Ayurvedic cooking is about guiding principles rather than rules. For example, food should be light, easy to digest, and cooked foods are considered easier to digest than raw. Heavier food is ok in winter, but during the summer it’s recommended to be lighter. Ayurveda cooking uses spices intelligently to balance the doshas. It’s believed certain foods to not go well with others, and different sorts of foods are required at different times (ie: pregnancy and post illness). Ideal foods are ‘tridoshic,’ balancing all three doshas.

Today’s recipe is ideal for Kapha dosha types—in moderation. Enjoy!

Ingredients

6 ripe but firm pears

4 pitted dates

juice of one orange

2 tsp maple syrup or date syrup

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp fresh grated ginger

½ tsp grated orange zest

2 tbsp shredded coconut (optional)

Directions

Peel each pear, leaving stalk and cut thin slice off base so it stands up. Place in sauce pan with inch of water and bring to simmer. Add dates, orange juice, zest, and syrup, and cinnamon, ginger and simmer until pears are tender (about 12 minutes). Remove ears and place on serving plates. Continue to simmer liquid in pan, stirring all the time until it thickens enough to spoon glaze over pears. Garnish with coconut to serve.  

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

Recipe courtesy of Ayurvedic Yogi. Recipes. http://www.ayurvedicyogi.com/recipes/