Cosamberi is a delicious light, easily digestible raw salad that nourishes the body. Cosamberi is best eaten as a side dish alongside the main meal. It can also be eaten as a small snack in the morning or evening. It balances vata, pitta and kapha.
Less is More
There are hundreds of varieties of food, but in order to be fit and healthy for Realization, we need to eat only a few of them. Once we establish a basic diet, we may or may not decide to eat other kind of foods. We are best served to work hard only for what is most needed to maintain a balanced mind and body. This is our duty and the essence of aparigraha (the value of having few belongings).
~ Dr. Shankaranarayana Jois – The Sacred Tradition of Yoga
cosamberi
Serves 4 – as a side dish.
Recipe shared by our teacher Ganapati Aarya, as part of the Jivana Yoga Programme.
Any left-over coconut can be grated, sealed and stored in the freezer. If unable to obtain fresh coconut, replace with ½ cup/35g dried shredded coconut. For best results, grate the carrot and coconut small and fine, using the finer side of a box grater.
ingredients
¼ cup/50g split moong dal
1 heaped cup/80g grated fresh coconut
1 large carrot – approximately 100g
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp/25ml lemon juice – divided
⅓ cup/15g coriander, finely chopped
½ tsp fine rock salt
voggarane
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp/20ml peanut/coconut oil
½ heaped tsp mustard seeds
1 heaped tsp split urad dal
1 dried red Byaadagi chilli, finely chopped
20 fresh curry leaves
pinch asafoetida powder
⅛ heaped tsp turmeric powder
pre-preparation
1. Rinse dal until the water runs clear. Cover again with water and set aside to soak for 1 hour. Then, drain the dāl through a fine-mesh sieve and allow it to dry for 15 minutes.
2. Finely grate the coconut – measuring 1 tightly packed cup. Wash, peel and grate the carrot – measuring 1 tightly packed cup and pour 1 tsp lemon juice over the carrot to prevent discolouring. Rinse, dry and chop the fresh coriander – measuring ⅓ cup.
3. Place in a medium-sized bowl along with the soaked dāl, sprinkle with salt – do not mix.
prepare the voggarane
4. In a small pan over medium heat, add oil and mustard seeds; when the seeds turn grey and pop, add the urad dāl and chilli – fry until the urad dāl is golden-brown. Add the curry leaves, asafoetida and turmeric, and continue to fry for a few seconds, swishing the pan for the spices to fry evenly.
5. Pour the voggarane into the bowl, and add the remaining lemon juice, mixing well to allow all colours and flavours to blend evenly.
Goodness shared by Stacey
