There is no greater gift in life than your own inner peace. It is possible to experience peace within yourself even when your surroundings are very turbulent and full of uncertainty and strife.
What you eat has a huge impact upon your mind. In Yoga and Ayurveda psychology teachings, there are 3 main qualities of the mind:
*Inertia/dullness/depression
*Movement/excitement/agitation
*Purity/peacefulness/balance
Eating this Power of Inner Peace pasta dish supports you on the path of cultivating a peaceful disposition amidst the ups and downs of life. It gives you the perfect balance between inertia and movement.
It also tastes amazing!! Cannellini beans, also known as Italian white kidney beans, are creamy, white, tough skinned beans that become mild and nutty in flavor and have a smooth, creamy texture.
They taste wonderful with the olives and veggies you can include in this dish, if you choose!
Serves 4.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
4 tbsp black olives
1 tsp cooling pungent masala
3 cups cannellini beans, soaked overnight
1/2 tsp hing
2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
2 medium sized diced heirloom tomatoes (those with autoimmune conditions should omit these)
8 oz. pasta of your choice
**Cooling pungent masala is an amazing recipe from Divya Alter in her wonderful book "What To Eat for How You Feel." It's a way to have black pepper without getting heated by it.
Blend together:
4 tsp fennel seeds
4 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp Sucanat, organic cane sugar, coconut sugar, or your favorite sugar substitute
METHOD:
COOK PASTA: follow instructions on package to cook your pasta.
COOK BEANS: put soaked cannellini beans in Instant Pot and pressure cook them for 7-9 minutes.
COOK PASTA: add ghee or oil to a large saucepan. Add hing, thyme and rosemary and cannellini beans.
Add basil leaves, olives, black pepper, heirloom tomatoes (if using) and mix well.
Garnish with parsley or cilantro leaves.
Take a moment to close your eyes and connect with the peace that lives deep within you, as your true essence. It really helps to eat your food when you are not actively experiencing strong emotions, like anger, fear or grief. If you are feeling any of these, you can wait to eat until your emotions have passed and settled. This will help ensure that you eat in a more peaceful state of mind, which will affect how well you digest and absorb the nutrients of your food. Digestion is the key to overall health, so anything that is digestion promoting will automatically be peace promoting for your mind also.
To learn how to make 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.