Masalas for Ayurvedic Cooking
Adapted from Divya Alter and Kate O’Donnell
by My Little Blue Heron
In the East, masalas (masala means spice) vary from family or home to home, region to region and in Ayurveda, by dosha or season. If you don’t know about doshas, that’s fine. If you’re curious, read about the three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
From the very small amount I have learned, Ayurveda is about finding balance.
These masalas will come in handy to create beautiful dishes like Khichiri, dal from Alter’s and O’Donnell’s books as well as from your arsenal of recipes. I use them in my everyday cooking, too… especially the ‘sweet’ masalas. I substitute sweet masala for dried fruit in my Ayurvedic Oatmeal!
MLBH Truc: Buy a good spice grinder. The sharper and more efficient the blades, the finer your blends will be. The link will take you to some serious grinders (I have one.) But a good quality coffee grinder will work well!
Label your masalas and store them in airtight glass jars away from light and heat.
To use masalas: add them at the beginning of cooking, or use them at the end of cooking, “tempering” spices by warming a small amount of ghee and adding the masala for a few seconds just until the spices release their aromas, immediately removing from the heat, taking care not to burn these delicate spices. Then drizzle the aromatic mix over cooked veggies or rice, covering the dish and allowing the flavors to marry. Yum!
peace, love, balance and spice,
jane
Raw Spice Masalas
Procedure for all Masalas:
Place spices in electric grinder and grind to a fine powder. Store in a glass jar away from light and heat.
Sweet Masala
You’ll adore this one. These sweet spices are on the calmer side. Add this masala to warm cereal, puddings, cookies, muffins and smoothies*. Aromatic and soothing, you’ll be glad you bought rose buds. (Add them to black tea!) These spices are great for breaking down carbohydrates and the natural sweetness of these spices may suffice with no need to add additional sweetener to some of your dishes!
1 Tbsp. fennel seeds
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
1 Tbsp. dried rose petals of buds
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon granules or crushed cinnamon bark
¾ tsp. green cardamom seeds (not the pods!)
¾ tsp. pure vanilla powder
*For baking, add 1 tsp. sweet masala for every 2 cups of dry ingredients. For liquid, (best heated but not a deal breaker) ½ tsp. sweet masala for every 1 cup of liquid.
Sweet Masala (with previously ground spices)
This is a 1-2-3, quick and easy to put together masala. These sweet spices are a little “fiery” and may help stir up your digestion. I sprinkle this on yogurt, oatmeal and on baked sweet potatoes! I don’t add the nutmeg. When I want to taste nutmeg, I grate it on the spot.
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. ground cardamom
optional: 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
For cold weather and airy (Vata) digestion. this masala helps with digestion and circulation, but won’t overheat the body.
2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
2 Tbsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. whole cloves
1 tsp. Sunthi ginger
(No Sunthi ginger? Use regular powdered ginger.)
¾ tsp. black peppercorns
Digestive Masala
Kalonji (“Black”) seeds help to clean out any remaining residue in the digestive tract. “Black” seeds are said to address ailments like hypertension, fungal infections, diabetes and ulcers. These are ‘claims’, not medical facts. This masala combines spices to balance the cleansing effects of the Kalonji seeds with more calming spices for digestion.
Add this masala at the beginning of cooking mixed vegetables, soups, or leafy green vegetables
2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
2 Tbsp. fennel seeds
2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tsp. kalonji seeds (also called “black seeds”)
2 tsp. ground turmeric
Energizing Masala
Is your Kapha on? This masala helps to wake up slow digestion and sluggish fat metabolism. It’s good for weight reduction diets or when Winterlockdown/quarantine is making you feel like a sloth. If you’re feeling ‘fiery’ (Vata), this will heat you up more.
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. ajwain seeds
½ tsp. powdered ginger
½ tsp. ground turmeric
¼ tsp. black peppercorns
¼ tsp. cinnamon granules or crushed cinnamon bark
¼ tsp. black cardamom seeds (from 1 or 2 pods)
¼ tsp. salt
Cooling Masala
Cooling, but not recommended if you have an acidic tummy.
4 tsp. fennel seeds
2 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. black peppercorns
1 tsp. coconut sugar
Bonus!
Digestive Tea Masala (Using WHOLE spices)
Tummy grumbles? I keep it on hand and steep it when my stomach’s feeling grumpy. It’s delicious and soothing. If you like it sweet, add a little raw honey. If you’re feeling a little shut down (haven’t been out much?), open your heart a little
N.B. You can reduce the amount of spices. They’re equal in proportion. Mix them together.
Whole spices:
2 Tbsp. Coriander
2 Tbsp. Cumin
2 Tbsp. Fennel
Directions: Steep ½ Tbsp.* in 2 cups of boiling water for 10 minutes. Pour through strainer. Sip contentedly.
* If you’re feeling a little shut down (haven’t been out much?) - n.b.: this post was published during the Covid19 Pandemic lockdown, open your heart a little and add 1 tsp. of dried rose petals or and steep altogether.
