This dish is a wonderful way to get in the mood for the cold season. It connects you to the lower cauldron - your three energy centres. It is about savouring the sweetness of life, retreating into the belly of Mother Earth, cultivating introspection and connecting with All That Is. Colours are also very important when eating, as they have a direct connection to your energy centres. You can find more on this topic in my blog.
What are energy centres?
There are 7 main energy centres, which are also called flames or chakras. From bottom to top starting with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Each individual flame/chakra is connected to the physical body and also has a strong effect on our soul life and our spiritual experience.
The flames are divided into 3 so-called cauldrons. The lower cauldron with red (root chakra), orange (sacral chakra) and yellow (solar plexus) is the cauldron of joy of life. You can feed the cauldron with everything that is good for you, what you love and, of course, with good food.
The second and middle cauldron is the cauldron of vocation and illuminates the heart chakra with the colour green. What is my calling? What am I burning for? What do I like to do? You feed this cauldron with passion and food that is connected to the heart.
The third and upper cauldron contains the chakras blue (throat chakra), indigo (forehead chakra/third eye) and violet (crown chakra). This is about the spiritual, the connection, thoughts, personal expression. You feed this cauldron with good thoughts, meditation and light, vegan food.
Pumpkin from an Ayurvedic perspective
Pumpkin has a sweet, bitter and tart flavour and contains the elements water and earth. It increases the KAPHA dosha and balances the VATA dosha. Autumn and early winter with their storms move VATA and like to bring us into imbalance. The flavours sweet, sour and salty can help to weather the storms. You can find out more about energies and doshas on my Kitchen sound page. In combination with the dates, figs and rice, this pumpkin dish gives us cosy warmth and the sweetness of life.
How did this recipe come about?
I completed my Ayurvedic cookery training with Gabriele Sitaram Sabnis, who runs Ayurveda training and courses together with Nicky Sitaram Sabnis. Nicky has written many Ayurveda cookery books together with Gabriele. This recipe is a suggestion from his cookery book: "Mindful Ayurveda Cuisine".
I always like to get ideas from cookery books, especially from Gabriele and Nicky, whose knowledge of Ayurvedic cuisine is very comprehensive. With these ideas, I go to my cookery studio and compose my own variation that is meaningful to me and my fellow diners at that moment.
Chapati are an ideal accompaniment to an Ayurvedic meal or in the evening with a warming soup to reduce VATA.
What exactly is chapati?
Chapati is a flatbread that is preferably baked with wholemeal flour. It is baked in a pan without oil or fat. I like to use fine flour and not wholemeal flour. I am always trying out different flours, such as spelt flour, emmer flour and kamut flour. So far they have always turned out well.
Where do chapati come from?
Chapati originally come from North India and have made their way around the world. They are part of every Indian meal and have a delicate, soft flavour and are very easy to make yourself with just a few ingredients.
What do chapati have to do with Ayurveda?
Ayurveda has its roots in India and therefore also influences the cuisine, which is why chapati is often associated with Ayurvedic cuisine. However, Ayurveda is at home all over the world and cannot simply be equated with Indian food. The Ayurvedic philosophy can be applied to any cuisine and if you browse through my recipes, you will find recipes from all over the world that are harmonious and Ayurvedically rounded.
What do chapati go with?
I particularly like chapati with soups of all kinds. They are lighter than sourdough bread and fill the stomach sufficiently in the evening without weighing you down. Chapati can also be wonderfully filled with all kinds of sauces and baked just as well in a casserole dish in the oven. There are no limits to your creativity. I like to brush the chapati with ghee, which gives them a slightly nutty flavour. Ghee is particularly good for reducing VATA and PITTA dosha. You can find more information on the doshas here.
If you're in a hurry, this simple but very tasty recipe is ideal. If you have rocket and herbs growing in your own garden - bring them on!
This meal combines Italian cuisine with Ayurveda. All the flavours are combined! This meal is a classic Tridosha meal. All doshas are in balance, it is filling and provides valuable vitamins and minerals. Have fun cooking it!
How did this recipe come about?
Especially as a working person, it is often not easy to take care of a good diet. For this reason, I always try to create dishes that are quick to prepare and yet beneficial for body, soul and spirit.
What does Tridosha mean?
The doshas are an important teaching in Ayurvea. They originate from the 5 elements and can be understood as three superordinate energetic principles. These forces control our physiological processes. A good interplay of the three forces results in a balanced state. Tridosha therefore means that all doshas are satisfied and balanced. You can find more information about the doshas here.
Wanderlust? This soup brings the warmth, aromas and flavours of Thailand to your table. It also combines the Ayurvedic principles of the 6 flavours, warming both body and soul. This Thai soup goes wonderfully with Chapati .
Where did the idea for this dish come from?
During my language studies, I met a new friend from Thailand who I am helping to learn German. In our conversations, we also talked about culture, plants and food. The kaffir lime leaf, for example, is one of the main ingredients in Thai cuisine. It has an incomparable aroma and flavour. As I happen to have a kaffir lime leaf plant in my cooking studio, I came up with the idea of creating a new dish with the help of my Thai friend that incorporates Ayurvedic philosophy and brings the aroma and flavour of Thailand to the table. I love this soup, it always gives me memories of my conversations with my friend from the other side of the world.
What are kaffir lime leaves?
The flavour of this special plant is lemony and fresh. It is reminiscent of warm summer evenings and brings holiday feelings. The main ingredient in Thai cuisine can be perfectly combined with Ayurvedic principles and flavours. The kaffir lime leaf is sweet, sour and slightly salty. A slight spiciness gives every dish a special flavour.
Where can I get kaffir lime leaves?
The leaves grow on trees in Asia and in this country you can buy a small kaffir lime tree in selected plant shops and grow and care for it in the sun in summer and in a warm kitchen in winter, for example. Kaffir lime leaves can also be bought dried or fresh from the chiller cabinet in Asian shops.
