The Ayurvedic Cookbook
Product Description
The Ayurvedic Cookbook gives a fresh new perspective on this ancient art ofself-healing. Over 250 taste-tested recipes are specifically designed tobalance each constitution, with an emphasis on simplicity, ease and soundnutrition…. More >>
Amadea Morningstar not only gives you delicious, simple recipes for meals but also recipes for medicinal drinks, based on Ayurveda. She talks about the spiritual side of cooking, which has affected my personal approach to cooking everything – not just these foods. She also gives good information on dairy and how it is best digested. The one recipe I keep coming back to in here is the one for banana muffins. No one can resist them! I change the flours at times, and find that this recipe is the best vegan muffin recipe I’ve ever found! BTW -if you are vegan or vegetarian, this book is an excellent resource.
Covering the ancient science of Ayurvedism in one book and relating that science to your daily menu is no easy task. Yet this book does so quite well, and is appropriate for the beginner or the expert. If you know very little, you can learn how to determine your own dosha and begin assessing what foods are best for you. If you are beyond that, you will benefit from the many insights offered in a wide range of topics including seasonal and daily diets, nutrition, ingredients, and of course the recipes. As a chef with an interest in healthful cuisines, I must admit that some of the recipes are a bit bland. However, as the book points out, our taste buds have become accustomed to excessive salt and these recipes allow you to experience the pure flavors of the ingredients. Some recipes are completely delicious, such as Spicy Cumin Eggplant or Cream of Greens Soup. Another benefit of this book is that most of the ingredients are easy to find, which can be a problem for American cooks trying to make Indian food.
I have been really pleased with the Ayurvedic Cookbook! It gives an excellent introduction into Ayurvedic nutritional theory, along with a self-exam so that you may determine your Dosha. There is a great index in the back which lists all foods according to their Dosha which makes menu planning easier. For the most part, the recipes are tasty and easy to prepare. You may find it difficult, however to locate some of the unique Indian spices and food items, especially if you are not living in a large metropolitan area. I did not care for some of the recipes as they were a little strange to my taste, but most were excellent!
I’m not a vegetarian, but when I use the recipes in this book, I don’t miss the meat. Yes, this book will teach you about the ancient art of Ayurvedia, but that would all be useless if it didn’t taste good because I wouldn’t use it. It emphasizes well spiced foods specific to your particular constitution, and I found that the recommendations often went along with things that I had already figured out, for example that I needed to eat well cooked foods. Most the ingredients in this book are easy to find – if I can get them in Philly, you can probably get them anywhere. If this were only a vegetarian cookbook, it would be a 5-star book (and I say that as a meat-eater). With all of the extra Ayurvedic information, this is a book you should have if you do any of your own cooking.
This cookbook has been one of my favorites ever since it first came out in 1990. Now 15 years later, it is ripped, worn, bent, curry stained and I’m buying a new copy. The recipes taste great, have greatly enhanced my family’s health and vitality and been enjoyed by many friends. But it’s not just a cookbook. The authors bless us with an Ayurvedic perspective on diet, constitution, lifestyle and body/mind/spirit healing and also clarify contemporary health issues related to sugar, dairy products and soyfoods in the light of ancient wisdom. This book is beautifully written, intelligently conceived and vibrates with wisdom and love.