Have you just come back from your Ayurveda Spa Holiday in Sri Lanka or India and now want to integrate Ayurveda into your everyday life? Or are you interested in Ayurveda and feel like testing a few recipes out for yourself? It’s really not that hard. We have put together a few Ayurveda recipes for you that you can easily do at home.
Paneer – the Indian fresh cheese
Paneer can be used as an ingredient for many other Ayurvedic recipes and dishes, but can also be eaten on its own. You’ll just need the following:
- bowl
- pot
- metal sieve
- clean plate – or cotton cloth
- 1 litre milk
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar or pure lemon juice
- salt for seasoning
Bring the milk to the boil in a pan and add salt and the lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (depending what you’re using). Stir and take the pot off the heat, then stir through again. Place a clean dish, or a cotton cloth, in the sieve and place in a bowl. Now add the milk. The whey should run into the bowl and the paneer should remain in the cloth. Eventually press with a spoon so that the whey runs off. Finally wring the contents of the cloth out, so the last of the whey comes out. The less liquid that remains in the paneer, the more firm the cheese will be. Home-made paneer should keep for up to 5 days in a fridge. According to the Ayurveda recipe, paneer should have a strengthening effect on the organisms and is reputed to be one of the healthiest types of cheese.
An ayurveda recipe for a magic drink of golden milk
Above all Golden Milk consists of the spice turmeric, which is reputed to produce healing effects. You’ll just need:
- 1 tsp of turmeric paste
- 1 tsp of native oil (e.g. coconut oil)
- 1 glass of soya, or almond milk
- pot
Here’s how to prepare Golden Milk:
Put the milk, turmeric paste, and pepper into a pot and stir well continually while heating. If you prefer it less creamy, you can dilute the mixture with water. Or if you want, you can also add something to sweeten it. Pour everything into a cup after adding the oil and stir again thoroughly.
This is one of the best known Ayurvedic recipes which detoxifies the liver, stimulates the digestive system and counteracts the feeling of bloatedness. In addition, it works as a pain reducer and an anti-inflammatory, and therefore is a good treatment for rheumatic disorders or arthrosis. Also reduces blood-sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure with regular intake.
Ayurvedic ghee – one of the most important ayurvedic recipes
Ghee is an important ingredient in Ayurvedic Cuisine. You can easily make ghee yourself using the following recipe.
- 2 pots
- sieve
- clean dish – or cotton cloth
- ladle
- screw-top jar
- 5 kg organic butter or sour cream
Heat the butter in a pan until it starts to boil, then reduce the heat. The liquid butter should be cooked for about 45 minutes with the butter gently bubbling. While heating, skim the protein off the top of the butter using a ladle. When the butter is clear, it is ready for the next step. Take care not to allow the butter to turn an ochre – dark brown colour. When the butter is ready it should smell of caramel and slightly of nuts, and should have a yellow-golden colour and clear consistency. Now pour the ghee through the cloth and sieve into a second pot. Afterwards it can be filled up in a jar and tightly sealed. Ghee keeps un-cooled and unopened for many years. Because Ghee does not contain any protein or waste products, it is a very pure product that should give the body a large amount of energy. Ghee helps the body detoxify and purify itself. The older the Ghee is, the greater the therapeutic effect it should have on the body.
Ginger water, another highlight of the ayurveda cook-book
Ginger water, according to the Ayurvedic cook-book, is easily and quickly prepared. For it you’ll just need:
- 4-5 slices of peeled, fresh ginger
- 1 litre water
- pot
Place the prepared ginger with the water in a pot and bring to the boil. Allow about half the water to boil down and leave to cool. Ginger water can be served hot or cold over the day. It should help with colds, weather sensitivity, and to detoxify the body.
A foundation for any ayurveda recipe – hot, boiled water
Hot water is a keystone in any Ayurvedic recipe. So it is especially important in any Ayurveda cure. When making an Ayurvedic remedy, try and drink it as hot as you can.
Hot, boiled water is reputed to have the following features:
- It prevents Problems with the digestive system
- The skin becomes suppler and fresher
- Prevents tiredness and fatigue
- It has an effect on the nerves – you will be calmer and more satisfied
- It refreshes
If you drink a lot over the day but still often feel thirsty and have dry skin, then this means metabolic residue is blocking your digestive system. The cells cannot take on any more water. Drink hot, boiled water and provided you use the remedy-spices from an Ayurveda recipe, you should quickly start to feel better.
If ayurveda at home is not enough, check SpaDreams ayurvedic holidays!
