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According to Samkhya philosophy and Ayurvedic medicine, there are three primary tendencies of nature, called gunas: sattva, rajas, and tamas. Sattva is considered to be the highest of the three gunas, and leads one toward purity, lucidity, balance and orderliness. Rajas is the force behind the process of change, and it leads one toward action and dynamism. Tamas is associated with darkness and obscurity, and it leads one toward lethargy, dullness, and inertia.
In terms of food, it is helpful to think about it this way: a ripe apple is sattvic, a ripening apple is rajasic (because it is in the process of change), and an over-ripe apple is tamasic (decaying).
The yogic diet, of course, aims to be sattvic. Sattvic food is pure and wholesome, and has a balancing effect on the body and consciousness. Examples of sattvic food are: cereals, whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, honey, milk and butter (sorry, vegans — although the way most dairy products are produced today renders them not-so-sattvic).
Rajasic food has a stimulating effect on the body and mind. Anything that is too salty, too bitter, or too spicy is said to be rajasic, as is food that is consumed to quickly or with a disturbed state of mind. Rajasic foods include eggs, chocolate, fish, coffee and tea.
Tamasic food is best avoided; it has a dulling effect on the body and mind. Tamasic foods include meat, onions, garlic, over-ripe foods, stale foods, alchol and fermented foods such as vinegar (and sadly, this means tempeh). Also, overeating causes food to be tamasic.
So, even though I’m not ready to say good-bye to coffee or tempeh, I do like the idea of moving toward a more sattvic diet. With that goal in mind, I threw together this quite delightful salad.
This will make 2 salads.
Ingredients:
- 3 large tomatoes, preferably heirloom (for the sake of aesthetics, it’s nice to have a combination of yellow and red), chopped coarsely into bite-sized chunks.
- cucumber (about half of an English cucumber, or one whole pickling cucumber), peeled if so desired, and chopped into bite-sized chunks.
- 1 carrot, chopped into bize-sized chunks.
- 2 T fresh sage, torn into small pieces
- 2 T of fresh parsely, chopped
- 2 tsp dried dill
- 2 T flaxseed oil (or olive oil, if that’s all you have)
- Salt and pepper to taste — though not too much, or your salad will be rajasic!
To make:
Throw it all together and toss!
This was attempt to create a lighter, vegan version of my favorite Indian dish, saag paneer (a.k.a palak paneer). This type of curry is typically accompanied by rice, but I think it is satisfying enough to hold its own.
Will feed 3-4 (depending on whether you serve it with rice).
Ingredients:
- 3 T canola oil (or other vegetable oil)
- 8 oz. extra firm tofu, cut into cubes
- 20 oz. fresh spinach leaves, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 small yellow onion
- eggplant, chopped, about 3/4 cup
- yellow squash, chopped, about 1/2 cup
- mushrooms, sliced, about 3/4 cup
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp tumeric powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 inch chunk ginger root
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 red habanero chili (or other small, hot chili pepper)
- salt to taste
- 1 T cornstarch mixed with 1 T water (optional — this will just thicken the sauce a bit)
- rice, if desired
To make:
- In a food processor, combine the garlic, ginger, haberno chili and 4 tablespoons of water until smooth.
- In a wok or other large pan, heat the canola oil over medium high heat. Add onions and saute 4-5 minutes. Then add bell pepper, squash, eggplant, and mushrooms and saute 3-4 more minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic/ginger/chili pepper mix and the cumin, coriander, tumeric, and cinnamon and saute for a few more minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the spinach and stir until coated. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes, until the spinach is cooked, stirring frequently. You may want to add a few tablespoons of water as you go, if the curry seems too dry. Add the tofu and let simmer a few minutes more.
- If you want to thicken the sauce, add the cornstarch water/mix and stir well.
- Salt to taste, and serve alone or with rice.
Tips and Variations:
- Because the spinach is so voluminous before it cooks, I suggest making this dish in a big wok with a cover, if you have one.
- If you prefer the tofu crispy, saute it over medium-high heat in a little vegetable oil for about ten minutes, stirring frequently until all sides are golden, before adding it to the mix. (Make sure to drain and press the tofu first if you are going this route).
- Any vegetables can be substituted for red pepper, eggplant, squash and mushrooms. Experiment!
Kale is a type of cabbage with an impressive nutritional profile: it’s high in antioxidants, beta carotene, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K, and is also a source of calcium.
I must give credit for this recipe to Doris, one of my fellow Back Bay ashtanga yogis. She contributed a batch to our most recent BBY social gathering, and it was a raging success. It’s simple to throw together, and makes for a fabulous healthy snack.
Ingredients for a small batch:
- one bunch kale, ripped into small (but not tiny) pieces
- 1/2 T olive oil
- sea Salt to taste
To Make:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a large bowl, toss the kale with the olive oil and salt, until all the kale is lightly covered with the oil.
- Spread the kale on a cookie sheet
- Toast in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until the kale reaches desired crispness.
Tips:
- If you’re going for looks, try red kale. It’s pretty.
- Make sure the kale is dry when you apply the oil.
- Start out slow with the olive oil. Too much will make the kale greasy and won’t allow it to crisp as well.
- Be careful not to over-toast, or the kale will turn yellow.
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