Food - Sattvic food
August 2024
Though its difficult to imagine our cuisine with out staples like onion and garlic it is possible to make delectable foods without them if we want to increase the saatvic quotient in our lives, says Naini Setalvad
Why do we eat what we eat? – Very often I am asked this question. Mostly we eat to satiate our hunger, but this habit is also accompanied with other goals such as reaching a specific health target, maintaining one’s fitness, preventing diseases and for some – satisfying an inner craving. But food not only plays a role on our outer appearance but on our inner being as well.
The Saatvic diet, rooted in ayurvedic principles, promotes physical, mental, and spiritual well-be ing by focusing on natural, wholesome foods that enhance vitality, clarity, and tranquillity. This di etary practice categorises foods into three types: Saatvic (pure), Rajasic (stimulating), and Tamasic (dulling). This diet prioritises fresh, seasonal, and organic foods, that are believed to foster pu rity and balance in the body and mind.
An integral part of the diet in the exclusion of pungent foods like onion and garlic.
While these ingredients are staples in many cu linary traditions for their flavour, they are clas sified as Rajasic and Tamasic in ayurveda.
•Onion: Considered a Rajasic ingredient, onions are believed to increase heat and stimulate the senses, leading to restlessness and aggression. This stimulation can disrupt mental calmness and clarity.
•Garlic: Classified as Tamasic, garlic is consid ered to dull the mind and promote lethargy.
While the exclusion of pungent foods like on ions and garlic may seem restrictive, it aligns with the broader goal of achieving balance and clarity in all aspects of life. This diet is more than just a way of eating; it’s a lifestyle choice that promotes harmony between body, mind, and spirit. By emphasising purity, simplicity, and mindfulness, this offers a path to holistic wellness and inner peace.
Buckwheat Pancake Ingredients
• 1 cup buckwheat flour • 1 cup coconut milk • 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup maple syrup • 1 tbsp baking powder • 2 tbsp ground flaxseed • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1/4 tsp sea salt
RECIPES
Quesadilla
Ingredients
• 8 wheat wraps/ rotis
• 100 gm red kidney beans, soaked for 6-8 hrs • 150 gm red capsicum, finely chopped
• 150 gm yellow capsicum, finely chopped • 100 gm green capsicum, finely chopped
• 100 gm cottage cheese, grated
• 1 tsp red Tabasco
• ½ tsp oil
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (for coating the pan)
Method:
1. Mix together coconut milk and lemon juice in a measuring cup and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together buckwheat flour, baking powder, flaxseed, and sea salt. 3. Pour coconut milk mixture, maple syrup, and
vanilla extract into flour mixture and whisk until completely mixed.
4. Preheat a large skillet with coconut oil and wait two minutes for the oil to completely heat. Reduce to medium heat.
5. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter onto the pan in a round circle. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
6. Flip and let cook for 30 seconds-1 minutes. 7. Plate and repeat for the remaining batter. 8. Serve with favourite toppings and enjoy!
42 LifePositive | AUGUST 2024
• Salt to taste
Method for the filling:
1. Cook beans well in a pressure cooker (approx imately for 15 to 20 minutes).
2. Pour oil in a kadai (wok). Heat it on slow flame. 3. Add finely chopped red, yellow, green capsicum. Cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add boiled rajma to the capsicum and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add grated paneer, red Tabasco and salt 6. Mix well and keep aside.
Method for Quesadilla
1. Spread the filling across one wrap
2. Place a second wrap over it (like a sandwich) to make a quesadilla
3. Roast the quesadilla in ½ tsp oil on in a tava (pan) on a medium flame till golden brown.
4. Cut it onto 4 quarters and serve hot.
Peanut Sauce Rice
Ingredients
• 150 gm rice, raw
• 50 gm green capsicum cut in long strips • 50 gm red capsicum cut in long strips • 50 gm yellow capsicum cut in long strips • 100 gm cucumber cut in long strips • ½ tsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste
Ingredients for Peanut Sauce:
• 5 tbsp peanut butter
• 4 tbsp water
• ¾ tsp red chilli flakes
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp jaggery
Method for peanut sauce
1. Add water, chilli flakes and red chilli pow der to the peanut butter.
2. Add jaggery to this mixture and mix well. 3. Put this mixture in a kadai (wok) and cook it on a high flame.
4. Take it off the flame once it becomes like a thick paste.
Method
1. Cook the rice, put it in a bowl and set aside. 2. Pour oil in a kadai
3. Sauté the red capsicum, yellow capsicum, green capsicum and cucumber in this kadai (wok).
4. Add the cooked vegetables to a bowl of rice. 5. Also add salt and peanut sauce to the rice, mix well.
Stewed Apple-Pear
Ingredients
• 1 cup apples diced
• 1 cup pears diced
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup water
Method
1. Peel and core apples and pears. Cut them into small chunks and add them to a small saucepan.
2. Add lemon juice, water, honey, and cinna mon. Combine everything thoroughly. 3. Add a lid to the saucepan and bring everything to a simmer on medium temper ature on the stove. Reduce to low and let the apples and pears stew for about 20 minutes or until the fruit is tender. Stir occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. 4. Once the fruit softened, remove the saucepan from the stove. Let it cool slightly and enjoy!
Whether you are seeking to improve your health, enhance your spiritual practice, or sim ply find a greater sense of well-being, exclusion of pungent foods in a diet provides a timeless and holistic approach to nourishment.
Naini Setalvad is a nutritionist, specialising in lifestyle and immunity disorders. Her foundation, Health For You, throws light on healthy food habits. Contact her at healthforyou@nainisetalvad.com