Ayurveda in the kitchen

When people ask, “what is your favorite food?” my mind becomes flooded with a race between pizza, tacos, guacamole, acai bowls, chocolate chip cookies, thai curry and I can name many more… how can we just choose one favorite? That’s just my ego talking… At the root, my answer depends on how I’m feeling, where I am in the world and what time of year is it.

Beyond the indulgence of these foods, there’s the ingredients and how it was prepared. Ultimately my favorite food experience is the one where I get to grow or support local farming methods, prepare my meal in harmony with the season and bath the ingredients with fresh herbs and spices.

This is why, truly, Kitchari is my favorite meal. It’s so easy to prepare, so health, so satisfying, so nourishing and it’s fun to mix it up with additional ingredients based on balancing my dosha or the time of year. I can go on writing about Kitchari and luckily the amazing team at Banyan Botanicals has already done the work for me.

Here’s a link to their blog to learn more about Kitchari.

Let me know how your first batch goes! And, till my next blog, here are few nuggets to keep the Ayurvedic inspiration going…

• Add cardamom to coffee to minimize the acidic affect and support digestion (avoid adding dairy to hot coffee which curdles the milk. Instead use ghee or a milk alternative. I like oat.

• Cinnamon is great for balancing glycemic energy. I also love it in my coffee.

• Use mineral salt to enhance flavor and only cook with it towards the end of the meal prep to minimize sodium levels. I usually only salt my food after I have cooked it.

• Sweat your vegetables, proteins and grains with herbs and spices by first cooking them in ghee over medium heat.

• CCF = Coriander, Cumin and Fennel are a trifecta spice blend perfect for enhancing flavor and supporting digestion.

Here are a few of my favorites for the kitchen from the brand I trust most, Banyan Botanicals. Enjoy 15% off your purchase with my code: Alicia15