Ayurvedic Recipes to combat winter allergies, cold, improve gut health and more!
Why Soup?
Ayurveda has described an important factor of digestion and metabolism in our body as Agni. Ingested food is to be digested, absorbed and assimilated, which is unavoidable for the maintenance of life, and is performed by Agni. In Ayurveda, the term “Agni” is used in the sense of digestion of food and metabolic products.
Agni converts food in the form of energy, which is
responsible for all the vital functions of our body. Therefore, Ayurveda considers that Dehagni (the digestive fire) is the cause of life, complexion, strength, health, nourishment, lustre, oja, teja (energy) and prana (life energy).
About the importance of Agni, Scholar Charak has mentioned that after stoppage of the function of Agni, the individual dies, and when the Agni of an individual is sama, then that person would be absolutely healthy and would lead a long, happy, healthy life. If Agni of a person is vitiated, the whole metabolism in his body would be disturbed, resulting in ill health and disease. Hence, Agni is said to be the base (mool) of life.
Ayurveda agrees that no medicine is equivalent to food; it is possible to make a person disease free merely with appropriate diet. One has to follow code of dietetics for better health. The main key for treating hyperacidity is to improve digestion. Appropriate quantity and quality of food consumed helps to prevent and control hyperacidity. One should also take food considering one’s own capacity of digestion.
To aid the agni, Yusha is one of the most important Ayurvedic healthy recipe to take in.
About meat soup -
There are many myths surrounding Ayurveda like one should either be vegan or vegetarian, the truth is quite different.
Eating meat is absolutely a personal decision, primarily based upon your morals, spiritual practices, physical needs, and fitness status.
Does Ayurveda means following veganism/vegetarianism?
I often get asked this question a lot by many people and so today I decided to answer this question today once for all.
I hate to break this to you that if you read the historic Indian scriptures like the Vedas (the source of Ayurveda) and Puranas, the outline and rationalization of meat has been given.
The classic text ‘Charaka Samhita’ says,
“The life of all living things is food; the entire world seeks food, complexion, clarity, good voice, long life, understanding, happiness, satisfaction, growth, intelligence etc. are all because of food.”
Like plants and grains, Ayurveda also accepts meat as a form of food. Emphasizing upon it Charaka says, no other food excels meat in producing a nourishing effect in the body (mamsam brimhananam). And Ayurveda also gives detailed explanations on meat in eight different categories which include animals, birds and fish.
The truth is that Ayurveda is not, and never was, a vegetarian system. All classical texts describe the qualities and properties of animal products, Jangam dravya, including their use in the treatment of many diseases.
Out of the many diseases and syndromes described by Ayurveda, only for the disease of unmada (psychosis) is a vegetarian diet sometimes prescribed, but not consistently. Otherwise, for every other disease the practical utility of animal products in the diet is described. Ayurveda seers dealt with all types of patients 5000 years back, and they too recommended consuming the meat of desert-dwelling animals in various diseases, as well as the ubiquitous application of mamsa rasam (meat soup).
1) Green gram soup ( Yusha)
Ingredients (2 servings)
- Green gram — 50 gm
- Water — 200 ml
- Salt — 5 gm
- Pepper — as per taste
- Oil/ghee — 10 ml
- Mustard seeds — 1/2 teaspoon
- Fenugreek seeds — 6 to 8 seeds
- Curry leaves — 5–10
- Lemon juice — 1 teaspoon
- Total quantity: 2 bowls (400ml)
Method of preparation -
Cook green gram and take the substrate, add salt. Roast some pepper on flame, crush them and add to the substrate, boil for 3 minutes. Season with mustard, fenugreek and curry leaves. Add lime juice or dry raw mango powder. Yusha or delicious soup is ready. Coriander leaves, ajwain (carom seeds), garlic can be added as per the taste and availability.
Health benefits
Yusha is used as a nutritious drink and as adjuvant or vehicle (anupana) with medicines. It is easy to digest and less likely to cause bloating, indigestion and flatulence because of green gram and thymol of ajwain so can be used post-surgery, post-delivery to meet protein demands when digestion is weak. It contains less phytic acid so increases body’s ability to absorb iron and other minerals. The high fibre and protein levels produce longer satiety times by increasing the satiety hormone cholecystokinin. The presence of large amount of magnesium makes it a potent BP regulator.
Yusha is the best daily soup for all metabolic disorders like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and psoriasis.
Yusha passifies Kafa and Vaata dosha.
2) Meat soup (Mamsa rasa)
- Ingredients (serves 2)
- Mutton/ lamb (preferably goat leg meat) — 200 gm
- Pippali or black pepper — 10 gm
- Rice — 10 gm
- Horse gram — 10 gm
- Dry ginger — 10 gm
- No. of Servings: 2–3 soup bowls (500–600ml)
Method of preparation
Small pieces of mutton and powdered barley, horse gram and dry ginger should be boiled in 750ml of water and reduced to 200ml. Filter after cooling.
Health benefits
It gives nourishment to the body by improving digestion and taste. It is protein source, mineral reservoir, relieves joint pain due to presence of glucosamine, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin. It improves immune function due to presence of amino acids like proline, arginine, glutamine. It is rich in many amino acids such as cystine, histidine, and glycine and compound-L-Glutamine which may reduce inflammation.
Mamsa rasa is best to include in the diet of peroxide. suffering. from osteoarthritis, Hyperthyroidism, Asthma, Chronic cough and generalised weakness.
Mamsa rasa passifies Pitta and Vaata dosha.
Note — These are generic recipes, patients should book an appointment for consultation personalized recipes
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