Davinder Kumar, Vice President – F&B (Production), Hotel Le Meridien New Delhi and President, Indi-an Culinary Forum shares his thoughts on ayurvedic cuisine

I do some eavesdropping sometimes, more so when the keywords from the conversations fall on my ears, and even more when it is Gen Z, the generation of future chefs, that’s talking. Can’t help sharing what I recently heard.

“I’m using hibiscus because it is rich in vitamins and promotes weight loss and rose because it is the queen of flowers. It also improves menstrual health.”

“I’m making an ashwagandha marinara sauce. Ashwagandha is the most important herb in Ayurveda and helps increase strength and manages stress.” 

“I’m planning to use ingredients like whole wheat flour, extra virgin olive oil, homemade rose extract, dried rose powder, naturally extracted beetroot colour, basil, brown sugar, Himalayan pink salt, turmeric, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella for my dish.”

This makes me ponder, wonder, and introspect. Are the chefs of today at par with the budding professionals? Are we consciously thinking about menus and what we put on the plate? Are we there or do we need to take the first step towards making that change? Should the dishes appeal only to the senses or is there more to it?

YOU ARE ‘WHAT YOU EAT AND WHAT YOU DON’T EAT!’ 

Foods harm and foods heal! “Your food shall be your medicine,” said Hippocrates II, Greek physician and the Father of Medicine. This maxim is relevant even today. Over the years, man got divorced from Nature and its rich, beautiful bounty. Preserved, treated, refrigerated, embalmed, processed, loaded with chemicals, and pasteurised food items are being promoted, making them commercialised. Such foods can never substitute wholesome and natural food. 

Undoubtedly, this distance from Nature has deprived the present generation of farm-fresh food to meet man’s nutritional needs. Eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, regular exercise and positive attitude are essential for the overall health and wellness.

Most food, especially popular convenience foods, are denatured, artificially flavoured and devoid of vital food values. Nutrients left post-processing, storage and transportation are poor substitutes for natural ‘wholesomeness’. Good nutrition is vital for maintaining good health, particularly in this Covid-era when the body is combating infection and one needs more energy and fluids. Hence, it is pivotal to fuel the system with the right amount of nutrients more than one usually needs. Always eat a diet high in immune-boosting nutrients which help in maintaining health and wellness.

FOODS TO BOOST IMMUNITY

Citrus fruits and greens, nuts, seeds and greens, green tea, fish and eggs, probiotics, garlic, walnut, shellfish and poultry products boost the immune system. We also can’t ignore ashwagandha, turmeric, tulsi, triphala, chyawanprash, gulkand, amla, kadhas and lehyams, traditionally from India, becoming household names all over the world due to their immunity boosting qualities.

AYURVEDIC CUISINE

Ayurveda believes in the teachings of Dhanwantari, the Lord of Medicine and Ayurveda, that connects the mind and body with what we eat. Food is said to nourish, nurture and heal the soul and uplift it for the wellbeing of a living being. In Ayurvedic cuisine, food is prepared on the principles of Ayurveda, which is, in turn, based on the balance of Nature. More importantly, Ayurveda is a comprehensive system of healing and wellness that arises from the universal wisdom embodied.

In cooking, Ayurvedic wisdom comes home when Nature, in her great generosity, offers herself most fully to us, letting us touch, taste and smell while converting every day meals into delights of nourishing balance and healing. The aim is to ensure equilibrium or homeostasis that we usually refer to as balance that makes it important for us to eat food sensibly and with lot of jurisdiction and right preferences.

Ayurveda categorises food into three main parts: Sattvic, Rajasik and Tamasic which decide the type of food one must intake to upkeep their health. Food also, in turn, affects the mind and behaviour of the people consuming it, leading to them being classified into three gunas or qualities that they possess: Sattoguni (goodness, calmness, harmonious), Rajoguni (passion, activity, movement) and Tamoguni (ignorance, inertia and laziness). 

AYURVEDIC DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR PRESERVING HEALTH

It is believed that Ayurvedic concepts of nutrition and the dietary guidelines worked out according to individual prakritis or doshas which is the natural constitution of the body ie vata, the naturally slim ones; kapha, the ones with slow metabolism and pitta, the ones with fast metabolism, offer a scientifically searched and practical schedule for promoting or preserving a healthy lifestyle. This healthy lifestyle helps us balance professional as well as personal life and preserves our health to fight against diseases.

Ayurvedic cooking is all about guiding principles of basic food combinations rather than rules.

* Enjoy Nature and live with it 

* Live by the seasons as you benefit from Nature’s healing balance

* Opposites attract and heal. In other words, the doshas like their qualities that perpetuate them

* Ayurveda helps cultivate one’s vital essence

* Food needs to be light, easily digestible and based on the season

* Spices help create a balance among the doshas

* Cooked food is considered easier to digest and has more flavour than raw food

PLANT-BASED FOOD, THE NEW FACE OF HEALTHY LIVING 

Plant-based diet not only includes fruits and vegetables but nuts, seeds, whole grains and beans which provide all the essential carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals for optimal health. Proper nutrition and hydration are vital. You should eat a variety of fruits and unprocessed food every day to get vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, proteins and antioxidants for your body needs. Drink enough water, eat moderate amount of fats and oils and eat less salt and sugar.

A caveat for the fraternity of chefs. Now is the time for revival, now is the time to go back to our roots and browse through our scriptures and bring those findings to our kitchens and apply them to all that we cook. It is time to reinvent menus and cook sensibly. It is time to cook for health, nutrition and sustainability.