Summary
Highlights
Cardamom helps reduce sugar cravings and regulates insulin absorption. It's beneficial for colds, sinus congestion, and emotional well-being.
Pluff is a traditional Central Asian dish made with ghee, carrots, chickpeas, and rice, often prepared for celebrations. The recipe has ancient origins, traveling through the silk route with similar ingredients to pilaf rice.
Ghee, or clarified butter, is used in Ayurvedic cooking, providing a high smoke point for cooking spices. It acts as a carrier for fat-soluble spices like turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, and saffron to penetrate tissues effectively.
Ghee contains butyric acid, which supports the stomach lining. It is cooling for pitadosha and beneficial for vatadosha. Cooking spices in ghee infuses the oil with their beneficial qualities.
Leeks and ginger are used as replacements for onion and garlic in Ayurvedic cooking. Carrots are cut in a specific way. Fenugreek and cardamom pods are crushed to be later added to the ghee.
Fenugreek aids lactating mothers and boosts stamina in men. Both fenugreek and cardamom regulate blood sugar levels. Recommended to cook spices with fats.
Cooking process involves infusing spices with ghee to enhance their properties. This enhances both aroma and health benefits. Keeping an eye on ghee is important, solids should be left undisturbed.
Rice is washed with cold water to retain some starch for better flavor and texture. Cooking with specific temperature is important to differentiate amount of starch that is eliminated during the process.
Leeks are cooked down with cumin and spices, creating the first layer of the pluff. Curry leaves and cardamom are added for flavor.
Ghee is strained to remove sediments and stored in a clean jar. Cool completely before sealing to prevent moisture and bacteria growth.
Fenugreek tea can be made by boiling seeds in water and sipping. Can be used to regulate blood sugar levels, increase estrogen, and breast milk production with women and increase body strenght in men.
The pluff is layered with leeks, spices, carrots, chickpeas, and uncooked rice, and saffron water. Layers are cooked together and should come to boil to finally steam the plate and be ready.
Ingredients for vegan coconut flatbread: flour (with bicarb soda), vegan coconut yogurt, salt, olive oil, and water. All ingredients are mixed and set aside to then prepare the dough.
Prepare the dough to be more gummy. Use water until it reaches desired state. When needing, the fiber are pressed together to create a thick ball of dough.
Rice is ready when water is cooked down at the bottom of the pan. Avoid any additional fluids and let it steam once water has evaporated.
Raita is a cooling side dish made with cucumbers, mint, cilantro, and yogurt. Cucumber is pacifying and hydrating. Add all ingredients and mix.
The dough is sectioned and flattened by hand to later add nugella seeds (black cumin) to add flavor and medicinal benefits to the flatbread.
Flatbreads are cooked on a pan without oil for a couple of minutes on each side.
A grace by Maharishi mahosy yogi is shared before enjoying the Ayurvedic meal. Is advised to use sea salt in winter and avoid leftovers for having more life force energy in the food.