What’s in your Salt?

Thousands of years ago the Vedic Rishis (enlightened sages or seers of ancient India), from which all Ayurvedic knowledge and wisdom was derived, identified and confirmed the existence of six tastes. Lavana, or salty taste is an important one, very commonly used, but the least understood. It contains a unique combination of both soma and […]

Chyawanprash; 52 Herbs for daily detox and rejuvenation

The Rishi and The Princess The intriguing story of Rishi Chyawan is documented in the ancient epic tale of India, the Mahabharata. Rishi Chyawan was a great seer. He was fully enlightened and thus carried no desires in his heart, except for union with the cosmic divine. It is said that he sat immobile, his […]

Why do you get sick in “ritu sandhi” – when the season shifts from Summer to Autumn?

In the summer time we are exposed to increased “agni” – the sun’s vicinity to the earth heats up the environment along with our bodies. In response to the heat, our channels dilate and our metabolic “agneya” organs –  liver, spleen, pancreas, stomach – carry and circulate more heat. But as summer wanes out, and […]

Sweet & Spicy broccoli with Protein

Ingredients 8 oz of chopped or sliced broccoli 2 oz of cubed paneer (or if you are not vegetarian, boiled/cooked chicken breast pieces) 2 oz of chopped celery ½ teaspoon of turmeric 1 teaspoon ghee (or grape-seed oil) 1 teaspoon of olive oil Soma salt per taste 1 tablespoon of SVA Mango Orange Chutney 6 […]

Cooling Summer Dahl with Toru and Lime Leaf

Be transported and soothed by this delicious recipe with Toru (this is an Indian  squash, very cooling, that has deep dark green ridges on the outside and a soft white inside) and the refreshing hints of lime leaf. It is a great summer-evening dinner dahl to cool off pitta and nurture you with easy-to-digest protein. […]

Introducing a perfectly delicious and healthy potato substitute called: Nagaimo.

Vaidya Mishra: “It is found in almost all Asian grocery stores. A lot of people following the SVA diet are missing potatoes in their cooking. Lorna Cheng, a scientist and SVA healer who follows and recommends the SVA diet in her teachings,  brought the Nagaimo vegetable to me to check whether I could approve it […]

Recipe for daily detox with Moringa leaves

  Spring and summer are the season for fresh Moringa leaves. Asian grocery stores carry them on a regular basis, as these are also part of the asian diet. They sell them in big bunches wrapped in plastic.  One bunch will contain many branches with plenty of leaves that can easily last you 2-3 weeks. […]

Roti-s: Plain and Simple!

Sometimes the simplest things in life are hardest to make. Indian flatbreads or Roti-s are made from wheat flour and water, rolled out and then baked on a cast iron skillet (tava), then made to puff over an open flame. But we have all failed miserably at this many times over. However, it can be […]

Thanksgiving Meal Misgivings!

Celebratory holidays are a social ritual where we come together as a group to mark an event. Most of the time they involve food. Eating is an important part of celebrating not just anniversary events but of celebrating life! In the ancient vedic shastras, eating was considered a yayga – an supreme act of purification. […]

SVA Kitchen: Quinoa Flakes Upma

If you crave something savory rather than sweet in the the mornings, here is a light yet nourishing delicious recipe. It has been inspired by a famous South Indian dish that is originally made with wheat called Upma. This recipe is balanced and will be adequate no matter what your dosha!   Step one: in […]