By Kate O'Donnell, photos by Cara Brostrom

A collection of favorite seasonal dishes from The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook: A Seasonal Guide to Eating and Living Well, each of these recipes can stand on its own, but should you find yourself wanting a change of scenery for your meal, the three together make up an integral Indian meal that's delicious packed up (I recommend Indian tiffins) and taken on a picnic.

I have learned how to cook these dishes by observing householders who were kind enough to teach me, and Ayurvedic cooks as well, to note the differences between everyday cooking and medicinal cooking. Here we fuse the two: Ayurvedic sensitivities have changed the recipes slightly, but the dishes are still quite authentic and will bring the tastes of Ayurveda's roots to your kitchen. It brings me happiness to share this feast with you.

South Indian Lemon Rice

Using leftover rice and just a few minutes of cooking on the stove top, mix up this rice meal when you don't want to heat up your kitchen on hot summer days.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked Basmati Rice, or 2 cups cooked
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 Tbsp peanuts
• 2 Tbsp cashews
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida/hing
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated
• 2-3 red chillies, dried
• 1 small lemon, or half a large lemon, juiced
• 1 handful cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• sea salt to taste

Directions:

Cook the basmati rice in 2 cups water for 10 to 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Allow to cool, so grains stay separate. Left over rice works best.

Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed skillet. Add mustard seeds. When seeds begin to splutter and pop, add peanuts, cashews, asafoetida, turmeric, ginger and chillies. Saute for a few minutes, just until peanuts and cashews begin to brown.  Remove from heat.

In a serving bowl, add lemon juice, cilantro, and salt to the cooled rice, mixing slowly with hands so as not to break the rice grains.

Serve at room temperature, alongside a vegetable palya and a dollop of raita, or pack it in your tiffin for a picnic lunch.

Beetroot Palya

Palya is the Kannada word for vegetables fried with spices, in the state of Maharashtra, though every region in the south has its version. This versatile recipe often features shredded or diced cabbage, carrots, green beans, or okra. Often onion and urad dahl are included, but this Ayurvedic version omits those two, and includes the traditional mustard seed and shredded coconut only. Once you get the hang of this dish, start experimenting with any vegetable you have on hand- the amount of water will vary by each vegetable, so start with less and add a few ounces more during cooking as needed.  

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of peeled, finely diced beet
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp all seasons spice mix
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• pinch hing powder (optional)
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil

Directions:

Warm the coconut oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Fry the mustard seeds and hing powder in the oil for 2-3 minutes.  The seeds will pop, and it is good to have a lid to cover the pan so they don't escape. Add the diced beet and coconut, fry for a few seconds, stirring to distribute oil and spices throughout. Add the cinnamon and salt, then the water. Cover, turn down to low and simmer 10 minutes.

Serve alongside lemon rice.

Cucumber Mint Raita

Often the raita you find in an Indian restaurant contains raw onion, a pungent, strong smelling (even after you eat it) addition our bodies can do without, especially in summer. This version is gentler on the system, and acts as a digestive aid. Should you desire more exciting flavors, there are a few spice variations listed. It's best made fresh so the cucumber stays crispy.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic whole yogurt
• 2 small cucumbers, or one large
• ¼ tsp each, salt and pepper
• optional, ¼ tsp coriander, fennel, or cumin powder
• optional, mint to garnish. You can also chop a bit and add into the yogurt.

Peel the cucumber with a vegetable peeler, leaving a few strips of skin for added color. Chop the cucumber in half and remove the seeds. Grate the cucumber halves with large box grater. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the grated cucumber, salt and pepper into the yogurt. Garnish with sprigs of mint atop the bowl.

Serve raita beside grains and vegetables, or pack in its own container for the lemon rice picnic.