Sattvic Tacos Recipe

Ayurvedic principles apply to any cuisine, including Mexican. In restaurants, this style of cooking often uses rajasic ingredients such as hot sauce, chilies, onion, garlic, and nightshades. These increase pitta dosha and overload agni. In this Sattvic Tacos recipe, we use the wisdom of Ayurveda to make tri-doshic, balancing tacos. We applied the balance bowl structure and made substitutions with sattvic ingredients!

The result is a delicious, family-friendly recipe which will nourish you and support strong agni.

Augmenting and Extractive

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

You’ll Need:

EXTRACTIVE LEGUME: BLACK BEANS AND WHOLE MUNG

• 2 Tbsp ghee

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp cumin

• ⅛ tsp asafoetida

• ⅛ tsp turmeric

• ¼ cup black beans (soaked for 8+ hours)

• ¼ cup whole mung beans (soaked for 8+ hours)

• Water to cover the beans, plus ¼ inch

AUGMENTING RICE

• ¼ cup rice

• ⅛  tsp anise powder

• ½ cup water

AUGMENTING GRAIN: TACO DOUGH

• ½ cup wheat flour

• ½ cup corn flour

• 2 Tbsp ground flax seed

• ½ tsp mineral salt

• ¼ - ½ cup chopped fresh coriander

• 1 Tbsp ghee

• Water as needed

AUGMENTING VEGETABLES: CARROTS AND CUCUMBERS

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil

• ⅛ tsp mineral salt

• ½ tsp thyme powder

• ¼ tsp fenugreek powder

• 2 handfuls carrots cut into sticks

• 2 handfuls cucumber cut into sticks

EXTRACTIVE VEGETABLES: RED CABBAGE

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• ½ tsp mineral salt

• ½ tsp coriander powder

• ½ tsp grated fresh ginger

• 4 small handfuls finely chopped red cabbage

EXTRACTIVE MINT CORIANDER SAUCE

• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh coriander

• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint

• 1 Tbsp tahini

• ¼ lime squeezed

AUGMENTING VEGETABLE: AVOCADO

• 1 ripe avocado mashed with ⅛ tsp black pepper

Here’s How:

PREPARE LEGUMES

1. Heal oil in a pot over medium heat. Add salt, cumin, asafoetida, and turmeric. Simmer until the aroma is present.

2. Add the beans, stir to coat with oil and spices and simmer for a few minutes. Add water. If using a pot, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 35 - 45 minutes. If using a pressure cooker, cover, bring to pressure and cook for 25 minutes, allowing the pressure cooker to release naturally.

PREPARE RICE

1. Add all ingredients into a rice cooker and press start. If you are using a pot, cover, and bring all ingredients to a boil and turn to low for 15 minutes.

PREPARE DOUGH

1. Mix the flour, flax, salt, and coriander thoroughly in a bowl.

2. Add water slowly to create a dough that is soft, not sticky. 

3. Separate into 4 equal balls and let rest. Cover with a towel while you prepare the other items.

COOK CARROTS AND CUCUMBERS

1. Heat the oil in a pan and simmer the salt, thyme, and fenugreek until the aroma is present.

2. Add the carrots and stir with the oil and spices. Add water to cover the bottom of the pan, stir, cover, and simmer for 3 - 5 minutes. Then add the cucumber, and simmer until tender and can be easily pierced with a knife. 

COOK RED CABBAGE

1. Heat the oil in a pan and simmer the salt, coriander, and ginger until the aroma is present.

2. Add the red cabbage and stir with the oil and spices.

3. Add a little water, stir, cover, and simmer until tender and can be pierced with a knife.

PREPARE MINT CORIANDER SAUCE

1. Mix all ingredients and set aside.

COOK TACO SHELLS

1. Warm a pan over medium heat with enough ghee to coat the pan while you roll each dough ball into hand size round taco shells. Place in the pan and cook 1 - 3 minutes on each side. 

2. Fill the taco shells with the legumes, vegetables, the mint coriander sauce and avocado. Fold over.

3. Serve the remaining veggies on the side. 

Tips and Substitutions:

• Substitute various augmenting or extractive vegetables and other spices for a variety of tastes.

• Use green beans instead of black beans and mung for a faster cooking time.