Keerai paruppu varutha saaru: A wholesome one pot-meal inspired by Ayurveda

Chennai

When I first came here, I was really ill and wondered if things would work out fine. Slowly, the essence of Ayurveda filtered my toxins out, leaving me amazed by this miraculous medical gift inherited by India. Contrary to what many people believe, Ayurveda did not originate in Kerala, but found its origin from the foothills of the Himalayas during the Vedic times. Ayurveda dates back to the prehistoric periods, with the Charaka Samhita being one of the earliest recorded documents on the subject. Many historians claim Ayurveda to be a part of Atharva Veda, while Rig Veda also mentions medicinal plants and diseases. The wandering physicians brought the gift of Ayurveda to Kerala, where it was incorporated with traditional rituals and cures.

Accordingly, traditional foods and their dietary guidelines are prescribed in Ayurveda. There is a lot of similarity betweenAyurvedic dietetics and traditional foods, due to which many conventionally-eaten health foods in our country can also be called Ayurvedic foods. In the era of globalisation, health conscious citizens around the world can benefit from the wealth of knowledge in traditional Indian and Ayurvedic foods.

It is believed that Ayurveda was handed down to the rishis by the divinity, due to which rituals are followed while cooking food. We’ve all heard the saying, “You are what you eat”. The basis of Ayurvedic nutrition is that we are the result of not just what we eat, but when, how and why. Ayurveda suggests a balanced approach to eating, which suggests that we eat mindfully, healthily and with gratitude. Our food should be fresh, digestible, prepared with love and care, while satiatingall our senses.

The ancient food science also has food and herbs categorised by their qualities, tastes and how they can affect our mind-body health.

Ayurveda recognises six tastes — sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent — and believes that one should have them all in everyday diet. Each taste is said to have the qualities that will either increase or decrease the doshas. Not having all six tastes in food is believed to lead to cravings, weight gain, lack of energy and illness. Raw food is not encouraged so much as it can be a little more difficult to digest. Pure cow’s ghee is commonly used for its remedial properties and used in specific treatments as well. Explaining all this was Dr Bagi, who has regulars like Farida Jalal and many business tycoons from around the world. He does not advertise or market his work, as his treatments speak for themselves.

From the natural outside, we moved into the kutir for lunch. There was keerai paruppu varutha saaru (moong dal and spinach soup), mashed sweet potato cooked with ginger, cumin and pepper, almond and date shake with cinnamon, ghee-roasted rice with fresh mint, coriander and dates. My favourite was the palak and moong dal soup, with a special masala with all the spices prescribed by the Ayurveda. Cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, almonds, asafoetida, pepper — roasted in pure cow’s ghee. The secrete to popularity of Indian curries lies in the blend of spices that impart the unforgettable zing to the taste buds.

Spinach And Moong Dal Soup Recipe

Preparation time: 30 min 

Cooking time: 25 min

Serves: 6 

Calories: 240 cal per serving

Ingredients:

Moong dal: 3/4 cup

Toor/arhar dal: 3/4 cup

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Grated ginger: 1 1/4 tsp

Spinach: 1 big bunch (soaked and washed in salt water)

Cow’s ghee: 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Red chillies: 1

Black pepper: ½ tsp

Garlic: 7 cloves (chopped very fine)

Asafoetida: a pinch

Salt: to taste

Lime juice: of one small lemon

Fresh garam masala (made at home): 1 tsp

Coconut milk: 1 cup

Roasted papad: 1

Cooked rice: a small cupful

Method: 

• Wash the moong dal and toor dal thoroughly under running water. Soak the dal in enough warm water and cover it for 20 minutes.
• Take a saucepan or mud pot, place it on a low flame, add the dals and enough water to cook them. 
• Pour 1 tsp ghee in the saucepan. Add in the turmeric powder, garam masala, half the garlic, grated ginger and stir. Cook until the dal turns soft. 
• Add more hot water as you cook if required to keep the consistency similar to that of a thick soup. 
• Once the dal is cooked, add the spinach, season with salt to taste. Stir and let the mixture simmer on low heat. 
• In another small pan, heat some more ghee until hot. Add in the cumin seeds, dry red chilli, remaining garlic and asafoetida. 
• Fry the mixture until the garlic turns pale golden in colour. Carefully add this ghee-spice mixture to the cooked simmering dal. Stir well to blend. 
• Add in the coconut milk and simmer on low flame for two minutes. 
• Add in the pepper powder, and some cooked rice. Blend the soup using a food processor to thoroughly combine it, until it has a smooth soup-like consistency. 
• Spoon the soup into large soup bowls. Garnish with a squeeze of lime and crush papad on top if you’d like for added crunch.

Kitchen Tips

• This soup is prepared by blending the spinach, dals and rice together. So one gets to taste all the ingredients individually as well 
• Also add some boiled rice or cooked chapati to the soup to create a filling, wholesome meal
• Try to use a mud pot while cooking the soup for enhanced taste

— Chef Ramaa Shanker is theauthor of ‘Festive Offerings to the Gods:Divine Soul Recipes’

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