THE

TOP 10

MY FAVOURITE, MOST COOKED

AYURVEDIC RECIPES OF ALL TIME!
BY NADIA MARSHALL
THE MUDITA INSTITUTE
Welcome
Hi, my name is Nadia Marshall from the Mudita Institute and WARMTH TV. I am an
Ayurvedic Consultant, Cook and Health Writer.

I confess, I’m not the most inventive cook in the world. I have a repertoire of dishes that I
make again and again. I occasionally branch out but not so much….

Partly because I know my repertoire so well... but mainly because I love these dishes,
think they’re absolutely delicious and I know they are awesome for my digestion.

I also know they’re ‘tri-doshic’ which means they are balancing for all constitutions… so
for everyone in the family!

And I’m now going to share them with you! These are my top 10 most cooked Ayurvedic
recipes. The best thing about this collection is if you learn how to make these, you will
become so familiar with the approach to Ayurvedic cooking that you’ll be able to
confidently make anything in our full cookbook.

You’ll also be using similar spices again and again which will have a positive cumulative
effect on your digestive fire.

From an Ayurvedic perspective this is considered pretty important because an

imbalanced digestive fire is considered the root cause of all disease. Keeping your belly
happy is the most important preventative health measure you can take.

There are videos for each of these recipes available for free on our website and on
YouTube. I will hold your hand through them all (with my various crazy hair styles and
colours over the years) and show you exactly what things should look like in the
beginning, in the middle and at the end.

If you enjoy these recipes and would like more, you should purchase our full Ayurvedic
cookbook. It’s called, “WARMTH: The Ayurvedic Cookbook” and is filled with food that
nourishes a kind mind, warm heart and a happy belly.

We have refined the recipes in the book over the last 12 years so it’s our ultimate
collection. It’s available on our website at www.muditainstitute.com.

Happy cooking! xxx

Love
Nadia xx
Eating Ayurvedically
Ayurveda is India’s timeless traditional system of medicine. Although developed more than
5000 years ago, it is based on the fundamental, unchanging laws of nature so remains as
relevant today as ever before.

However, Ayurveda is more than a medical system, it is a ‘science of life’, teaching

principles and practices that help us live a life of greater depth, health and happiness.
Food is at the very heart of this journey. Ayurveda teaches us how to choose, prepare,
eat and relate to our food in a way that makes it deeply nourishing to our body and mind.

Many of the books and cookbooks about Ayurvedic nutrition and cooking that exist tend
to scare the ‘new explorer’ of this beautiful science away before they even begin. This has
been our personal experience and we have seen it with many clients and friends over the
years. Why? Because Ayurveda can get very complicated and confusing. But it doesn’t
have to be this way!

When starting out on the Ayurvedic path, it is vitally important to take baby steps. You
need to get to know yourself a little better and to get to know your food a little better; over
time. This is a relationship that cannot be rushed! You also need a simple framework or
context to work within, so you know why you are doing what you are doing - but not too
much reasoning. Knowledge is a bit like salt in a dish. You want just enough to enhance
the other flavours but not so much that it takes over and spoils the dish!

Below is a very brief overview of how we teach ‘eating Ayurvedically’ at our talks,
workshops, retreat and in our publications... to give you the framework behind each and
every of the meals in this booklet.

Agni & Ama

The first thing you need to understand about Ayurveda is the concept of AGNI. ‘Agni’ is a
sanskrit term that refers to our digestive fire and it plays a central role in Ayurveda whether
you are eating breakfast or undergoing heart surgery. In every case, in every situation,
Agni is at the forefront of a practitioners mind because it is believed that, at the physical
level, imbalanced Agni is the root cause of ALL disease.

Agni can have several states. It can be BALANCED (or ‘sama’), or it can be imbalanced.
There are three states of imbalanced Agni - SHARP (or ‘tikshna’), DULL (or ‘manda’) and
IRREGULAR (or ‘visham’). So how do these imbalanced states feel and what effect do
they have in the gut?

If our AGNI is too sharp, we will have an insatiable appetite... but our food will be
'overcooked' in the gut and nothing but charcoal will remain. SHARP AGNI can manifest
as things like heartburn, reflux or burning pain after eating.  
If our fire is too low or dull, our appetite will also be low... and when we eat, our food
won't be cooked properly.  If we have DULL AGNI we can eat very little and still gain
weight.  We may feel heavy, dull and lethargic, especially after eating. If our fire is variable
we may have a raging appetite one minute and no appetite at all the next.  We may think
we're really hungry but then as soon as we eat something, we feel full and bloated. When
we put food on a variable fire, it remains uncooked - some bits may be burnt, other bits
remain uncooked. VARIABLE AGNI can manifest as things like bloating, pain, burping and
farting.  

The undigested food (undercooked or overcooked) that remains from these three
imbalanced states of AGNI is toxic to the body.  In Ayurveda, it is called AMA.

AMA is a thick, heavy, sticky, mucous-like substance that lines the walls of our digestive
tract, hampering our digestion further.  However, it is also absorbed into our blood stream
and enters the many thousands of channels in our body - channels responsible for
carrying nutrients to our cells and wastes away from our cells.  These toxins hamper our
cellular nutrition and eventually lodge into areas of weakness in our tissues where they
cause disturbance of cellular intelligence and the manifestation of disease.   

General symptoms of AMA in the body are a thick coating on the tongue in the morning,
general fatigue, a lack-lustre of the skin, all of the states of indigestion described above,
irregular elimination, fluctuations in energy level, mood and appetite and pain and stiffness
in the joints.

Normally the body is capable of eliminating AMA all on its own.  However, when the
digestive fire is imbalanced and the ‘toxic load’ increases with every meal, the body
becomes overwhelmed and the disease process is inevitable. To reverse the process, you
need to bring your attention to cultivating balanced AGNI. But don’t worry, the recipes in
this cookbook are designed for this very thing!

Building Balanced Agni & Reducing Ama

One of the principles or laws of nature Ayurveda teaches is ‘Like Increases Like’. This
means that when you expose anything in nature to a certain quality, that quality will be
increased. We can use this simple but profound idea to build a strong digestive fire, or
balanced AGNI.

Balanced AGNI has the qualities of warm, light and slightly oily. If we want to build
balanced AGNI, we simply need to introduce these same qualities through our food and
lifestyle practices, regardless of our our constitution. But how do we do this?

As a basic starting point, you need to favour food that is unprocessed - that is, wholefood
that hasn’t been processed by food manufacturers and doesn’t come in colourful packets
with a list of unrecognisable ingredients.... pretty much anything your great grandmother
wouldn’t recognise as food! Your body finds it easier to digest wholefoods because they,
like your body, are more ‘natural’. They also have a more ‘sattvic’ or peaceful quality to
them which has an effect on your mind.
To introduce the quality of ‘WARM’ you simply need to favour predominantly cooked
foods, use mild spices in your cooking and sip warm drinks throughout the day. Try
starting the day with a ginger, honey and lemon tea - the best way to kick start your AGNI
and eliminate AMA in the morning. You also need to avoid excessively HOT foods such as
chilli and also COLD foods and drinks (that means pudding and cake is preferable to
icecream!).

To introduce the quality of ‘LIGHT’ you need to avoid the excessive consumption of very
heavy foods like meat, cheese and eggs and prepare other heavy foods like wheat and
milk in a way that makes them lighter. Milk should be consumed cooked with spices and
wheat should be eaten as dry roasted chappattis and semolina. You should also favour
lighter foods such as those presented in this book.

To introduce the ‘SLIGHTLY OILY’ quality you should use a moderate amount of good
quality oil in your cooking - including ghee, sunflower oil, sesame oil and olive oil. This will
help to ignite the fire in your belly and keep it burning bright. And you should avoid the
excessive consumption of dry foods (crackers, baked goods, salads, low fat foods) or
overly oily foods (such as deep fried foods).

The quantity of food you eat is also important. Try to avoid over-eating on a regular basis.
If you happen to over-eat one meal, simply skip the next meal or have something extra
light, to help your AGNI recover.

One last thing. Our AGNI is at its strongest in the middle of the day, when the sun is at its
highest point. If you can, try to eat your main meal, or your heaviest meal of the day at
midday and eat a lighter meal in the evening. Traditional cultures have followed this
practice for thousands of years but it has been forgotten in our modern culture. Try and
bring it back whenever possible.

But the most important thing is to eat food that has been cooked with love - it is always
easier to digest!

If you would like more great recipes or would like to know more about eating to
support a strong digestive fire, read about our course,“LIVING AYURVEDA”.
1: Oats Porridge
Ingredients:

∼ 1 cup rolled oats

∼ 1 tbsp ghee
∼ 1 cup boiling water
∼ ½ cup unhomogenised organic/biodynamic milk
∼ 3-4 tsp raw sugar (unrefined) or jaggery
∼ 2 tbsp sultanas/raisins
∼ 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method:
Choose a heavy based pan and dry roast the oats, stirring over medium heat for 1-2
mins.

Add the ghee to the pan and stir until oats are lightly coated in ghee. Stir slowly over low-
medium heat for 1-2 mins then add the boiling water carefully (as it will spit a bit). Stir,
then add the milk, sultanas, cinnamon and sugar.

Bring to the boil then turn down the heat to low. Stir occasionally until the oats are well
cooked, add more water/milk as required to get the desired consistency. Serve into bowls
and eat warm.

If you’d like a lighter porridge that cooks faster, you can grind the oats in a spice grinder
first then follow the same method. Our teacher, Dr Ajit taught us to do this and it’s a
delicious approach! You can also do the same with rolled barley.

GF OPTION: Although oats are technically gluten-free, coeliacs may wish to avoid them
as they are usually processed on the same equipment as wheat products. However, you
can purchase oats processed on wheat-free equipment (e.g. Bob’s Red Mill Pure Rolled
Oats). Alternativley, try rolled amaranth instead.

Serves 2, Gluten-Free Option

2: Mung Flour Pancakes
Ingredients:

∼ Ghee or sunflower oil for ∼ 1 cup mung daal flour

frying
∼ ¼ tsp asafoetida powder
∼ 1 tsp cumin seeds
∼ ½ tsp turmeric powder
∼ ½ tsp ground dry ginger
∼ water to make a batter
approx 1 ½ cups
∼ sml bunch coriander
leaves, finely chopped
∼ salt to taste

Method:

These pancakes make a delicious savoury breakfast but also a great lunch or light dinner
(and are recommended during Ayurvedic cleanses). The most important element to their
success is a good frying pan. We’ve had best results with a Bacarratt 26cm Health Pan.
It’s also a good idea to get a smallish ladle that contains about ½ to ¾ of a cup of batter.

Add all of the dry ingredients to a bowl and mix with a whisk. Then add enough water to
create quite a liquidy batter. Next add the wet ingredients – the coriander and 1 tsp of
ghee and stir.

Heat your non-stick pan on a medium flame until it's nice and hot. Add a little more ghee
to the pan then pour enough batter to make a thin, crepe-like evenly spread pancake.

Add a little more ghee around the edge of the pancake. Let it cook until the top is dry and
the edges start to curl up then turn the pancake over using a thin spatula. Cook the other
side for 30 seconds or so until it is golden brown. Serve hot with some chutney and some
lightly cooked spinach or a vegetable subji like a sweet potato and spinach subji.

NOTE: If you eat these regularly (and you’ll want to!) you can make up a large batch of the
dry ingredients and store in a jar so when it comes to making them, you only have to add
the wet ingredients.

Serves 2, Gluten-Free
3: Spelt & Buckwheat Pancakes
Ingredients:

∼ ½ cup buckwheat flour ∼ ½ tsp ground cinnamon

∼ ½ cup spelt flour ∼ 1 ½ cups water (or a little
∼ 2 tsp almond meal less)
∼ ghee for cooking

Method:

These pancakes make a delicious sweet breaky and a light alternative to the pancakes
you’ve probably grown up with. The most important element to their success is a good
frying pan. We’ve had best results with a Bacarratt 26cm Health Pan.

Add all of the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir with a whisk to remove lumps.
Now add enough water to create a thinnish batter. If you have time, let the batter sit for
5-10 minutes before cooking the pancakes – it will thicken up as time passes so you may
need to add a little extra water before cooking.

Heat your non-stick pan on a medium flame until it is nice and hot. Add a little ghee to the
pan then pour enough batter to make a thinnish, evenly spread pancake (about ¾ of a
large ladle). The pan should remain nice and hot throughout the cooking process so when
the batter is added it sizzles and creates bubbles in the pancake.

Add a little ghee around the edge of the pancake. Let it cook until the top is dry then turn
the pancake over. Cook the other side for 30 seconds or so until it is golden brown.

Serve hot with maple syrup and some salted butter on top. Yummo!

GF OPTION: If you’d like a gluten-free version, add mung flour or besan flour instead of
the spelt flour and change the amounts to ¼ mung/besan with ¾ buckwheat flour.

Serves 2, Gluten-Free Option

4: Best Ever Kicharee
Ingredients:

∼ 1 tbsp ghee ∼ ½ cup basmati rice

∼ 1 tsp mustard seeds ∼ ½ cup split yellow
∼ 1 tsp cumin seeds mung daal
∼ 1 tsp agni spice mix (ground ∼ 5 cups boiling water
cumin/coriander/fennel seeds ∼ a bunch of coriander;
in equal ratios) stalks finely chopped,
∼ 1-2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely leaves rough chopped
grated ∼ juice of ½ lemon
∼ ¼ tsp asafoetida powder ∼ salt to taste
∼ 6-8 curry leaves
∼ ½ tsp turmeric powder

Method:
If you have time, soak the daal and rice for at least 30 mins, wash it 3-4 times then drain.
If you have no time for soaking, that’s okay too.

In a large pot, heat up the ghee. Add the mustard seeds and fry until they start to pop.
Add the cumin seeds and curry leaves, then the ginger and coriander stalks. Cook for a
minute or two then add the soaked and drained rice and daal and agni spice mix
(optional). Stir for a few minutes then add the boiling water, turmeric and hing/asafoetida.
Cook for 20-30 mins (or 8 mins in a pressure cooker) or until the daal has broken down.
When cooked, turn off the heat and let rest for a few mins.

Before serving, add the coriander leaves and lemon juice and stir through. Serve with
some chutney, a little extra ghee and some steamed veggies or green salad on the side.

NOTE: Kicharee is medicine for your digestion! Whenever you’ve over-done it or splashed
out on foods that don’t agree with you, always come back to kicharee as a comfort
recovery dish. We eat it nearly every day!

Serves 2, Gluten-Free
5: Vegetable Subji
Can be eaten on their own with rice or flatbreads… or can be eaten as part of a more
elaborate meal, with a daal or curry. Suggested veggie combinations include:
• Pumpkin & Sweet Potato
• Pumpkin & Spinach
• Bean, Chard & Broccoli
• Eggplant & Green Bean
• Beetroot & Green Bean

Ingredients:

∼ 1 tbsp ghee ∼ veggies of choice (see

∼ 1 tsp mustard seeds suggestions above) -
∼ 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 cups of each veggie
∼ 1-2 tbsp fresh ginger, ∼ juice of ½ a lemon
finely grated ∼ salt to taste
∼ ¼ tsp asafoetida powder
∼ 6-8 curry leaves
∼ ½ tsp turmeric powder

Method:

Prepare your veggies by cutting them into manageable sizes (dice pumpkin and sweet
potato, grate beetroot, top and tail beans and cut into inch-long pieces, dice broccoli into
small florets etc). In a large pot, heat up the ghee. Add the mustard seeds and fry until
they start to pop. Add the cumin seeds and curry leaves, then the ginger and coriander
stalks. Cook for a minute or two then add the veggies. Add ones that take a little longer to
cook first and ones that take less time last. Place the lid on and steam for three to four
minutes, stirring occasionally. If the veggies are starting to stick, add a pinch of salt as this
will draw water out of the veggies. Finally add the turmeric and hing/asafoetida and a
splash of boiled water if needs be (usually not necessary). Cook until the veggies are soft.
Before serving, add the coriander leaves and lemon juice and stir through. Add more salt
and pepper to taste.

Serves 4, Gluten-Free
6: Masoor Daal
Masoor Daal or red lentils are the fastest cooking of all lentils, do not need pre-soaking
and are also light and easy to digest. This simple daal is very quick and easy to make and
is absolutely scrumptious!

Ingredients:
∼ 2 tsp ghee ∼ 1 cup red lentils
∼ 1 tsp turmeric ∼ 1 medium tomato, diced
∼ 5 curry leaves ∼ a handful of fresh
∼ 1 garlic clove, finely chopped coriander, finely chopped
∼ 1 tsp mustard seeds (optional)
∼ 1 tsp cumin seeds ∼ 1 tsp salt
∼ 1 tsp agni spice mix (ground ∼ 1 tsp raw sugar
cumin/ coriander/fennel (unrefined) or jaggery
seeds
in equal ratios)

Method:

Rinse the lentils in the saucepan 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Add 3-4 cups boiling
water and cook over low-medium heat for 15 mins or until the lentils have lost their form.
In a separate pan, heat up the ghee then add the mustard seeds. When the mustard
seeds are popping, add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, garlic and tomato and cook until
the tomatoes soften. Add the turmeric and cook for another 30 seconds then add the
mixture to the lentil pan. Add the salt, sugar and agni spice mix to the daal and cook for
another 5 mins until looking smooth and delicious. Add a handful of fresh coriander if you
wish. Serve with basmati rice or flat breads.

OPTIONAL: Another option, if you wish to include veggies in the daal is to add some fresh
green beans – topped and tailed and cut into 3cm long pieces. Add these to the daal at
the same time as the spice mixture. Alternatively, serve with a green salad or steamed
greens on the side.

Serves 2-3, Gluten-Free

7: Easy Mung Soup or Daal
Ingredients:
∼ 2 tbsp ghee
∼ 1 tsp mustard seeds
∼ 6-8 curry leaves
∼ 2 tsp cumin seeds
∼ 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely
grated
∼ ½ tsp turmeric powder
∼ ¼ tsp asafoetida powder
∼ 1 tsp agni spice mix (cumin/ ∼
coriander/fennel seeds in
equal ratios)
∼ 1 bunch fresh coriander,
stalks finely chopped,
leaved rough chopped
∼ 1 cup split mung daal
∼ 1 zucchini, small dice
∼ 5 leaves spinach/
silverbeet, washed and
finely chopped
juice of half a lemon
∼ salt to taste

Method:

This soup is like medicine for your digestive fire! Soak the mung daal for at least 30 mins,
wash it 3-4 times then drain. In a large pot, heat up the ghee. Add the mustard seeds and
fry until they start to pop. Add the cumin seeds and curry leaves, then the ginger and
coriander stalks. Cook for a minute or two then add the turmeric, hing/asafoetida and
agni spice mix. Fry for 20 seconds then add the drained mung daal and 4-5 cups of
boiling water. Bring to a moderate simmer, pop the lid on and cook it over a low-moderate
heat for 15-20 mins or until the daal is beginning to lose its form (add more boiling water
during the cooking as required).

Next, add the zucchini, pop the lid back on and cook for 5 minutes then add the leafy
greens and cook for another 5-10mins. When the veggies are cooked and the daal is
broken down, turn off the heat and add the coriander leaves, salt to taste and the juice of
half a lemon. You can also adjust the consistency of the soup with a little more water.
Serve hot with flat breads or mountain breads.

OPTIONAL: To make this a daal, simply add less water and a little more salt.

Serves 2-3, Gluten-Free

8: Date & Coconut Balls
Ingredients:

∼ 1 cup pitted dates

∼ 1 cup desiccated coconut
∼ ¼ tsp ground cardamom
∼ 1 tbsp ghee

Method:
Finely chop your dates. Pop them in a mixing bowl and soak them in boiled water for
about 30 seconds, then drain.

Now add the coconut, cardamom and ghee and gently knead into a ‘dough’, being
careful not to burn yourself on the hot dates!

Next, simply roll the ‘dough’ into small balls about the size of a walnut.

Roll each ball in some dried coconut then when you’re done, pop them in the fridge to
harden.

OPTIONAL: To make these a little chocolatey, you can add 1-2tsp of organic cacao
powder at the same time as adding the cardamom.

Makes approximately 16 balls, Gluten-Free

9: Spicy Puffed Rice
Ingredients:

∼ 3 tbsp ghee
∼ 8-10 curry leaves
∼ 1 tsp mustard seeds
∼ 1 tsp cumin seeds
∼ ¼ tsp asafoetida/hing powder
∼ ¼ tsp turmeric powder
∼ 2 cups puffed brown rice
∼ salt to taste

Method:

In a large saucepan, heat up the ghee on a moderate heat. Add the mustard seeds and
fry until they begin to pop.

Take the pan off of the heat and add the curry leaves (take care as the ghee may spit a
little) and the cumin seeds.

Keeping the pan off the heat, add the asafoetida and tumeric, then add the puffed rice
and salt and stir with a large wooden spoon, until the mixture has lightly coated the rice.

Return to the heat and continue to cook, stirring regularly for 2-3 mins or until the puffed
rice is slightly toasted and ‘crunchy’.

When done, pour into a bowl and dig in - it is best eaten warm but can also be eaten
once cooled down.

Serves 2, Gluten-Free
10: Sunthi Chai
Ingredients:

∼ 4 tsp freshly grated ginger ∼ 1 cup water

∼ 2 tsp loose black tea or 2 ∼ 1 cup unhomogenised
tea bags organic/biodynamic milk
∼ 3 tsp raw sugar (unrefined)

Method:

Put the milk and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiled, remove from the
heat and add the ginger, sugar and black tea. Leave to stand for 3 mins and pour through
a strainer. Serve hot.

‘Sunthi’ is Sanskrit for fresh ginger. Fresh ginger is the best spice for promoting good
digestion.

NOTE: If using honey as your sweetener, wait until the chai has cooled down to drinking
temperature before adding the honey (as honey is very sensitive to heat).

Serves 1, Gluten-Free
Bonus: How To Make Your Own Ghee
Ingredients:

∼ 3 x 250g block unsalted butter (preferably organic)

Method:

Put the butter in a medium-sized pan and melt slowly over a medium heat. When the
butter liquefies completely and comes to the boil, turn down the heat as low as it can
possibly go, whilst still boiling. Continue to cook the butter at this heat, uncovered. The
butter will foam and spit for a little while before settling into a quiet simmer. Stir
occasionally.

Over time, the milk solids and buttermilk will separate from the butter oil (the ghee) and
will rise to the top. Next, some of the milk solids will begin to sink to the bottom of the
pan. If you are using non-organic butter, more solids will sink but if you are using organic
butter, fewer solids will sink. Instead, they will form a slight crust on top of the oil. The
ghee will begin to turn a lovely golden colour and smell more like popcorn than butter.
When the butter has lost most of its moisture and has stopped bubbling away and the
milk solids at the bottom of the pan turn a light brown colour, the ghee is ready. Take it off
the heat now as it is prone to burning easily at this stage.

Let the ghee cool until just warm. Now pour the ghee through a sieve, lined with a muslin
cloth, into a sterile storage container (such as a glass jar cleaned with boiling water and
then thoroughly dried). Leave the lid off and let it cool for several hours until solid (if you
leave the lid on, condensation will form and water will enter the ghee - it is moisture that
causes saturated fats to spoil). For the same reason, you should not refrigerate ghee as
taking it in and out of the fridge also causes condensation.

When you are familiar with the cooking process, you can attempt larger amounts of
butter, which will have a longer cooking time.

NOTE: Ghee is believed to increase longevity, intelligence and memory. It improves the
strength of the immune system and enkindles the digestive fire without creating excess
heat (as it is cooling). Ghee also increases the overall strength, luster and beauty of the
skin and body.

Gluten & Lactose Free