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Food may be my favourite four-letter word, but it is also the obsession of the centuries-old system of Ayurveda. The 8216;science of life...

Food may be my favourite four-letter word, but it is also the obsession of the centuries-old system of Ayurveda. The 8216;science of life8217; believes in including and balancing all the six tastes, and in eating according to age, sex, physical activity, physiological condition and one8217;s prakriti or psycho-physical nature.

I chew on this information8212;along with some really delicious vegetarian food8212; in Kerala Ayurvedic Research and Rejuvenation Establishment, a spa located 45 km from Pune. I devour what Dr Prakash Kalmadi, owner, and Dr Daswandi Chowdhary, nutritionist, have to say.

According to Ayurveda, a balanced diet consists of five basic food groups: protein all dals, beans and nuts; protective group green leafy vegetables, yellow and orange fruits, mangoes, papaya etc; secondary protective group fruits and veggies; cereals wheat, rice, jowar etc; and concentrated energy sugar, jaggery, honey, butter and cheese.

Ayurvedic practitioners believe food should never be eaten raw; steaming, churning, grinding, boiling or baking is a good idea. Of course, the ideal diet is a veggie sattvik one.

		MOONG DOSA WITH CARROT CHUTNEY

			INGREDIENTS For dosa 100 gm split moong dal or yellow moong dal Rock salt For chutney 3 carrots 2 tsp sesame seeds 2 tsp coriander seeds 2 red chillies Salt METHOD For dosa: Soak the dal for three hours. Grind it and make the batter of pouring consistency. Add salt and prepare the dosas. For chutney: Blanch and cut the carrots into pieces after removing the inner core. Dry roast the carrots till slightly tender. Also, roast each of the other ingredients separately and grind together, adding a little water. For the seasoning, add black gram dal, mustard seed and asafoetida to very hot cow8217;s ghee, and pour it on chutney.

Interestingly, Ayurveda advocates a few basic principles that have nothing to do with the kind of food eaten:

8226; The mind of the person who is eating, the one who is serving and the one who is cooking should be cheerful and calm. The positive energy or prana is passed into the food and this nourishes the body better.
8226; One should not abuse or criticise anyone or have negative thoughts while eating.
8226; Start the meal with a prayer of gratitude.
8226; One should eat meals at their proper times.
8226; Never eat the second meal before the first is digested.

Here in this rejuvenating spa, I eat according to the above rules. No doubt, the setting8212;magnificent nature, serene lake and glittering waterfalls8212;whets my appetite but there is more to it.

I come away with a feeling of energised calm, and food has greatly contributed to this mood.