Recipe: Warming Curried Vegetable Stew
By Melanie Pores
According to Ayurveda, the 5000 year old “Science of Life” from India, the winter season is considered a time when the elements of “Vata”---wind and dryness—combine with the “Kapha” element of heaviness, tends to build in our bodies. The cold and heavy nature of winter winds dry our skin and sinuses. This also creates a heaviness that produces mucous, making our bodies more vulnerable to colds and viruses. In addition, when Vata is out of balance, we can experience a tendency for overthinking, excessive worrying, stress, insomnia, and anxiety.
According to Ayurveda, to counteract the dry and erratic imbalances in our body and mind, it is important to eat warming and grounding foods, and to incorporate lifestyle practices that are also warming and grounding.
It is helpful for us to eat warm, cooked foods like soups and stews that are easy to digest, and to incorporate healthy fats in your diet, such as ghee and olive oil, to help maintain internal moisture and warmth.
In addition, including a variety of spices such as ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, turmeric, cumin and black pepper, not only enhance flavor but also increase your digestive fire, reduce gas, and support overall digestion.
You can also benefit from drinking hot tea. Mealtimes need to be mindful experiences where you sit down and eat slowly, allowing your body to digest efficiently. It is best to eat at the same time every day.
In addition to the dietary practices and herbs/spices, you can counteract the dry and erratic nature of Vata with simple grounding and nourishing lifestyle adjustments to your daily life.
Slow down, be more mindful, practice breathwork (Pranayama) employing diaphragmatic breathing and Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing). These can all be very calming for Vata imbalances.
Choose a slow, quiet yoga practice, featuring grounding and stability-focused poses like Warrior II and Tree Pose. Seated forward bends and restorative poses like Savasana can be helpful.
Try to do less. Cut back on your commitments, and limit multitasking and screen time, particularly right before bedtime.
Establish a nightly sleep routine that begins with employing Abhyanga. This is a self-massage practice utilizing warm oil prior to taking a warm bath; Abhyanga can help calm the nervous system, promote better sleep, and moisturize dry skin. Unrefined sesame oil, olive oil, coconut oil are used for this purpose depending on your individual constitution. See the following website to learn more about Abhyanga.
My recipe for the stew below is a great way to support immunity while taking the chill off of a cold Winter’s day!
Warming Curried Coconut Butternut Squash Vegetable Stew
(Vegan/Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
1 large butternut squash, cut in half with seeds removed.
½ large sweet onion, chopped
3 Tbsp coconut oil
Curry powder blend:
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup organic coconut milk, preferably fresh
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen sweet peas
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and place butternut squash face down onto the baking tray with a ½ inch of water in the tray. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through.
2. In a large saucepan, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add the Curry powder blend and black pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until onion is translucent.
3. Use a large metal spoon to remove the butternut squash from its peel and stir squash into the onion. Stir in coconut milk and vegetable broth. Continue cooking, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Transfer ½ of the stew into blender and purée. Mix purée into stew.
4. Add sliced carrots, sweet peas, and cubed sweet potato and simmer until vegetables are thoroughly cooked. Serve hot and enjoy!
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