yogis who live on that energy directly needing no food or even water in some cases but for us regular folks- just eating fresh, seasonal, local is a good start.

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Two years later with a far healthier gut, I want to pay homage to this amazing ayurvedic dish.  It can be digested by infants, sick and elderly and can range from utterly simple to a gourmet centrepiece.

Like a basic sponge cake can have thousands of variations, the khichdi can go from basic to sublime.  Let me begin with the basic one in this post.  The yellow moong makes the lightest khichdi and split moong is medium heavy and whole moong is the heaviest.

Ingredients per person:

1/2 cup white rice

1/4 cup yellow moong dal (or split moong)

1 tsp organic ghee

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 pinch green cardamom powder

1 tsp grated raw turmeric or 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 cup carrots, finely diced

Salt to taste, 2 pepper corns

Method

I prefer making this in a slow cooker/crockpot but it turns out good even in a pan or pressure cooker or instapot.

1. Wash the rice and dal till the water run clear.  If you are cooking in an open pan, soak the rice and dal mix for an hour if possible.  It opens and swells the grains and makes cooking time shorter.
2. In the pan of choice, add the rice dal mix with 4-6 times the water depending on the cooking device.  In the crock pot i add salt, cardamom powder and turmeric and let it cook for 3 hrs on High.  For the open pan you need six times water, let it come to boil and simmer on low heat for 30 mins.  Khichdi is never too cooked so just relax and let it bubble without sticking to the bottom. Just check ever 10 mins to see that there is enough fluid.
3. Once ready the rice and dal will have smoothly intermingled.  Now for the finally: in a small pan or large steel ladle, melt the ghee and add the asafoetida and cumin.  They will froth and simmer. Take off the fire before it burns (this trick is best done by heating the ghee on high heat and switching it off- add the two ingredients and turn on only if they are not crackling!
4. Add the ‘tadka’ to the khichdi and serve hot.

The consistency can be from thick gruel to thin soup- its personal preferences- the stronger the digestion the more the thickness is a rule of the thumb.

A tip on variations- You can add vegetables year round and ginger in winter.

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This simple one bowl dish always brings on a smile as almost every time i have made it, it gets wiped clean.  When you just want to make a meal out of a soupy dish, this is IT!!

Warm, soothing and nourishing, I present you the adaptations for winter and summer.  All doshas are pacified by this – the kaphas can lower the creaming options to half a tea spoon.

Sun in a bowl

Portion: 4

Ingredients:

Pumpkin: 500gms peeled cubes

Vegetable broth: 4 glasses

Fresh Vegetables: Seasonal fresh and Julienned

White Onions: 200gms roughly chopped 

Ginger: 3 inches finely grated (in summer exchange this for mint)

Fresh turmeric: 1 piece grated (option 1 tsp turmeric powder- however the nutritive quality is much lower)

Brown Rice: 75gms (raw wt) cooked

Microgreens: 1 cup

Coconut milk: 1 cup

Fresh coconut shavings: 12 spirals

Peanuts: 4 table spoons roasted and crushed

Kafir lime leaf: 5 nos

Thai chilli: 3 nos

Oil of choice: 1 table spoon (coconut or avocado in summer, Sesame in winter- virgin preferred)

Method

In a blender, add the white onions, kafir lime, thai chilli, fresh turmeric, ginger and make a paste.

In a pan add the oil and cook the paste on medium heat and stir gently. As it begins to stick, add the pumpkin and vegetable broth. Add a glass of water and allow this to simmer for ten minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.

Cool and blend the soup.

When ready to eat:  heat the soup and add coconut milk.

In a large bowl add three heaped table spoons of brown rice, 1 table spoon of crushed peanuts, and one fourth of the fresh julienned vegetables.  Pour the soup around it and dress it up with coconut shavings, microgreens and any edible flowers that you have access to.

Voila!

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Somewhere fresh turmeric disappeared and turmeric powder became the face of this root.  A lot got lost along the way- turmeric oil for one, the earthy taste and bright juice that lends the dishes a little peppery taste.  Curcumin, the active ingredient is lost too.

And now (drums rolling) for the big boss powers of this little ginger like root:

Power One: Natural antioxidant – Cellular ageing is due to oxidation and turmeric is a natural antioxidant that combats the effects which promotes youthfulness and protects heart and liver.

Power Two: Anti inflammatory – Turmeric brings down inflammation in blood vessels, skin, and the intestinal tract. This golden spice can also help regulate blood sugar levels and immune function. Research is showing it can also kill nasty invaders and that is a skill that makes it priceless.

Power Three: Cancer fighter- it influences cells to manage themselves better and research is showing that turmeric can reverse certain cancers and possibly prevent cancer onset.  Research in this area is actively giving positive feedback.  Curcumin is a sought after ingredient by bio pharmacies.

The best Ayurvedic drink in the morning is lemon, black pepper and i tsp juice of raw turmeric.  Start right away!

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1. Weather
2. Dosha
3. Intensity

I learnt this the hard way:  while clearing my exfoliating chelitis I went on a beetroot juice binge and worsened my lip.  Luckily I was in Pokhara where a wonderful Juicery was my daily haunt and I managed to create the right mix for myself- the third point intensity is all about how much of a juice you take and how diluted it is.  For my situation Beetroot juice shots needed to be diluted and taken with some warm food.

Juices are cooling, light and dry- in winter they are not recommended for any doshas- the most tolerant to juices is Kapha and they benefit the most from it.  In summer all Doshas can take juices- Vata must take the least, pitta moderately and kapha frequently.  Adding ginger and turmeric to the juice will reduce its coolness to a fair degree.

Going by Doshas, here are the recommended foods for each type: they can be juiced in a combination that appeals to you.

Vata: a mix of Root vegetables like Beet, carrots, parsnip, sweet potato, ginger, fennel, cucumber with apples or pears.  Ginger would kill the gas component in these juices.

Pitta: Ash gourd, Asparagus, Broccoli, cucumber with coriander and/or cardamom with kiwi, strawberries, mangoes, mint – coconut water or juice can be added for cooling effect in high summer.

Kapha: Bitter gourd, kale, grapefruit, broccoli, apple

You must have noticed that not many fruits are on the list.  Eating fruits whole with fibre is far better than juicing as all doshas benefit from the wholeness of the fruit- skin and all.

Ayurveda is almost reluctant on juices.  Please try the juices for a day or two and observe how you feel- some will really raise your energy and you can go for more.  If they make you irritable or inflame a situation, look at diluting it or changing it.

Intensity is a factor to consider- if you have just come out of a stressful period or illness, definitely dilute the juice- adding coconut water in summer will ease the juice acceptability in the body.  Root vegetable juices are best accepted when the digestion is in good form.  Adding ginger or mint improves the taste and digestion.

Neem, curry leaves, moringa leaves in small quantities also help in making the juice healthier and easier on the system.  Juices are best before meals- give a 20 minutes for their absorption.

To your health

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This wonderful grain with its sweet fibre is now a vicious food.

The cause – it is mostly genetically modified and sprayed with Glyphosate- a herbicide that is a proven carcinogen used widely in the USA.  The excess corn is then turned into corn sugar and flavourings widely used in packaged foods.  American corn is marketed all over the world through GMO companies as it is more sweet than regular corn and we are all chomping away at a cancer producing grain.

Be extremely careful of the corn you may be having- as makki ka atta (whole corn flour), corn on cob, corn syrup and other curious formulations in packaged foods (to be avoided anyway for the many pitfalls)

I think this is the saddest piece I am writing as a big lover of ‘bhutta’- come rains, India would have handcarts with coal grilled corn on cob rubbed with lemon, black salt and chillies.

Goodbye to all that.

(Look out for organic non GMO corn though- it is available in small pockets)

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The kitchen was a holy place complete with altar.  The lady of the house burnt a ghee lamp in the kitchen altar and after prayers began her cooking.  I recommend we at least do a mental prayer or affirmation as we make our meal- the ritual is really a mood maker for this.

Here are some natural principles for Cooking the Ayurvedic Way-

• Pranic Freshness:  The food should be as fresh and organic as possible.  Grains used to be ground weekly, the vegetables would be plucked in the morning from the land adjoining the home: the sun still saturated in the greens.  Ayurved gives primacy to Prana- the life force emanating from the universe.  Fresh vegetables and fruits are sun soaked and brimming with prana- alas- not for long.  Peaking with prana when just plucked, they retain this precious life force for a few hours and diminish rapidly after.  Having a kitchen garden really serves you well- specially greens eaten right after plucking give you a prana high. Avoid precut vegetables from the grocery stores- much prana is lost there. I have practised a high prana diet in India and as an overeater I noticed a reduction in the volume of food i ate- high prana food satiates more.
• Steaming:  Vegetables are best cooked by light steaming:  this preserves colour and nutrition which is lost when we boil ( nutrient loss to water) or bake (high temperatures destroy nutrients).  Light steaming allows the prana to remain in the food yet breaks down the cellulose walls that are hard to digest.
• Eat all six flavours:  Ayurveda is about balance.  We need to eat all the six flavours: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent and pungent for the body to fully stay at ease.
• Cook at home:  Nothing beats the health and energy of a home made meal.  You know the ingredients you buy, there is love energy going into the food and its freshly eaten.  Ideally there should be no refrigeration- this may be tough with the convenient lifestyle we are addicted to, but if you cook just enough there may be no need to store.

These are the first principles.  There are spirals of information within these principles which I am happy to share through your questions.

To Your Health!

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My attempts to learn Yoga and Vedanta have had many mishaps.  Then a chance meeting with Swami Govindanand set the stage for a month long teacher training in Kodakkad, North Kerala: a new ashram, limited students and peace filled surroundings.

The course was designed by Swami Vishnudevananda back in the 60’s when he wanted the West to experience the depth of Yoga and he integrated Vedanta into it in what i found was a seamless way.  Twelve basic asanas, two Pranayamas, a map of essential Vedanta and much mantra chanting is the core of the course.  It is intensive and extensive- there is not a moment to spare on most days but they are filled with so much that can make life meaningful.

As ashrams go, and i have sampled quite a few, the Sivananda Yoga Vidya Peetham is charming being compact with three modern laterite structures and fair amenities set in rural paddy fields and much wilderness.  Kodakkad, as a village, is quite lovely with its few and far apart homes, wells, ponds, good roads and a cluster of temples. It faces east and not a single sunrise over the small hill of palms should be missed.  On many mornings we would be taken from our chanting routine to do some barefoot gayatri mantras looking at the sun- a most memorable moment of the month.

While the Asana teacher was disappointing but one plodded along, the Vedanta teaching more than made up for it: Swami Govindananda is extraordinarily lucid and engaging- he lives by his teachings and that gives a certain strength that is rare to find. His family provides a great support team- with a touch of Gurukulam.

A feature of this training are the pujas that all conducted with much vedic vigour- yantras, havan and chanting imbue the space with pranic energy.  We all noticed subtle changes in us as the days passed- the critical mind softening into the more accepting mind.  All questions are fairly answered by swamiji.  We all felt cared for through little gestures of Swami G.

Now a few weeks later, the ashram life is alive within- something has shifted and I want it to grow.

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What I really want to share with you is the lessons I learnt on this trip:

1. Our cells are smarter than we are: Freed from digestive stress and with detoxification, they healed me when no medical system worked. The biggest barrier to health is digestive stress- and its cumulative. Regular detox through short and long water fasts and raw is my mantra. I am a lot more trusting of self healing today.

2. Deep Rest: Goes beyond sleep which varies in rest intensity – a night routine of wind down allows for shorter time in REM. The sea and the forest healed me as much as the fasting and Panchkarma. I can’t emphasise the healing power of pranayama, jal neti and yoga enough.

3. Stressors: Disconnect from self, emotional turmoils, unresolved issues, overthinking, overeating… there are so many stressors that create disease. I am more aware of my stressors now and feel calm just knowing this. Stress is becoming the theme of my next book.

4. Yoga Nidra: This powerful tool that i learnt at Bihar School of Yoga was finally practised and I see it’s potential big time. If you would like the guided recording of Swami Satyanand putting you into YN, I am happy to forward.

5. Present Moment Awareness: Finally I practised it for sometime everyday. What a ringside view of eternity. I am still at the threshold and look forward to deeper dives.

6. Minimalism: Was so happy living out of a bag for 60 days. My home feels too heavy and have been decluttering last few days. Things tie us down. We use such few things. If i count the things I haven’t touched in 3 years, the number will be over a 1000… Less is so so much more.

7. The elements: Sun bathing, plenty of water, contact with Nature and Earth, deep breathing, moving the body and emptying your mind = Health

So what was Panchkarma all about-here is Chris Lipp’s (fellow Panchkarmi) little ditty about it

Panchakarma its Day 1,

I’m sure this trip’s gonna be so much fun.

Oil massages and herbal steam,

The full treatment sounds like a dream.

Panchakarma its Day 2,

Cuisine is rice and vegi stew.

Taste is bland, ain’t so bad,

My body’ll be healthy and I’ll be glad.

Panchakarma it’s Day 3,

You know food is bad when beets are luxury.

Oil massages not what they seem,

buy lederle minocin Feels so rough and not so clean.

Panchakarma Days 4,5,6,

I’m drenched in oil and everything sticks.

And every night mosquitos swarm,

But dinner with friends makes it all feel warm.

Panchakarma it’s Day 9,

Started with drink from a cup of slime.

Soon enough my guts let loose,

Again and again and again and again…

Panchakarma it’s Day 10,

Don’t want to go through that again.

Got some oil up the “ooohh!”

And now my colon feels so cool.

Panchakarma it’s Day 11,

Water’s going up in the wrong direction.

But now my colon is spanking clean,

I feel light and my body lean.

Panchakarma Days 12 and 13,

My therapist is intimate with oiling my seam.

And now it’s coming to a close,

I’m feeling unadulterated down to my toes.

Going to take more care on what I feed,

No more panchakarma is what I need!

that’s him on the left

To your health and god bless her country Kerala!

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