Ekadasi

Ekadasi can be quite challenging, yet it can also be quite easy.  Usually we work on the protein side of the meal because we are missing the dahl.  Here is a sample of a menu that could work for Ekadasi but it is best to check with Maharaja first.

Quiona (usually spiced up with nuts or fresh herbs)
soup (a vegetable soup)
a few subjis
savory
chutney
sweet
ekadasi chapati

Here are some ideas:

Quiona flake savory:

1 cup of Quiona flakes
1 cup of shredded baby marrow
1/2 cup of quiona flour
1/4 cup of homemade yogurt
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp of spice mixture
1 tsp of soma salt
1 tsp of ekadasi baking powder
water to make the batter

First add the quiona flakes with 1/2 cup of water to sit for 10 mins. Then add baby marrow and other ingredients and let it sit for 5 mins. Add enough water to make a thick pancake mixture.  Heat a nonstick pan and pour a little ghee and pan cook them with a lid.  They take about 12 mins to cook. This can be served with chutney.

Madumbi tikis

Madumbi(taro root) is a great substitute for potato. It is the root vegetable that is hairy on the outside. Peel them and boil them until cooked  Mash them and add spice mixture, soma salt, fresh cilantro and pan cook them with alittle ghee.

Paneer patties

Take the soft paneer and knead it soft in food processor.  Add 1/2 tsp of spice mix, 1/2 tsp of soma salt and fresh cilantro. Make patties and pan cook them on a nonstick pan.


Ekadasi chapati

There are two ways to make these chapatis. One is the traditional way and the other is like a pancake. The traditional way requires some flours that may be hard to get in SA, however the Indian shops usually carry chestnut flour or buckwheat flour. Buckwheat flour is not in his diet, however if it will be fine if occasionally used.

Chapati 1

1/2 cup quiona flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 tsp soma salt
water to make a medium dough

Make your dough and you will need alot of quiona flour to roll out the chapatis. Cook the chapatis as normal.

Chapati 2

1/2 cup of quiona flour
1/2 cup of amarantha flour or singoora flour
1/2 tsp soma salt
1/2 tsp of ekadasi baking powder
2 tablespoons of yogurt
enough water to make a runny pancake mix.

Put your flours into a bowl and add everything to the flour except for water. Gradually add water until you have a batter that is like pancake batter.  Pour the batter onto a greased nonstick pan and cook on Med heat.

Ekadasi cookies

Use the cookie recipe on this blog and replace the spelt flour with one of the ekadasi flours like Quiona, amarantha, or singora flour. Omit the vanilla and add some ground elachi.

Some tips for summer season

When it is very hot outside, make light prasad.  A meal will consist 50% vegetable preparations, 25% grain, 25% protein. This will make the meal light and easy to digest in high heat.  Below is what a summer lunch consist of:

Rice (very cooling for summer)
dahl with drumstick leaves
three different vegetable dishes
one savory
one chutney
one sweet

This way the meal has the ratio that I gave above. Best to always check with Maharaja and he will guide you as to what he wants.

Small amounts of fresh coconut can be used for a cooling effect for summer season.  If you serve yogurt at lunch make sure you don't serve a milk sweet for lunch. Yogurt and milk should not be mixed in one meal.

You can make sauces for subjis or cakes with fresh coconut.  Simply put 1/2 cup of freshly grated coconut, 1 1/2 cup of warm water and blend until smooth.  For a sweet you can add 2 tablespoons of agar-agar powder and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Boil on flame until thick and add 1/2 tsp of ground elachi and rose water and let cool and cut and offer.  For subji you can blend the coconut milk with curry leaves,ginger and fresh dhania and soma salt. Blend til smooth and pour into subji.

Rasgoolas are cooling and can be made ahead of time.
Sandesh is also a cooling sweet.

Please do not use chilis for this will have a bad effect on Maharaja's health.

Yogurt in Summer season

Yogurt in the summer season is very good for cooling and giving us more probiotic in our diet.   In some of these recipes mix water with yogurt because yogurt is very heavy and needs to be made easy to digest, and not cause any clogging effect on the body.  Also homemade yogurt is the best and is used in all these recipes.

Loki and yogurt

100 gm shredded loki
200 ml fresh yogurt
1/4 tsp spice mix
1/8 tsp cumin seeds
ghee for chaunce
1/4 cup of water
1/4 tsp soma salt
3-4 curry leaves.

Make a chaunce and add cumin seeds and few curry leaves.  Then add shredded loki, water, spice mix and soma salt.  Cook until loki is soft and cooked.  Let it cool and add the yogurt. No need to add water to yogurt because the loki and water will balance this preparation out.


Bindi in yogurt

1/2 cup of bhindi sliced very thin.
ghee
1/4 tsp dania seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp of fresh coconut grated
4 curry leaves
11/2 cups of yogurt
fresh dhania leaves.
Sautee the bhindi until well cooked. Dry roast dhania, cumin seeds and black pepper and grind to powder. Add to cooked okra and heat together for few mins. and add freshly grated coconut, and turn off flame. Let it cool and add fresh yogurt and fresh cilantro.

Cucumber raita

1 cup of grated cucumber
1/2 cup yogurt
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 large papad roasted on flame and then cut into small pieces
1/4 tsp spice mix
3 curry leaves
1 tablespoon of chopped mint
1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp soma salt.

Grate the cucumber and add the yogurt. . Make a chaunce with little ghee and add cumin seeds and curry leaves. Pour into yogurt, add salt and herbs. Before serving add the papad.

For variation you can omit the papad.
Another variation you can add raisins.

Green protein

GREEN PROTEIN


Ingredients:

2 cups of mixed greens (such as chard, beet greens, collard greens,

drumstick leaves, mustard greens, spinach)

1 tablespoon paneer

1 tablespoon parsley

1 cup spring water

1/4 tsp tumeric

1/4 tsp soma salt

1 tsp spice mix

1/4 tsp ghee

1/4 tsp lime juice



Make a chaunce with all the spices on low heat. Add the paneer, mix well,

and cook for 7 mins. Then add the chopped greens, parsley, and water, and

cook until the greens have just cooked and the color is still green. It is

very important that the color of the greens does not change to dark green.

It must be bright green. Take off the flame and blend right away. When

blending, make sure the paneer blends well into the greens.



A few suggestions for reheating: It is important to keep this preparation

from overcooking, so heat it only when Maharaja is sitting at the table and

asks for it. The lime juice enhances protein synthesis and is added just

before serving. Do not add the lime juice and then reheat the preparation.

Only add the lime juice right before serving the preparation.


This recipe is good for Maharaja and is considered as an immune booster . It will give him strength and it is considered to be a medicinal subji. This preparation gives him great amounts of protein. If you have drumstick greens, please include in this dish. Drumstick greens are amazing for ones health and is recommended in Maharaja's diet. It can be cooked in dahl or as a subji, and of course, in this preparation.

Pineapple raisin chutney

Ingredients:
1 cup of pineapple chunks fresh and sweet
1/4 raisins (soaked)
1/8 tsp soma salt
1/8 tsp spice mix
1 tb sp mint

Blend everything until smooth. This chutney is great for digestion!

Why serve chutney with meals?

The purpose of chutneys is to create the sweet and sour tastes in a meal and to enhance absorbtion by increasing enzymes from fresh cilantro, mint, and other fruits. Specially sweet tamarind is high in enzymes which help digest food better. Mint and cilantro are always good and add this element in a meal.

Sweet Tamarind chutney

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of fresh sweet tamarind seeded
1 cup of spring water
ghee for chaunce
1/8 tsp cumin seeds
1/8 tsp soma salt
1/8 tsp spice mix
1/4 cup raisins

Boil the tamarind, raisins and water until cooked. Blend in blender and make a chaunce. Add spices to chutney.

The tamarind used in this recipe is a fresh sweet variety from Thailand. Check with Indian stores for fresh tamarind. Please dont' use sour tamarind.

Raisin and Date chutney

Ingredients
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup of medjool dates seeded
1/4 cup of mint leaves
1/4 cup of cilantro leaves
1/2 lime juiced
1/8 t soma salt
1/8 t spice mix
1/2 cup spring water

Blend everything in the blender and you may need to add more water. Often warm water works better with dried fruit. This chutney should be blended very smoothly.

Cilantro leaf chutney ( Dhania)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of chopped  cilantro (Dhania)
1/8 t soma salt
2 thin slices of ginger
2 Tablespoon of water
1/8 spice mix

Blend altogether and then squeeze a 1/4 lime on top.

Fresh mango mint chutney

Ingredients:

1 large Mango(make sure to soak the mango in spring water overnight)
1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves
1/8 t soma salt
1/8 t mum's masala or Maharaja's spice mix

Peel the mango and place the pulp into blender. Add the mint leaves and spice and salt. Blend smooth. This is a good suumer chutney but tends to be heating so don't give everyday.

Raisin cilantro mint chutney

Ingredients:
1 bunch of cilantro (washed and ends cut off)
1/4 cup of washed mint leaves
1/2 cup of raisins
1 juiced lime
1/4 tsp soma salt
1//8 tsp mum's masala or maharaja's spice mix
2 tb sp spring water

Place your raisins in the blender and then add water,lime juice, and spice mix. Blend until raisins are smooth. You may need to add some more water. Then add the cilantro and mint and blend until really smooth.

Whenever you use fruit in a chutney, there needs to be the presence of a masala to help digest it during the meal. Otherwise the fruit will not digest properly.

Fresh Pomegranate juice

This drink mainly is used in summer months and other seasons too, but for H.H. Giriraja Swami, summer season.

2 oz. fresh pomegranate juice
2 oz. warm spring water
1/8 t soma salt
1/4 t cumin seeds roasted and crushed

To make fresh pomegranate juice take a fresh promegranate, take the seeds out and place them in a cheese cloth. Crush the seeds in a bowl with a wooden hammer or something that will crush the seed gently.  Then squeeze the juice out into another bowl. Add the spring water, soma salt and crushed roasted cumin and mix well.

Can be taken after breakfast, after lunch, and after dinner.

Quinoa and spelt cookies

Ingredients:
1/4 cup almond butter
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup raw organic sugar (brown in color)
1 tsp vanilla essence

Blend these above ingredients in the food processor until smooth. Then add:
1/2 cup quinoa flakes (you may add quinoa flour instead)
1 cup spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder

Blend until mixed well. The dough is very soft. Place lumps of dough in a baking tray that is lightly greased with Ayurvedic ghee. Flatten each lump of dough when placing in the tray. Bake for 20 mins on 180 C or 350 F until golden on top. Try to use nonstick tray and use one small drop of ghee and spread throughout tray.

Spelt flour cookies

Ingredients:
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup fresh peeled apple
1/4 cup maple syrup (organic raw sugar is preferred but maple syrup can be used as an alternative)
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup oat flour (take oats and blend them until refined like course flour)
1 cup spelt flour
1 tsp vanilla essence; for variety you can add 1tsp of ground Elachi (cardamom).
1 tsp baking powder

First, put the walnuts into a food processor. Blend until the walnuts are finely ground. Then add the apples, maple syrup and raisins. Blend until smooth. Add vanilla essence and blend.  Add all the flour and baking powder and blend.  If mixture is too dry add a little water, otherwise, the mixture should be like a very soft cookie dough. Prepare you tray by adding one small drop of ghee to grease your tray. Make sure to flatten the dough out on the tray and the cookies will become nice and round and flat.  Bake at 180 C or 350 F for 20 mins, or until golden on top. (Note: Giriraj Maharaj tends to like soft cookies). If the cookies are not sweet enough, you may pour 1tsp of maple syrup on top.

Making Probiotic Ghee

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This ghee is used in most of the recipes on this blog and it is the only
ghee used for H.H. Giriraja Swami. There are two types of ghee mentioned in the Ayurvedic texts. Ghee made from butter and ghee made from yogurt. Ghee made from butter increases fat, and ghee made from yogurt nourishes our tissues. That is, ghee from butter increases our cholesterol, and ghee made from yogurt decreases our cholesterol. Therefore, we only use this type of ghee in our cooking. Cooking with different oils is not recommended with the exception of olive oil. Olive oil is used with the medium of water, to protect the qualities of the oil, and preserve it from high heat.

How to make the ghee?

First, you will buy organic full fat cream. In America it is called heavy whipping cream. It is basically the full cream from milk. You will need one liter of heavy cream and 250 ml of yogurt. You will boil the cream, and let it cool until you can hold your finger in the cream for ten seconds. If you cannot hold your finger it will indicate that the cream is too hot. Once the cream is cool, you will add the yogurt and stir. Place your pot of cream in a warm area. Usually the oven is the best place. Make sure you cover the pot with the lid and turn on your oven light, and leave overnight. If you don't have an oven light, then wrap your pot in a few towels. Next day you will check your yogurt, and it should be quite thick.

 Place in the fridge for a few hours. Once your yogurt has cooled down, you will begin the blending process. You will need the following:

• a food processor
• ice water
• a sieve
• a few bowls for the next few stages.

Place two cups of yogurt in the food processor and run for quite sometime until you hear the changes of your yogurt. First, the yogurt becomes a very thick cream, and then it loosens up, and starts to become slushy, and at this stage you will have your butter. It is very similar to making whip cream, when you whip too long, you end up with butter. It is the same method, but you start with the yogurt made from the heavy cream.

You can watch the video to see more of this process. Once the yogurt has turned slushy, stop the food processor and empty the liquid part out into a bowl, and keep the butter in the food processor. Then will add one cup of ice water into the butter and mix for 1 min. Pour out the water again and add another cup of cold water, and repeat this process again. After the third time, take your butter and sqeeze as much water out, and place your butter into a pan for making the ghee.

 Place your butter in a pot to cook like regular ghee. This ghee does not take as long to cook as normal butter ghee. It takes less time. Cook the ghee on low flame, and know that it is done when all the milk solids on the bottom have turned brown, and there are only a few pieces of the milk solids floating on the top. Strain the ghee in a sieve with cloth. Pour into a glass jar or stainless steel container. Please discard of the milk solids.

The liquid from the butter is called 'Tarka' or buttermilk. You will find recipes for the buttermilk in this blog. Make sure to see the video on making the ghee.

How to skim whole milk?

You place the milk into a pot and bring to a boil. Turn the flame off and let the milk sit for few minutes. You will notice the a film has formed on top of the milk. Use a spoon with holes and remove that film from the top of the milk. Turn the heat on again and bring to boil and turn off and let the milk sit until the film forms again. Do this procedure at least 6 times to get 2% milk and few more times to get 1% milk.

Using the buttermilk

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The buttermilk is used for many things. One main use is to have it with your lunch meal in order to increase your friendly bacteria. It is the main source for probiotics in SVA Ayurveda. Perfect health depends upon perfect digestion. Optimal digestion, in turn, depends on the proper quality and quantity of friendly flora in the digestive system. Vedic science calls healthy flora 'yoginis', the beneficial micro-organisms, absolutely essential for proper absorption, assimilation, and elimination. Therefore, we value this buttermilk in our diet. It can be used in baking and making ayurvedic pancakes, or, even in making dough. Best used for drinking during lunch meals.


Recipe:
2 Oz buttermilk
2 Oz spring water
1/2 roasted cumin seed powder
1/4 soma salt

Mix well and serve at lunch. Only sip small amounts throughout the meal.

Paneer

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Most of you may already know how to make 'paneer'. The process is the same however, we use limes to curdle the milk. Once the milk has curdled, strain the 'paneer' and let it sit. Do not press the paneer for it will make it hard to digest. When you don't press the 'paneer'  it is called soft 'paneer' . This soft 'paneer'  is used in most of the recipes and if you let it sit for a good hour it can be cut into slices or chunks.

Herbalized water

How to prepare?

Boil water that is recommended in the recipe. Use only spring water. Bring the water to a boil and and turn off flame. Next, add the spices. Let the spices steep in the water for seven minutes. Strain all the spices from the water and pour the water into a thermos. Sip throughout the day and stop drinking after 5 pm.

How to prepare water for Glycerite drops?

Boil water that is recommended in the recipe. Use only high quality spring water. Let water cool down to a high warm and pour into a thermos, and put the drops into the water. Sip throughout the day. Discard any left over water from the previous day and start fresh for next day. Make sure to wash your thermos well with lime juice to get rid of any bacteria from previous day.

For summer season the water does not need to be boiled. You simply pour the spring water into thermos and add the drops.

How to prepare Spice Mixture?

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How to prepare spice mixture?
Dry roast all spices individually. Start with coriander seeds first because this spice along with cinnamon take the longest to roast. It is important to roast spices on low flame and stir constantly. Proceed to the next spice until you reach tumeric. Tumeric tends to burn fast so often I roast it very gently. You can tell the tumeric has roasted when it turns into a deep orange color. If it turns brown you must not use it. If any spices burn please do not put them in the spice mix. Once you have roasted them, pour into a spice grinder and powder the spices. You may have to do this in batches. Powder the spice until there are no whole spices.

How to measure the spices?
Often you will be given measurements of the spices like Tumeric-1, corinander-6, fennel-6, cumin-1. It depends on how much you want to make. I usually use a tablespoon measurement. So you will take one tablespoon of Tumeric, six tablespoons of Coriander, six tablespoons of Fennel and one tablespoon of Cumin.

How to store the spices?
You will need an airtight container preferably glass or stainless steel. Please try to avoid plastic, as it tends to cause some chemical change, which will not be good.

How to use the spices?
Since your spice mix is already pre-roasted, add it to your vegetables, dahl, or paneer. You may also use the method that the Ayurvedic doctor recommended. Put some water(1/4 cup) into your pan, the allowed ghee or olive oil, then your spice mix and soma salt and put in your vegetables and cook on medium low. Another way is our traditional chaunce method however you will add the spice mix at the end right before you add your vegetables or dahl. You may also add the spice mix after you have cooked the vegetable by sprinkling on top.

Things to avoid in this Ayurvedic diet

Avoid nightshades: potato,tomato,bell pepper,and eggplant
Avoid large beans and favor yellow split mung dahl,red lentils, green and french lentils.
Avoid bananas.
Avoid winter squashes including butternut squash.
No canned foods or frozen foods.
No tofu or soya products.
No flax seeds or flax products.
No mustard seeds.
No olive oil spray.
No tindoora.
No sour or acidic items such as vinegar.
No chilies .
No jackfruit.