My Favorite Ayurvedic Spring Recipes
Happy spring!
The following recipes are from my favorite Ayurvedic book, Living Ayurveda by Claire Ragozzino, as well as my go-to Ayurvedic website, joyfulbelly.com. I recommend either doing each of these recipes one at a time throughout the spring, or if you feel like making a huge fancy meal, I like to try to make it all in one go. Sometimes I’ll add homemade chapatis or garlic naan (let me know if you want those recipes too!)
Ginger Fennel Tea
prep: 2 mins | cook: 10 mins | 4 servings
- 5 cups water
- 2 inches fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp raw honey (optional)
Boil water in a small pot then add the fennel and ginger. Simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, strain into your cup of choice. For a bit of sweetness, stir in a spoonful of raw honey at the end. Do not heat the honey up nor add it to the pot while heating, as it eradicates the healing properties.
A Living Practice by Claire Ragozzino
Fennel Bulb Pesto
prep: 5 mins | cook: 0 mins | 4 servings
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1/2 cup fennel stalk
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 tsp salt
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend to desired consistency. And enjoy. That’s all!
Joyful Belly by John Immel
Coconut & Cilantro Savory Pancake
prep: 5 mins | cook: 0 mins | 4 servings
- 1/4 cup basmati rice
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1/4 coconut flakes
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/4 cup mung beans
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 cups water
Soak rice and mung dal overnight in separate containers with 1 cup water each.Next morning strain mung daal and add to rice and water. Blend until smooth. Wait 2 days or until bubbles form and mix has a fermented smell. In warm climates, fermentation will take as little as 8 hours. Mix in the salt and stir gently.
Grease the ramekins. In India, they have special plates for steaming idlys but otherwise pour batter into the ramekins. Let sit 20 minutes for the batter to rise slightly after pouring, for lighter, fluffied idlys.
Steam for ten minutes or until light and fluffy.
Heat a large frying pan. Add coconut oil to the pan. When it melts, pour 1c of the idly batter into the pan to make large, fluffy pancakes. If you've made pancakes before, you know what to do! Wait until bubbles form on the edges of the pancake, flip it and cook the other side. Remove when they turn a golden brown.
Garnish with cracked pepper, a sprinkle of salt, coconut flakes, and cilantro. For more satisfying feel, add shredded cheese as well.
Add chutneys to taste.
Joyful Belly by John Immel
Lemon Ginger Dal
prep: 5 mins | cook: 40 mins | 4-6 servings
- 6 cups water
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 1 cup split mung dal
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp ghee or un-toasted sesame oil
- 1 inch fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground fenugreek
- 1/2 - 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp asafetida
- 1 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse the red lentils and split yellow mung dal, drain, and set aside. Roughly grind the cumin and black mustard seeds in a mortar and pestle to open up the aromas, set aside.
In a large pot, heat ghee on medium to low heat. Add the fresh ginger and cook for one minute. Stir in the spices and heat for another minute, until fragrant. Add the red lentils and split yellow, mung Dal, and stir until coded. Add water and salt. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a simmer, cook for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning and add more water if needed. Reduce to low, cover and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Once done, add the lemon juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve hot.
A Living Practice by Claire Ragozzino
Shaved Fennel Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
prep: 15 mins | cook: 5 mins | 4-6 servings
Salad
- 2 cups fresh greens (arugula, spinach)
- 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered, and shaved thinly
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped mint
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup flax oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp raw honey or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp basil, finely chopped
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with vinaigrette before serving.
For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the oils, lemon juice and zest, and honey. Add the salt and pepper to taste, then fold in the basil. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to three days until ready to serve. If cold allow to come to room temp. and shake well before serving.
A Living Practice by Claire Ragozzino
I also highly recommend doing a monthly Ayurvedic Cleanse. Spring and Fall are the most beneficial times of the year to do yourself the favor of a cleanse reset. I offer personalized cleanses, ranging from 1 day to 30 days. We start off with a free 10 minute consultation for any questions you may have. Once we have determined your Prakruti during your second session which will be an hour long on Zoom, I will send you a detailed at-home cleanse outline via email, along with any notes or extra info from our sessions. Email me at sasharaymoonsta@gmail.com if you want to schedule your first consultation.