MISOTOFU (2-3人分)

Preparation time : 15 to 20 minutes 　　1 carton (1 pound) tofu 　　1 tablespoon sunflower oil 　　1/2 medium onion, finely sliced (optional) 　　1/8 teaspoon black pepper 　　1 tablespoon barley miso or mellow white miso 　　1. tablespoon tamari 　　3/4 cup water 　　3 dried Shiitake mushrooms (optional, tasty) Put mushrooms in water to soak. Warm oil in heavy skillet and saute onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain tofu and cut into 1 inch cubes. Add it to the onion and stir-saute 5 minutes, sprinkling black pepper over it. Drain mushrooms, reserving water to be used in next step. Add mushrooms to sauteing tofu. Mix miso and tamari with water, pour over tofu in skillet. Heat another 3 minutes, then serve. Comments : Vata needs to garnish with fresh grated ginger root to be balanced, Kapha should garnish with a pinch of dry ginger. The cooking, miso, and tamari warm the otherwise "cool" tofu. Salt is kept to a minimum by adding minimal amounts of miso and tamari, yet enough to enhance agni and make the tofu more easy for Vata to digest. Shiitake mushrooms add flavor and strengthen the immune system.

ROTALIS OR CHAPPATIS

Preparation time : 2 hours Makes : 20 to 25 2 cups whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons sunflower oil 1 cup warm water 3/4 cup whole wheat flour in separate bowl Ghee In a deep bowl mix flour and oil with your hands, then add water and prepare a dough. (This dough is softer than other doughs.) Cover and let sit for one hour. Add 1 additional teaspoon of oil and mix it is so that it thoroughly penetrates the dough. Prepare 20 to 25 small balls from the dough. Squeeze and knead between your palms. Cover balls with dry flour, and roll with a rolling pin on a wooden board to about 3 to 4 inch circles. Sprinkle with dry flour again, then roll each rotali to its full size of about 6 inches in diameter. Transfer each rotali to a hot iron pan over medium heat. Turn it over after 1/2 minute or when you see small bubbles. Let is cook another 1/2 minute. Then transfer it to direct flame of stove until it puffs like a balloon. Take it out to a dish and spread ghee on it. Comments; This goes well with rice and soup or any vegetable preparation. The classic Indian flat-bread. A good yeast-free alternative to regular bread. One teaspoon to 1 tablespoon each of cumin seeds and black peppercorns can also be pressed into the dough for a more pungent flavor which stimulates digestion. For children, you can use rice syrup and nut butters and roll the chappati into a "log," a popular option.

SEASONED BARLEY

Preparation time : 1 hour ( serves:4 - 5) 1 cup dry barley 6 cups water 1 burdock root (12 to 15 inches) 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 onion, chopped (optional) 1/2 stick kombu 1 teaspoon dry sage Black pepper and ghee to taste Wash and peel the burdock root; chop it finely. Place all ingredients except sage, black pepper and ghee in medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to medium-low. Cook until tender, about 50 minutes. Add sage, black pepper and ghee and simmer another 5 minutes. Comments: This dish is specifically useful for ulcerative, mucus, or nervous colitis, or combinations thereof (the raw twingy gut). Variation: Instead of sage, add 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon savory, all dried, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. This formula works more on the upper digestive tract, enhancing digestion in the stomach. Good served with tamari.

MATAJI'S SOOTHING CHAI

Preparation time : 50 Minutes ( serves: 6 ) 2 cups water 1 tablespoon fresh peppermint, 2 tablespoons dried, or 3 peppermint tea bags. 1 quart cow or soy milk 1 cinnamon stick 1/4 tablespoon ground cloves 1 teasppon dry ginger 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 2 tablespoons to 1/2 cut sweetener (brown rice syrup, Sucanat or honey) Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan and add peppermint in a tea ball. Remove from heat and steep 20 minutes. Remove tea ball or tea bags. Add milk, spices, and sweetner (unless you are using honey, in which case wait until the chai is finished to stir it in). Heat and steep on low heat for an additional 30 minutes. Comments: Kapha is best off using soy milk and the minimum of sweetener, preferably honey. This drink goes well with almost anything.

TRIDOSHIC PAL PAYASAM

Serves : 4 - 6 Preparation time : 20 minutes, plus chilling 1 quart soy milk or goat milk 4 tablespoons basmati or brown rice, unclooked 2 tablespoons honey 1/2 cup raisins 3 cardamom pods 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional) Garnish: sunflower seeds and coconut Grind rice in blender or grinder until it is a fine powdery meal. Mix the rice meal with 1/2 cup cold soy milk or goat milk. Heat the remaining 3-1/2 cups of soy milk in a medium saucepan. Stir in cold rice mixture and keep stirring until it comes to boil. Remove seeds from cardamom pods. Add raisins and cardamom seeds to hot milk mixutre. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes The dessert will thicken a little, but basically it is a liquid-like dessert. Take off heat and stir in honey. Chill. Comments : With tanks to Laurel's Kitchen for the original inspieration on this - it can be made with regular milk and cashews, as they suggest, for a Veta-calming treat. This recipe used with cow's milk and without the nuts can relieve diarrhea. Goat and soy milk can be tricky things. Some Vetas find soy milk distinctly aggravating while others get flatulent with the milk of goats. Cow's milk is usually most friendly to Vetas, as long as they are not sensitive to it.

TRIDOSHIC VEGETABLE CURRY

Preparation time : 35 minutes Serves : 8 - 10 1 cup green string beans or asparagus, fresh, chopped 1/2 cup ripe tomato, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes 1-1/2 cups patatoes, cubed in 1/2 inch pieces 1/4 cup baby lima beans (optional) 1/2 cup carrots, sliced 1/2 bunch spinach (or other greens) well-washed, chopped 1 to 3 tablespoons sunflower oil 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon curry powder, mild 3 cups water 1 tablespoon coriander powder 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 hot green pepper, chopped Qssh, dry and chop vegetables. In large deep pan heat oil: add cumin and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds pop, add tomatoes, curry powder and turmeric. Cook 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients, including water. Mix well. Cook for 20-25 minutes over medium heat or until soft. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves if available. Comments: This goes well with rice, barley, bulgur, or millet and a spinach mushroom salad.

HOT SICILIAN SALAD

Preparation time : 30 minutes (or less) Serves: 4 1 large bunch of fresh kale 2 medium red potatoes 1 medium carrot 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1-1/2 teaspoons dry oregano 1 teaspoon dry basil 1/2 teaspoon thyme (optional) 1/4 teaspoon dry resemary 1/2 teaspoon sea salt Black pepper to taste 1/2 to 2 teaspoons apple concentrate 2 tablespons olive oil Wash vegetables. Pour about an inch of water into a medium-sized skillet; bring it to a boil over high heat. Cube the potatoes into to 1/2 inch pieces, leaving on the peel. Put them in the boiling water, cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5 minues. While potatoes are cooking, cube carrots into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces and chop the greens in 1 inch wide sections. Add the carrot and greens to the potatoes and cook for another 7 minutes covered, on medium heat. While the vegetables are cooking, you can make up the dressing. Or relax for a few minutes and survey your domain. This is an easy recipe. When you are ready, put the vinegar in a small bowl and whisk the herbs, salt, pepper, and apple concentrate, in that order, into it. Stir in the olive oil. When the vegetables are cooked, that is, tender but not mushy, drain them. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Chill or serve at room temperature as you please (your gut will be more pleased with room temperature, in general). Comments: Quite good. And perhaps impossible to find in Sicily. I based this on a much beloved soup that an old friend of Sicilian-American extraction used to make for me years ago in Carmel. If you are not attempting to balance Pitta, you can add 2 cloves of garlic to the cooking vegerables for a nice flavor. But the salad is quite flavorful as it is .

HOT KOREAN VEGETABLES AND NOODLES

Preparation time : 45 minutes Serves : 3 - 4 2 ounces cellophne noodles (mung bean noodles, Harasame or Saifun work well 4-8 dried Shiitake mushrooms 1 tablespoon sunflower oil 2 inches of fresh leek, finely sliced, or 1/2 small nion, finely sliced 1 unpeeled clove of garlic 1 cup carrots, thinly sliced or 1/2 cup snowpeas 1 cup spinach, finely chopped or broccoli, finely chopped 1 cup yellow crookneck summer squash, finely sliced 1 cup bean sprouts 2 teaspoons corander powder 1 tablespoon tamari 1 teaspoon Sucanat 1 teaspoon oil 3 small cloves of garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon red chill powder or 1 hot red Chinese pepper, dired Soak the cellophane noodles and mushrooms in a medium-sized bowl, with enough water to voer them, for 1/2 hour. Wash and chop the vegetables. Drain the noodles and mushrooms well and thin-slice the Shiitake mushrooms. Warm the oil in a large skillet and add the leek or onion with the unpeeled clove of garlic. Saute until sweet. Take out the clove of garlic. Add mushrooms, carrots, spinach, broccoli, and summer squash and saute until tender and bright in color, 3-5 minutes. Add the snowpeas and saute another minute. Stir in the bean sprouts and cook over medium head about 30 seconds. Add the noodles, coriander, tamari, and Sucanat and toss well. Stop here and serve if you are working with any Pitta at all. If not, cover and set the dish aside for a moment, and in a small skillet worm 1 teaspoon oil (1 tablespoon if you are working with Veta alone) and saute the minced garlic until tender. Stir in the red pepper, curmbled if it is whole. Serve as a garnish on the side for Veta and Kapha, or mix into the noodles if there is not an ounce of Pitta in the company Comment : This goes well with MISO TOFU .

GHEE (CLARIFIED BUTTER)

Preparation time: 30 minutes Makes : about 2 cups 1 pound sweed unsalted butter In a heavy medium saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Continue to cook at medium-low heat. The butter will bubble and make bubbling sounds. When it is almost done, milk solids will begin to collect on the bottom of the pan. When it is done, in about 15 to 20 minutes, it will be clear and become very quiet. Quickly take it off the heat before it burns, which it can do rapidly (if this happens it will begin to foam again rapidly and turn brown instead of golden). Cool slightly. Ghee is the clear golden liquid. Pour ghee through a metal strainer into glass or plastic container. Store at room temperature. Comments: Superb aid for disgestion and absorption. If you donot cook ghee long enough, it can mold. If you cook it too long, it will let you know immediately by burning. A touch of browning, though, can add a nice flavor. Some practitioners do not skim the foam off, valuing its medicinal elements; other do. After making this once, you are likely to do it again and again, as it is simple and not nearly so difficult as the instructions make it out to be.

TRIDOSHIC DAL

Preparation time : 1 hour Serves : 6 1 cup split mung dal 8 cups water 2 cups summer squash, in 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices 1 cup carrots, in 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices 1/8 teaspoon hing 2 tablespoons sunflower oil or ghee 1-1/4 teaspoons turmeric 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice or 1 tablespoon amchoor (dried mango powder) 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced 1 small hot green pepper, chopped finely or 1/4 cup prepared salsa 1-1/4 tablspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds Garmish ; Fresh coriander leaves, chopped and shredded unsweetened coconut Wash dal until rinse water is clear. Wash and chop vegetables. Warm 1 tablesppon oil or ghee in large heavy saucepan. Add hing, turmeric, and lemon juice and saute for 30 seconds over low heat (be careful, it is easy for turmeric to burn). Stir in the beans and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables and stir another minute or two. Add water, salt, ginger, and pepper (if you are using it); bring to a boil on high heat. Then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Let soup simmer for 45 minutes or until beans have dissolved. Warm remaining tablespoon of oil or ghee in a small skillet, add cumin and mustard seeds, heat until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add to soup, which is now ready to serve. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and coconut. Comments : Dals are an easy and popular way in India to get a nourishing protein- rich meal. They are good served with "PLAIN" INDIAN RICE and a vegetable side dish. This dal originally evolved from one served by the Hari Krishna people here in the States. Dals are always prepared with something sour in the vagar (mixture of spices and ghee) to stimulate digestive fire. In Bombay, tamarind is often used, while in the Gujarati province, lemon, lime or amchoor add this stimulating sourness. It must be added in the early stages of cooking for best effect.

PLAIN INDIAN RICE

Preparation time : 20 minutes with basmati rice 45 minutes with brown rice Serves : 3 - 4 1 cup brown or basmati rice, uncooked 1 teaspoon sunflower oil 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 3-1/2 cups water 1 tablespoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper In medium-sized saucepan heat oil and add mustard and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds pop, add water, rice and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes for basmati, 35 to 40 minutes for brown rice. Add black pepper; mix well and serve VALUATION : PEAS AND RICE: Add 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas when you add the basmati rice, water and salt.

SPYCY BUTTER MILK

Preparation time: 15 minutes Serves 3 - 4 2 cups buttermilk (or 1 cup plain yogurt with 1 cup water) 1 teaspoon sunflower oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon Sucanat Heat oil in a small skillet. Add cumin seeds and heat until they are brown. Mix in the buttermilk (or yogourt and water) and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Heat to warm oven low heat, but DO NOT LET IT BOIL. (This would ruin its digestibility, as well as its looks.) Comments: Traditionally, this dish is served over dhokalas, pudas, or vatas. It makes an excellent sauce over most of the Indian-style vegetables offered in the VEGETABLE sectin, turning them into quick main dishes with rice. Cut out the salt in either the buttermilk sauce or the vegetables if you combine them in this way.

HOT GINGERED MILK

Serves : 2 Preparation time : 10 minutes 1 cup cow or goat milk (cow for Vata, goat for Kapha) 1 cup water 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root 3-4 cardamom seeds 1/2 - 1 teaspoon ghee Put milk, water, ginger, and cardamom into a small saucepan. Heat over medium high heat until boiling. Reduce heat immediately to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into individual cups and stir in ghee. Comments : This hot drink is very calming to Vata and makes a good anupanna (medium) for Ayurvedic medications which need to be taken before bed. (Check with your practitioner if in fact this is helpful for you.) If you substitute 1/4 teaspoon dry ginger for the fresh ginger and use goat milk rather than cow, this is also calming to Kapha. Pitta can skip the ginger altogether and enjoy a balanced beverage thereby..

SCRAMBLED TOFU

Serves: 2 Preparation time : 5 - 10 minutes 1/2 pound (1/2 package) tofu 1 tablespoon ghee or butter 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 1/8 teaspoon hing 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin Warm ghee or melt butter in heavy skillet. Add mustard seeds and heat until they begin to pop. Add tofu, putting whole cube into skillet and then mashing it into small pieces with a fork in the skillet. Add rest of ingredients, stirring well. Cook on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Comments: A favorites of both authors, this goes well with toast, tortillas, or chapattis. This fast breakfast can include sauteed onions and pepper if you have an extra 5 minutes of preparation time. This modification is agreeable for balancing Vata and Kapha, but not Pitta.

MASALA POTATOES

MASALA POTATOES Serves : 3-4 Preparation time : 30 to 40 minutes 2 red potatoes 1 medium parsnip 1/2 bunch leafy greens 1/4 onion, finely chopped 2 tablespoons sunflower oil or ghee 1/4 teaspoon black mustard sees 1/8 teaspoon hing 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped 1/2 to 2/3 cup water 1/2 teaspoon sea or rock salt 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder Wash the vegetables and cube the potatoes and parsnips into 1/2 inch pieces. Chop the greens into 1 inch slices and finely chop the onion. Peel and finely chop the ginger root. Warm the oil or ghee in a large skillet over low heat. Add the mustard seeds and hing, and warm until the mustard seeds pop. Stir in the turmeric and fresh chopped ginger root, then the vegetables. Add the water and cover and cook over medium heat until the potatoes and parsnips are tender and done, about 15 minutes. Stir in the salt and coriander and serve. Comment: This goes deliciously with DOSAS, or makes a good Indian style substitute for hash brown.