Services - Ayurvedic Cooking

 


Ayurveda is a holistic science which works on healing of body, mind and spirit through diet, lifestyle, medicinal herbs, and revitalizing therapies. So, Ayurveda cooking means preparing food that ensures optimal health of body, mind and soul as well.

Food plays an important role in our health and fitness. According to Ayurveda, cooking is not just about palatable food and flavorful dishes, rather it is the key to continuous good health.

Ayurvedic cooking includes the knowledge and use of herbs, spices, vegetables, legumes etc to maintain physical, mental, social and spiritual harmony. Ayurveda foods are appetizing, flavorful and aromatic and offer healing and good health when served in an inspiring atmosphere. Ayurveda foods help to clean the accumulated toxins (which are a result of improperly digested food) and rejuvenate the body as each dish is cooked and spiced to achieve maximum digestibility.

Every individual has a unique body constitution (Dosha) and needs different foods to maintain overall health. For example, Vata is a cold dry dosha, hence person with Vata as predominant dosha need warm, nourishing foods, while the Pitta person requires cool food to balance his fire element. Ayurvedic cooking also take into account the effect of cooking method on the quality of the foods, the feelings of the cook and of the vibrations of surrounding atmosphere, the compatibility of foods, the time of cooking and eating, the cycle of the seasons. Ayurveda considered food as a stimulant to a higher consciousness.

Thus, Ayurvedic cooking is both an art and a science. Food properly cooked and consumed work as a great medicine and helps one to lead a long, energetic and healthy life.

Ayurveda cooking is not difficult, with a little knowledge you can cook an Ayurvedic meal with the help of commonly available ingredients. Pulses, grains, spices, fresh vegetables and fruits, ghee, and milk products play major role in Ayurvedic cooking. A balanced Ayurvedic diet should include all six tastes in a meal - sweet, salty, sour, astringent, bitter, and pungent.
  Cookery Course -1
The classes will be run by "Dr Rajvinder Kaur" or "Dr Shraddha Jarikoti", both of whom have a wealth of knowledge in the area of diet and nutrition.

In our "series 1" cookery class we will cover the nature and use of many herbs (for both flavour & health) including: Tumeric, Ginger, Corriander, Hingu, Cumin, Cinnamon, Fennell, Ajowan and coriander among others. The course covers the preparation of the following foods:
1. Rice
2. Vegetables - how to prepare vegetables with "Ghee" using a variety of herbs and spices
3. Dal - a protein filled dish using "mung Dal" and a mixture of herbs and spices
4. Chapati
5. Chai - Indian tea
6. Lassi - a great digestive aid, that can be taken with meals - made with yogurt and water
7. Rice Pudding

The aim of this class is to enable you to prepare a delicious meal using all six tastes, Once you get to know the use of different herbs and spices you can vary them in the cooking to create meals suitable to your own Dosha (nature).

Ayurvedic cooking is not complicated, with a little knowledge you can make healthy delicious meals in a short space of time, so "let food be your medicine" and join us on "Cookery Course- 1".
 
  Cookery Course -2
This course is ideal for everyone who has done "Cookery Course 1" or who has a basic understanding of Ayurvedic Cooking.

In "course 2" we show the preparation of the following dishes:

1. Paneer - Indian Cheese
2. Palak Paneer - spinach and paneer dish
3. Vegetable Birani - rice with vegetables
4. Stuffed Paratha - Indian bread stuffed with vegetables
5. Riata - Cooling yoghurt dish with cucumber & spices
6. Kadhi - Gram flour dish
7. Pakora - Indian snacks
8. Halwa - desert
9. Vermicili desert

The aim of this course is to greatly increase the variety of Ayurvedic meals you can prepare. However if you have not done Ayurvedic cooking before it is best to do "Course 1"

See Events section for workshop dates