I used to practically live off Thai Veggies in peanut sauce from my favorite restaurant called Lemongrass back in college, when I didn't know anything about Ayurveda.
In studying Ayurveda, and learning how much fire element I have in my body 2 years later, I drastically reduced how much of heating spices I consume. That made dishes like with peanut sauces pretty much go out the window.
It also meant cooking most of my own foods, and I was more than happy to live off of Ayurvedic seasonal kitchari recipes for months on end.
But thanks to the continual requests of clients, students, various wellness editors and many of you here on IG, I recreated new versions of old favorite foods by applying Ayurvedic seasonal food wisdom.
This was something I often told people you can do, apply the principles and still enjoy what you like right now. But I realized it's not quite that easy to put it all together yourself when you don't live and breathe these principles every day yourself.
So I made it my mission, starting four months back, to return back to old discarded modern favorite foods and infuse them with the ancient Ayurvedic food wisdom that has become such a bedrock in my own life, and that I share about with others in as many ways as I can.
Recreating an Ayurvedic version of this recipe took a few tries to really 'get', but I'm so glad I did! It brought me back to my college days. And felt so empowering to be able to make a new version of it for myself versus have to rely on a restaurant to make it for me.
In fact, these days, despite living right in the heart of gourmet restaurants galore in one of the world's great food capitals, I haven't missed ANY foods I ever used to eat in restaurants at any point in my life.
Peanuts, by nature, tend to be very heating for your body and can be hard to digest on their own. I recommend this recipe, therefore, only in winter, which is the time of year when you have the strongest capacity for digestion. You can also substitute peanuts with almonds to improve the recipe's digestibility.
Note: this recipe should skip the Ayurvedic Sriracha sauce (and definitely substitute the peanuts for almonds) for anyone who suffers from autoimmune or inflammatory conditions, as the red bell peppers and peanuts can aggravate such conditions.
Serves 4.
AYURVEDIC SRIRACHA SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 oz. red peppers, chopped
1/2 teaspoon hing
1 1/2 teaspoon jaggery
1/2 teaspoon pink rock salt
2 3/4 teaspoons water
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
PEANUT SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon hing
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Ayurvedic Sriracha sauce
1/2 teaspoon pink rock salt
2 1/2 tablespoons jaggery
1 2/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
THAI VEGGIES IN PEANUT SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
3 1/4 cups coconut milk
2 teaspoons ghee or coconut oil
3/4 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 1/4 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup green beans, chopped
1 recipe peanut sauce
parsley or cilantro leaves to garnish
METHOD:
MAKE AYURVEDIC SRIRACHA SAUCE: blend together all ingredients until they reach your desired consistency.
MAKE THE PEANUT SAUCE: combine all ingredients in a blender until they reach a smooth consistency.
MAKE THAI VEGGIES IN PEANUT SAUCE: Combine lentils with 3 cups of the coconut milk and a good pink of salt in a big saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the lentils are almost tender. Set aside. Heat ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add veggies, followed by remaining 1/4 cup of coconut milk. Mix well. Add cooked lentils and reduce the heat to medium. Bring the sauce to boil and then continue to cook until the lentils are completely done and veggies are soft enough that a spoon can easily cut through them.
Serve this recipe with cooked vermicelli noodles, jasmine rice or tortillas.
Take a moment before eating this meal to really acknowledge, thank and bless all the people involved in the production of your food. Ayurveda is the holistic science of life, which deeply acknowledges and encourages reverence for the interconnectedness of all of life. When you acknowledge this chain, it blesses you with the greatest health possible.
To learn more delicious recipes like this, and to learn how to design your own Ayurveda lifestyle, in harmony with the rhythms of nature, join The Ancient Way's Wellness Ambassador Program starting March 26th, 2022, to spread the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda in your community.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ANANTA RIPA AJMERA is founder and CEO of The Ancient Way and Advisor of Ayurveda at THE WELL, a modern wellness club that brings together world-class doctors and master healers for a more balanced you. She is author of The Ayurveda Way, a compilation of 108 simple, doable practices for better sleep, less stress, optimal digestion and more.