We have had two teachers here from India teaching the Jivana Yoga Programme which takes part two mornings on the weekends. They inspire and guide us in the areas of asana, pranayama, Samskrta, Yogic philosophy and Yogic cooking – but we also learn so much more by just being in their grace-filled presence.
I have enjoyed cooking with Ganapati Aarya (the more senior teacher) as he is very organised and precise, so each recipe we cook is perfected down to how much liquid or grain of salt is required. He also imparts a softness, grace and calmness in any room he enters and in everything he does. At the beginning of each week, we sit and discuss which dish we will be cooking, the benefits of that dish and then a trial of that dish the next day, before cooking it again with the class on Sunday.
These are just a few things I have learnt in his presence –
– always simmer with the lid off to eliminate any energetic impurities which may have entered the food.
– a pinch of mustard seeds is advised to add to the voggarane to cleanse the food energetically.
– always cook in a state of calm, quiet and good feeling, which will impart the same qualities in the food you will eat and serve to others.
– when passing a knife to others, always place on the ground or table, never directly in their hand as this can create quarrelling.
moong dal sambar with green beans
When we cooked this in the class, the fresh green beans were added at the very beginning to simmer with the dal – I like to add the green beans 10 minutes before the end to keep them vital and fresh. Any type of green bean can be used.
This dish can be made with seasonal vegetables of choice. As a guideline, beetroot, cabbage and beans are recommended to be used by themselves, and carrot and capsicum are recommended to be combined with other vegetables. The mixing of too many vegetables will result in an unsuitable taste when making a sambar. Instead of the whole mung dal – moong dal split or toor dal can also be used.
This dish is good for all constitutions in all seasons and may be consumed at any time of the day. It balances kapha, vata and pitta. Sambar can be eaten with rice, dosa, chapati or pori.
ingredients
½ cup/100g whole moong dal
6 cups water – divided
2½ cups/275g green beans, chopped into small uniformed pieces
1½ heaped tsp fine Himalayan rock salt
2 heaped tsp sugar/jaggery
sambar-coconut paste
2½ tsp sambar powder – moderately spiced
⅓ cup dried shredded coconut
1 tsp tamarind paste
voggarane
2 tsp ghee
½ tsp black mustard seeds
⅛ tsp asafoetida powder (hingu)
15 curry leaves
⅛ tsp turmeric powder
½ cup coriander leaves, chopped
preparation
1. In a medium saucepan, wash the dāl until the water runs clear, drain and pour in 5 cups water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a rapid simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes.
2. Add the beans and simmer until the vegetables are soft and dāl has broken down – 30 minutes.
3. When the dal has softened, turn off the heat and add salt and jaggery.
prepare the sambar-coconut paste
4. Place in an upright blender, the dried coconut, tamarind paste, sambar powder and remaining 1 cup water. Blend into a smooth paste – 1 minute.
5. Add the paste to the dal. Swish the blender clean using liquid from the dal.
voggarane
6. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the ghee, add mustard seeds; when they turn grey and pop, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and turmeric – fry for 1 minute, swishing the pan around for the spices to fry evenly.
7. Pour the voggarane into the sambar and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
8. Add the coriander and let to sit for 5 minutes for the flavours to meld together. Taste adding more sweet, salt or sour. Serve with a drizzling of ghee.
Goodness shared by Stacey
