Cooking is a very common yet an essential activity. We become what we eat. The freshness and quality of food has a very strong impact on our lives. Mother Annapurna is the goddess of food and nourishment. In Ayurveda, the food is not just a meal for the stomach — it is considered very sacred.
The parameters of Ayurvedic cooking
For Ayurvedic style cooking, there are certain parameters one should be aware of.
- Fresh grown vegetables. The vegetables used in cooking should be fresh. No refrigerated vegetable is to be used.
- Locally grown vegetables. Every local region has its own kind of soil, water and weather.
- Organic herbs and spices. We should not use chemically forced grown spices and herbs.
- Washing. Every vegetable used in the cooking should be washed with warm water.
- The quantity of herbs and spices. An appropriate quantity will help maintain the body vitals.
- Appropriate heat for effective cooking. The heat plays an important role, because it is an energy which helps transform.
Food that holds its prana
The food that is cooked contains prana — energy — and the prana stays in it only so long as it remains hot and fresh.
Avoid keeping food in the refrigerator and eating it again. In Ayurvedic cooking, always remember to cook only as much as you can consume.
हरिः ॐ तत् सत्