Spice Churnas for Vata, Pitta, and Kapha

When we begin to follow an Ayurvedic diet, we are often attached to a food list of do’s and don’ts and we adhere as closely to this as possible. As we deepen in our understanding of why and how certain foods affect us, we begin to relax a little bit from our strict adherence to a food list and start to rejoin the rest of the dining world. We learn that we can have some of the “forbidden” foods as long as the mainstay of the food we eat is comprised of the optimum food choices for our constitution or current state of health. We can also alter the method of preparation of foods and use spicing to “antidote” a food that may not otherwise agree with us.

Cooking methods for the constitutional types are fairly straight forwards. Vata, being cold and dry, is best alleviated when food is served warm and freshly cooked with water or oils and sauces to retain and even increase its moisture content. Pitta, being hot and oily, prefers cool foods with little heating oils and little salt. Kapha, being heavy and damp, is best pacified by using hot, dry cooking methods and techniques that add little to the heaviness of food such as steaming, roasting, baking, and dehydrating.

Spicing is a wonderful way to alleviate the dosha aggravating qualities of foods. When used while a dish is cooking, spicing will alter the qualities of the entire meal. When applied while dining, to just one person’s plate of food, it can be used to individualize the dish so that the entire family can dine together. A churna, or powdered combination of herbs, may be made to a person’s taste by using herbs from the below list of herbs and spices that is most balancing to that person’s constitution.

Vata: anise, basil, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, curry, fennel, fresh ginger, sunthi, hing (asafetida), saffron, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, salt, tamarind, turmeric, lemon. Or used in small amounts: black pepper, pippali, rosemary. An example churna for vata might be: 4 parts fennel, 2 parts cumin, ½ part nutmeg (make by combining for example: 4 tablespoons fennel, 2 tablespoons cumin and ½ part nutmeg. Dosage = ½ tsp 2-3 times per day between meals or sprinkled or sautéed with meals, in hot water, or hot milk or in takra)

Pitta: cardamom, chamomile, cilantro, coriander, cumin, dill, anise, caraway, fennel, tarragon, mint, vanilla, licorice, curry leaf, lime. In small amounts: nutmeg, clove, sunthi, cardamom, turmeric, black pepper. Example pitta churna: 2 parts fennel, 1 part cumin, 1 part coriander. For severe burning digestion, include ½ part licorice root to soothe and heal stomach lining and mucous membranes. Or for very weak digestion in a pitta, add ¼ part cardamom. Taken: ½ tsp 2-3 times per day after meals or sprinkled onto food.

Kapha: turmeric, ginger (dry or fresh), black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, curry, coriander, fennel, chilis, mustard seeds, kalunji, oregano, parsley, pippali, rosemary, sage, thyme, honey. To stimulate and heat the heavy kapha digestion, try 1 part each, black pepper, ginger and cardamom. Dosage: 1/8-1/4 tsp 2-3 times per day before meals or with meal.

A churna can be carried with you and added to food at any time or stirred into warm water and taken as a tea to relieve associated digestive complaints of that dosh in excess. The use of a churna is intended to assist you in making any food you encounter more pacifying to your dosha. Experiment with different quantities and spices until you find the taste and qualities which are most beneficial for you. Enjoy!

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