Food doesn’t need to be complicated to be nourishing and delicious.
Here’s the formula:
- Spices
- Vegetables
- Carbohydrate
- Protein
- Fat
Vegetarian, Vegan, Pescatarian or meat eater? Vata, Pitta or Kapha? The method is the same. We just add whatever suits us.
Spices:
Here I’ve kept is simple. 1tsp Ground cumin and coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Salt and pepper. Freshly grated ginger and garlic.
Maybe make a spice blend in advance and store it in an airtight jar away from sunlight.
Kapha Spice Mix
- 2tbs Coriander seeds
- 2tbs cumin seeds
- 1tbs mustard seeds
- 1tbs ground ginger
- 1tbs ground turmeric
- 1tsp ground cloves
- 1tsp ground black pepper or pippali
- 1/4tsp chilli powde
Vata Spice Mix
- 2tbs Fennel seeds
- 2tbs Coriander seeds
- 2tbd cumin seeds
- 1tbs ground turmeric
- 2tbs group ginger
- 1tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 2tsp rock sal
Pitta Spice Mix
- 2tbs Coriander seeds
- 1tbs fenugreek seeds
- Seeds of 10 cardamon pods
- 1/2tsp Saffron strands
- 1tbs cinnamon powder
- 2tbs Fennel seeds
- 2tbs Cumin seeds
Fat:
Here I’ve used coconut oil. Ghee is balancing for Pitta and Vata dosha. Olive oil or rapeseed oil for All the dosha.
Vegetables:
What do you have in the fridge? Choose 2 vegetables. Here I’ve used courgette and kale. Doesn’t need much cooking and it’s what I had. Maybe a little forward planning and chop a few extra veg and store in the fridge in an airtight container.
Carbohydrate:
Here I chose basmati rice. It was cooked by the time the veg was cooked. You could choose: flatbread, quinoa, buckwheat….if you’re short of time go with something that cooks relatively quickly.
Protein:
I thought I might add some beans, but decided to flake a smoked mackerel fillet through the cooked vegetables when the were cooked. It was really delicious.
Option:
- leftover cooked chicken or fish.
- Tinned beans or lentils.
- Flaked almonds.
- Toasted sesame seeds.
- Tofu
- Or to keep it light, just go for the veggies
If you are adding tinned or cooked pulses add them with the liquid and cook through for about 5 minutes.
So here the very quick method:
Start: 
My recipe today:
- 1tsp Cumin seeds – ground
- 1tsp coriander seeds – ground
- 1/2tsp turmeric powder
- Salt and about 1/2tsp pepper
- Grated garlic and ginger
- tsp coconut oil
- 1/3 tin coconut milk and the roughly the same quantity again of boiling water.
- 1 courgette and a bunch of kale
- 1 smoked mackerel fillet
Boil the kettle and put on some rice. I usually just add double the quantity of boiling water to rice. 1 stir, put the lid on and let it cook. It works every time for me.
Heat oil in a pan. Add dry spices and fry for a few minutes. Add ginger and garlic. Fry add a splash of boiling water so that the spices don’t burn.
Add chopped vegetables. Fry for 5 mins. Here I added 1/3 tin of coconut milk (store the rest in a jar in the fridge) and maybe the same again of boiling wat
Add beans, pulses, chicken, fish or whatever protein you are adding. Cook for a further 5 mins.
Ready!!
