An Ayurvedic Recipe for Stretching the Food Dollar

Since we’re all feeling the economic pinch these days and looking for ways to save a dollar (or even a penny), I figured I would post a cheap yet satisfying Ayurvedic recipe. My advice for reducing grocery bills (if you eat out, then you better learn to cook) is simple: eat less meat and choose fresh, unprocessed foods. Steer clear of “ready-to-eat” products or any type of meal preparation kit and you will find that your dollar goes a lot further. So far, in fact, that you will be able to afford all natural and organic foods as long as the recession lasts.

While not everyone is cut out to be a vegetarian (such as individuals with really strong appetites, whose constitutions are predominantly Pitta); most people can go a few days without consuming animal flesh. The most nutritionally balanced way to beat the meat habit is to gain an appreciation for beans and rice. The practice of combining grains and legumes to satisfy one’s hunger and fuel a labor-intensive lifestyle goes back to Biblical times. Today we know that the amino acids present in wheat, rice and other cereal grains complement those in beans and nuts. Humans need to consume a variety of plant-based foods to ensure dietary intake of all essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein that the body can not produce on its own).

While there are thousands of kinds of beans and lentils grown around the world, the mung bean is most esteemed in Ayurveda. Mung beans are easier to digest than other legumes and the only type that is tridoshic, or balancing for all three doshas. Split mung beans, also known as mung dal, are commonly incorporated into cleansing and restorative dishes. It is best to cook mung beans with warming spices to offset their slightly cooling effect. One of the most popular dishes made with mung dal is kitchari, a stew which brings together the best of Indian healing cuisine: fragrant basmati rice, mild mung dal and tantalizing spices. Fresh chiles, vegetables, curry leaves and cilantro may also be added to your liking. There are an infinite number of ways to prepare kitchari but I will share just one very simple, seasonally appropriate recipe for now.

If you have a pantry stocked with all the requisite spices, I estimated that each serving costs less than fifty cents. I recommend purchasing “real” basmati rice from India (not U.S.-grown “Texmati” rice). Don’t let the following long list of ingredients scare you - most are dried spices which you can mix together ahead of time to make your own homemade "curry powder" for use in other dishes.

Warming Winter Kitchari

serves about 3

¼ cup split mung dal
½ cup basmati rice
1- 2 Tablespoon ghee (more for individuals with Vata disorders)
½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1/8 teaspoon hing
¼ teaspoon ground cumin seeds*
¼ teaspoon ground coriander seeds*
¼ teaspoon ground fennel seeds*
½ teaspoon dry ginger
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon fenugreek
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups water
¾ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish

1. Rinse dal and rice under cool water until water runs clear. Set aside to drain well.
2. Heat ghee in a 2 to 3 quart-sized saucepan over medium-high heat and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing. Cook until seeds begin to pop.
3. Turn down heat and add remaining spices. Cook a minute, stirring, until fragrant (be careful not to burn, remove pan from heat if necessary).
4. Add rinsed dal and rice to cooked spice mixture. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, covered, for 45 minutes to an hour. In last 20 minutes of cooking, stir occasionally to prevent kitchari from sticking to bottom of pan.
5. Stir in salt, cover and allow kitchari to rest 5 - 10 minutes before serving.
Serve kitchari garnished with fresh chopped cilantro.

* I recommend toasting and grinding seeds yourself, but store bought pre-ground seeds will also work.

How Did Poop Get in My Peanut Butter?

Feburary 13, 2009
I found this diagram on the FDA website. If this represents the "Simplified Peanut Product Distribution Pattern", what does the non-simplified version look like? Since nearly 2000 products produced by 200 or so companies have been recalled, the 2D drawing would probably span hundreds of pages. Once a product reaches a retail store, there are more routes a tainted product could reach a person's mouth than can be depicted simply on paper. Maybe you can think of a convoluted scenario which rings true for you? What would that look like on paper? Now multiply that by a thousand. Get the idea?

Update: January 31, 2009
Yesterday I read an exclusive AP article which revealed an even more disturbing tale of unsavory peanut commerce associated with the nationwide salmonella outbreak. Apparently, several weeks before any illnesses were reported; the Peanut Corporation of America attempted to ship putrid peanuts to Canada which were promptly rejected by Canadian inspectors. The FDA refused to allow the rejected shipment back into the States because the peanuts contained a "filthy, putrid or decomposed substance" that it deemed unfit for human consumption. The government agency charged with safeguarding the nation's food supply failed to follow up on the matter- no U.S. official tested the filthy peanuts for pathogens nor visited the original source of their production. While many insist that PCA be subject to criminal prosecution, what about the FDA?

Update: January 28, 2009
Gotcha! Today the public was informed that the Peanut Corporation of America KNOWINGLY shipped contaminated peanut butter to unsuspecting food manufacturers over the past two years. Not once, not twice, but 12 times! What is even more perplexing is the flaw in FDA and local health department policies which do not require companies to disclose results of internal testing. Also, inspectors from the state of Georgia failed to force PCA to clean up its act after finding unsanitary conditions. I don't know about you, but it doesn't seem to me like the government has made much progress in protecting Americans from lazy and negligent food producers since the time of Upton Sinclair. Will this saga cause consumers to shun ingredients sourced from the USA as vehemently as those China?

***

Peanut butter (and products made from peanuts or "peanut paste") is not the most obvious culprit when a salmonella outbreak occurs. As unusual as it may seem on the surface, the current food safety crisis is not the first which can claim peanuts as the source. In 2006, 628 people became sick from eating Peter Pan and Great Value brand (a private label brand exclusive to Walmart) peanut butter. The present situation does not involve the recall of jars of peanut butter available at the grocery store (only King Nut brand peanut butter intended for institutional use has been implicated). Rather, a very diverse assortment of products made with peanut paste from the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) has been pulled from the shelves of convenience stores, supermarkets, CVS, mom & pop shops, pet stores and even Whole Foods Market making the current recall list even more frightening.


Could there be a connection (or possibly a peanut conspiracy?) between these two recent nationwide salmonella-sickening scenarios? Probably not. However, the peanut itself is partially to blame for the recurrence. Peanut butter is a very good vehicle for the transport of salmonella around the country. A study conducted at the University of Georgia revealed that salmonella can survive up to 6 months at a storage temperature regarded as safe. Salmonella is not able to reproduce without the presence of water, but it is the absence of water that allows the bacteria to survive the peanut roasting process. Finally, the high fat content of peanut butter actually insulates salmonella from stomach acids allowing it to reach the intestines in virulent form.


So peanut butter has the potential to give pathogens the upperhand if they happen to enter the food supply; that still doesn't explain how salmonella got into the PCA facility in Blakely, Georgia in the first place. The bacteria is most commonly associated with undercooked eggs and tainted meat because it comes from animal feces (excuse me for stating the unmitigated truth). Produce, fish and spoiled dairy products can also contribute to salmonellosis as a result of cross-contamination anywhere along the chain from producer to consumer. Just in case you were wondering, the term "Salmonella" does not owe its name to the fish but rather to the veterinary pathologist (D. E. Salmon) who isolated the organism from sick pigs in the late 19th century. Since then, multiple types of Salmonella bacteria have been identified from many species of animal.


The strain of Salmonella that CDC investigators have found at the PCA plant does not match the one isolated from unopened containers of King Nut brand peanut butter by Minnesota and Connecticut health officials. Nevertheless, all products containing peanut butter and peanut paste from PCA are suspect, which is why well over 100 items have been recalled to date. On January 21, the FDA and CDC held a joint teleconference for the media in which they stated that traces of Salmonella were found in a floor crack in the plant near the washroom (hmm, sounds like a PCA employee may be the culprit).


Not knowing the ultimate source of this outbreak - which has made close to 500 people sick nationwide and killed 6 - is quite unsettling for the consumer. Americans tend to trust foods that are tightly packaged as opposed to things that are unwrapped and vulnerable to outside contaminants. The shiny silver foil or hermetically sealed bag encasing your favorite snack or indulgence - be it a granola bar, cookie or candy - seems to suggest sterility and gives the eater a false sense of security. The lesson we learn from this deadly outbreak of food-borne illness (and hundreds of others which have preceded it) is that invisible danger may lie within or without. We can thank the breakdown of food safety in this country on a system which rewards efficiency and mechanization as well as censure the government for poor enforcement of policies and procedures.
If this incident motivates you to do anything, I hope it will make you think twice about your reliance on packaged, mass-produced convenience foods. Perhaps you will take a little more time out of your day to buy a piece of fresh fruit and wash it thoroughly yourself. Or consider cooking your own dinner so you may personally prepare it safely and with care. Yes, there has been a breach of trust. Someone is to blame and should be punished. But the consumer must also take more responsibility for the food he puts in his mouth and gives to his children.

Inauguration Day

". . .Our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."

-President Barack Obama

Yes WE can! One person can not fix all the problems facing the nation. If we are to dig ourselves out of the dire economic situation, heal the planet, protect the U.S. from terrorist threats, feed the hungry, etc; every citizen must take action. Since I wish to keep the focus of this blog on healthy food and cooking, I'll keep this post short and relevant.

For people who can comfortably afford to put food on the table, eating is, undeniably, a political act. A large percentage of the food sold in this country is controlled by a few multi-billion dollar companies. Even seemingly ecological and healthy products are pawns and profit-drivers for avaricious businessmen who prey on consumers' ignorance and indifference. Furthermore, agribusiness and major food processors have convinced legislators to protect their earnings at the expense of small, hard-working farmers and the nation's health. Every time you take the "easy way out" when hunger strikes - stop at Dunkin' Donuts on the way to work or grab a slice of pizza for lunch - you condone government subsidies which favor unsustainable agricultural practices & corporate greed and further distance yourself from the source of your food.

While I can't give you an exact equation, there is an inverse relationship between the distance a food has traveled to reach your plate and its nutritional value (not to mention its impact on the planet). Even though the local food movement has experienced exponential growth in recent years, there is still a ton of work to be done. The simple fact that people need to eat at least three times a day creates numerous opportunites for ordinary citizens to do something to support family farmers, affordably manage their health, and protect the environment from further damage. Simple changes of habit and a teeny bit of planning can make a significant difference over time. If every single person committed to doing just one thing - say, bringing a homemade lunch (like a sandwich consisting of bread from a local bakery and cheese produced in one's home state) to work every day - it would make President Obama's job a little easier.

Sesame Quinoa Pilaf

Open Sesame! The sesame seed, in all of its forms, is one of God’s greatest gifts to creatures with Vata-dominant constitutions, like myself. Individuals who tend to be cold, dry, underweight, hyperactive and flighty benefit greatly from sesame products, which are heavy, heating, and moist. Sesamum indicum is the oldest known plant grown specifically for its seeds and oil. Sesame seeds are a good source of protein and minerals including calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Ample mineral intake is especially important for skinny Vata-types who are prone to osteoporosis (Vata, the air element, is what makes the bones porous).

I prefer to buy unhulled sesame seeds - they have a darker, less uniform color than the traditional white seeds commonly used to coat bread and bagels - because the hull, or outer coating of the seeds, is the source of most of the fiber and calcium. Granted, some of the calcium is bound up with oxalic acid, which inhibits the body from absorbing minerals. However, soaking and toasting unhulled seeds destroys most of this “anti-nutrient”. Even if you don’t bother to soak or cook your seeds, you’re still better off since the industrial process to remove the hulls is more detrimental to sesame’s nutritional profile than a little naturally-occurring oxalic acid.

Due to its high vitamin E content, sesame oil is more resistant to rancidity compared to other seed oils. While the oil in its unrefined form has a relatively low smoking point, it adds potent antioxidants and a moderate amount of monounsaturated fatty acids to sauces, marinades and low-heat sautéed dishes. Sesame oil is most prized as a massage oil in the Ayurvedic tradition. Daily self-massage helps keep Vata dosha in check, lubricates the tissues & joints and promotes softness and luster of the skin.

Quinoa is not commonly mentioned by Ayurvedic doctors for one simple reason: it doesn’t grow in India where Ayurveda originated. Rather, quinoa is indigenous to South America (the Andes mountains) and was introduced to the U.S. marketplace in the early 1980’s. This “super grain”, as it is often called even though it is not a grain, was originally embraced by hard-core vegetarian Americans but is now enjoyed by health-conscious omnivores and chefs. Chenopodium quinoa is actually a member of the goosefoot family (like spinach and beets) cultivated for its seeds and can be prepared in a fashion similar to rice. Unlike cereal grains (ie. rice and wheat), quinoa contains all essential amino acids so it’s a complete protein source. People who do not consume animal products also benefit from its iron, calcium and magnesium content. Quinoa’s fiber content qualifies it as a whole grain fast food - cooking time is 20 minutes or less! From an energetic perspective, quinoa has a warming, strengthening and drying effect.

While not the most ideal food for Vata, quinoa can be consumed in moderation and is best combined with things that are moistening. So here is a simple recipe which brings together two super-duper and complementary ingredients.

Sesame Quinoa Pilaf

1 cup quinoa
2 teaspoons ghee
2 Tablespoons unhulled sesame seeds
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

1. Rinse* quinoa well and drain.
2. Heat ghee over medium heat in medium-sized saucepan. Add sesame seeds and cook, stirring, until seeds turn golden brown and begin to pop. Add quinoa and cook about 30 seconds, stirring to coat with sesame seeds.
3. Add water and salt, bring to a boil, cover and simmer about 18 minutes, until all water is absorbed. Remove pan from heat and allow to sit 5 - 10 minutes, covered.
4. Transfer quinoa to a bowl and allow to cool a bit more before stirring in parsley.

*Quinoa has a coating of bitter-tasting saponins so should be rinsed before cooking.

Snowed In!

Nothing gets me in the mood to bake like a snow storm. Today I woke up to about 6 inches (not counting the drift) of the fluffy white stuff. Since the 9am yoga class I was planning to attend was cancelled, I figured I would make productive use of my time by rousing my inner domestic goddess. I decided to vacuum my apartment, do some laundry (long overdue!), throw away old magazines and bake something (especially since the eggs in my fridge were on the brink of expiring).
My favorite thing to bake are muffins because they are so easy to make and can be frozen in individual portions. I always like to keep a batch in the freezer to pop out for a quick breakfast or snack (45 seconds in the microwave is all it takes to turn an icy blob into a warm, moist pastry). Hmm, what flavor to make? I really didn’t have any choice but to prepare Carrot & Ginger Muffins since the carrot & gingerroot (even though it was slightly shriveled) sitting in the vegetable drawer were the most appealing muffin ingredients I had on hand. Apple juice and olive oil would have to serve as the liquid and fat portion since I only buy milk when it is called for in a specific recipe. And during cold and flu season, I like to keep my dairy intake (excluding butter and ghee, of course) to a minimum. I’m not Greek, but I love to bake with extra virgin olive oil. It is probably the healthiest “vegetable” oil (olives are actually fruit) on earth and you really can’t taste it in the finished product.
This recipe is quite Vata-pacifying due to ingredients that are heavy, moistening and warming - it’s chock full of sweet carrots, cinnamon and spicy ginger. The heavy oil and fiber, from whole wheat pastry flour and raisins, also help to keep things moving down the “pipe” (aka. GI tract or Annavaha srotas).

Carrot & Ginger Muffins

Makes 12 reasonably sized muffins

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup raw cane sugar
½ cup apple juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tb finely grated gingerroot
1 cup grated carrots

1/3 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.

2. In a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk the eggs, sugar, apple juice, olive oil and grated gingerroot.

3. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Gently mix until almost all the flour has been moistened. Stir in carrots and raisins and mix just to evenly distribute them.

4. Scoop batter into greased muffin tins and bake for 18 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer muffins to a cooling rack. If you do plan to freeze them, make sure they cool completely before you do. If you wish to eat them right away, wait a few minutes (I suggest preparing a cup of tea, the time it takes for the water to boil should allow for the muffins to cool enough not to burn the roof of your mouth).

Rasa Rx

You're probably wondering by now what the title of this blog means. For readers unfamilar with the Sanskrit language, the subtitle serves as a good working definition and sums up my philosophy of healthy eating. Simply put, Food that is pleasing to the tongue promotes health and well-being. As an Ayurvedic consultant and cooking instructor, I prescribe delicious, natural, home-cooked foods to my clients because I whole-heartedly agree with Hippocrates' advice: "Let medicine by thy food, and food be thy medicine."

A brief lesson in Sanskrit is necessary to fully convey the role that taste plays in Ayurvedic nutritional theory:

Rasa has several meanings including: "taste," "melody," "enthusiasm," "juice," and "essence." The word is made up of two parts: 'ra' and 'sa.' Ra means "to relish" or "to praise" while sa translates as "sap" or "juice." According to the first and most common definition, rasa is the sensation experienced when a substance touches the tongue. The sense of taste relies on the presence of saliva, or the "juicy" secretions of the mouth, as implied by the root sa. And the other root of rasa suggests that this sensation is associated with pleasure and praise.

Why would anyone put an edible substance in their mouth that they knew in advance would not taste good? For a bet (in which a lot of $$ was at stake)? To lose weight (perhaps, a meal-replacement protein shake)? Because a celebrity or a good friend swears by it? Nonsense!

Eating foods you don't like just because they are supposed to be good for you is pointless. Scientific studies have actually shown that people absorb more nutrients when they eat things that they like. A simple experiment was conducted involving Swedish and Thai women who were fed meals from their own and the other culture. The subjects absorbed more iron when they ate food that was familiar and appealing to them (check out the book "The Gospel of Food" by Barry Glassner).

The Six Tastes

Ayurvedic nutrition (and pharmacology) is predicated on the idea that every substance is made up of some unique combination of the five basic elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth). Each taste - sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent - is likewise composed of the elements. The two predominant elements in each taste determines its effect on the body and mind. For example, sweet consists of mostly earth and water so it exerts a cooling and downward force. Excess consumption of sweet foods (especially concentrated sources of sugar) results in sluggishness, weight gain and eventually obesity and diabetes. Eating sweet things appropriately and in moderation (like fruit and whole grains) can be quite beneficial because they bring about stability, strength and energy. The upshot of this reasoning is that healthy foods are selected based on their taste. In a way, the six tastes take on the role of nutrients.

Ayurveda recommends that each meal consist of all 6 tastes in the proper proportion (the relative quantities will depend on the consumer's constitution and state of health as well as other factors like the time of day and season of the year). To bring about balance in the body, the consumption of foods containing tastes predominantly comprised of those elements that are lacking is usually prescribed. Spices are used extensively in Ayurvedic cooking because they contribute to the taste profile of a meal and have digestive properties. Good digestion is crucial to health and longevity (more about this in future posts).

• Sweet = Earth + Water : promotes growth of tissues, gives strength & longevity, relieves thirst


• Sour = Earth + Fire : stimulates appetite, improves digestion, energizes body, enlightens mind


• Salty = Water + Fire : promotes growth; aids digestions, absorption & elimination


• Pungent = Fire + Air : aids circulation, promotes elimination, kills germs, brings clarity


• Bitter = Air + Space : antitoxic, relieves burning sensations, relieves gas, digestive tonic


• Astringent = Air + Earth : helps heal ulcers and stop bleeding, cooling & drying