If you’re looking for a way to bring some new tastes to your meals, spoon on some Ayurvedic sauces.
We’ve created three simple Ayurvedic recipes for sauces that are a great addition to your plate. Our basil pesto, parsley wasabi and tahini honey sauces are crowd-pleasers that will make your delicious meals even better.
Some of our favorite ways to use the sauces include:
1. Mixing pesto in our grains (it’s extra delicious with barley).
2. Serving parsley wasabi sauce with chirashi sushi.
3. Drizzling cinnamon rose pancakes or chapati with tahini honey sauce.
One of the great things about sauces is that they bring additional tastes, or rasa, that are one of the components of a balanced Ayurvedic meal. Having all six rasa present in a meal balances digestion and curbs cravings (why would you crave something you already have?).
All the sauces can be easily modified or used to balance the doshas. Too much vata? Tone down the bitter basil in the pesto or choose the warming tahini honey sauce. Too much pitta? Replace the honey in the tahini sauce with cooling maple syrup. Too much kapha? The pungency of the parsley wasabi sauce can bring balance.
We’d love to hear how you use these sauces. Leave us a comment on this post to share your favorite ways to get saucy – Ayurvedic style.
Pesto
Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Extractive
We love making pesto when our basil plants are in abundance. Try growing basil on your windowsill if you live in a cooler climate so you can enjoy this year-round.
You’ll need
2 cups fresh basil
1/2 medium-sized avocado (optional)
1/2 tsp. fennel powder
1/8 tsp. mineral salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1-2 Tbsp. tahini (or substitute ground almonds)
Here's how:
Place all ingredients in a blender, add a little water and blend. Adjust water amount to obtain desired consistency. Can be thicker like a dip, or thinner to use as a sauce.
Parsley wasabi sauce
Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Extractive
This warming sauce is great in the autumn as we enter
vata season. Just be sure to use high-quality wasabi with organic ingredients.
You’ll need
1½ cups fresh parsley
1/2 cup cashews (or substitute tahini)
1/4-1/2 tsp. wasabi, depending on the strength of the wasabi
1/4 tsp. mineral salt
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
2 Tbsp. sunflower oil or sesame oil
Here's how:
Gently simmer the ginger and mineral salt in the sunflower oil. Add the cashews and cook until lightly browned. Add the wasabi and stir until it is dissolved. Add the mixture to a blender with the parsley and a little water or herbal tea. Blend well. Add more water for a liquid sauce, or keep it thick to use as a chutney or dip.
Tahini honey sauce
Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Augmenting and extractive
Kids love this sauce for its sweet and sattvic taste. Try spreading it on chapati for lunch.
You’ll need
3 Tbsp. tahini
1 Tbsp. honey (substitute maple syrup for excess pitta or during pitta season in the summer)
½ tsp. fresh grated ginger (optional)
Here's how:
Mix all ingredients well. You may need to add water, depending on the consistency of your tahini and honey. Keep it thicker to use as a dip, or add water until you reach your desired consistency.
Interested in learning more about this approach to food and cooking? With Simple Ayurvedic Cooking know how and what to cook to reduce ama for good.