This spring recipe makes a quick, light lunch perfect for pitta related digestive disorders and general pitta imbalances. Pitta (fire dominant) is likely to become imbalanced within the body as the weather gets warmer. If you have a pitta imbalance you may experience some or all of these symptoms: Heartache, heat flushes, acne, acid reflux, digestive issues including diarrhea and stomach pains, eye sensitivity, frustration, irritability, inflammation in the body, anger, liver disorders and blood disorders including high blood pressure.
If this is you avoiding tomato, peppers, chilli, salt, fermented products, sour foods, caffeine, alcohol, dairy products, red meat and fish, very dry foods and pungent flavours will help reduce these symptoms.
Foods that are non-aggravating and help cool the fire include: Cooked green vegetables, coconut products, rice, bulgar wheat and wheat couscous, white potato, mung beans, butterbeans, chickpeas, tofu, nutmeg, coriander seed, fennel, cardamom, liquorice and naturally sweeter foods that are gentle in flavour.
Another key Ayurvedic rule to follow for better digestion is the lonely fruit rule (I just made up this name it's not official....yet) :
Keep fruit separate from all other foods (when eating fruit, eat it at least an hour before or after other food as fruit is digested in a different place and when taken with other foods - yes this includes in a smoothie - it is not digested and ferments in our system causing toxins to circulate and cause blockages in our tissues). For pitta aggravation, pears, sweet apples, sweet berries, melon, papaya and lime are best and oranges, grapefruit and sour fruits are very aggravating. If you still struggle to digest, try cooking the fruit or skip it all together for now!
What about the other doshas?
This recipe should also not aggravate vata as the hummus includes olive oil which is very nourishing for vata and there is no yeast in the bread, which can dry vata out. If you think you are predominant in vata or have vata imbalance, exclude the garlic and add a few black olives.
The recipe is also great for kapha dosha or kapha imbalance. Kapha needs light foods that don't include too many heavy carbs and do include lots of protein and gentle spices. This bread is a great protein rich alternative to heavy grain breads and the high fibre will help move excess kapha through the body. Hummus is again very protein rich and to make this even more kapha appropriate add a little more spice and some grilled red pepper.
This recipe includes lovely cooling ingredients that should not aggravate pitta or other doshas. Flatbread is great because not only is it extremely quick and easy to make but it also excludes yeast which can be aggravating to both pitta and vata.
If you have extreme pitta imbalance or IBS:
-Leave out the tahini in the hummus and mix tahini with a little maple syrup for the dressing rather than balsamic.
-If you struggle with any of the pulses or chickpeas, use just mung bean flour and spelt in the dough and try butter beans for the hummus (if these are no good find the mung bean kitchari recipe in a previous post).
-If you can not handle any gluten use mung/chickpea flour with rice flour.
As always, if you are really struggling it might be time to see an ayurvedic professional to take an indepth look at what might be going on. Many issues that you may have been told are permanant can be managed and relieved through the personalised Ayurvedic approach. Book your session now via the website contact form.
Change these as required or suggested above:
Serves 1-2
For the bread:
Sieve and mix together:
1/2 cup of mung bean flour
1/2 cup of chickpea flour
1/2 cup of spelt or rice flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp himalayan salt
1/2 tsp coriander powder
2-3 tbsp water (enough to turn the mixture in to a dough)
Knead the dough a little break in to 2 and roll in to a round flat (about 1cm thick)
Heat a dry frying pan and put the breads straight on, turning over after 2 mins, cook on both sides until
slightly browning and firm.
For the hummus:
Blend:
1 cup of cooked chickpeas
1 cup of other beans of choice (can stay with chickpeas, I used black beans)
Juice of 1/4-1/2 a lime (depending on taste preference)
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cumin (optional)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp himalayan salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 -1 tsp tahini
3 tbsp of olive oil
Add a little water until the mixture is smooth.
Spread on bread with some steamed spinach.
Optional tahini dressing:
Mix together:
2 tsp of tahini
1 tsp of balsamic vinegar
1-2tbsp of olive oil
1/4 tsp himalayan salt
Drizzle on spinach.