Ayurvedic harvest menu
Apples, pears, blackberries, plums …. The autumn season showers us with an abundance of fruits and berries. The latest recipe ideas by our enthusiastic Ayurveda chef Heide Maria Vendler show us how we can create a harvest buffet inspired by nature’s generous gifts, and perfectly attuned to the fading days of the Pitta season.
Herb lassi
Ingredients
- 250 g yoghurt
- 500 ml warm water
- 2 tbsp basil
- 2 tbsp coriander
- 2 tbsp mint
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 2 pinches of ginger powder
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
Preparation
Rinse and finely chop herbs. Combine with the remaining ingredients and finely puree in a blender.
China leaf & apple salad
Ingredients for 4 people
- 200 g China leaf
- 1 apple
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp pumpkin seed oil
- 1 tsp Vata Churna
- Pumpkin seeds and fresh cress
Preparation
Rinse Chinese leaf and thinly slice. Cut unpeeled apple into small cubes and marinate in a little lemon juice.
Combine the remaining lemon juice, Vata Churna, honey, salt, vinegar and pumpkin seed oil and stir with a whisk until creamy.
Mix the salad with apples and creamy marinade and divide into four helpings. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and cress.
Plum chutney
Ingredients
- 300 g plums
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- ½ tsp allspice
- 2 pinches of chilli powder
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 2-3 tbsp date syrup
Preparation
Cut plums into small pieces. Let all ingredients simmer gently in a saucepan for approximately 15 minutes. Roughly blend with a hand blender.
Chickpea pancakes with autumn vegetable stuffing
Ingredients for pancakes - 8 servings
- 120 g chickpea flour
- 120 g fine spelt flour
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Salt
- Approx. 350ml water, ice cold
- Ghee, coconut oil or olive oil
Ingredients for filling
- 250 g cauliflower
- 1 courgette
- ½ yellow pepper
- ½ red pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
Preparation
Combine ingredients for batter in a bowl and stir until smooth, then let sit in a cool place for 30 minutes. The mixture may expand, so add a bit more water if necessary.
In the meantime, cut the cauliflower into small florets. Slice zucchini and pepper into one-centimetre pieces. Heat ghee, add the mustard seeds and cook until they pop. Add cauliflower florets, cane sugar and the remaining spices and let roast slowly for 10 minutes. Then add the remaining vegetables, give them a quick stir and pour in the water. Slowly stew the vegetables until al dente. Dry roast cashew nuts in a pan and sprinkle over the vegetables at the very end. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and fresh parsley.
Heat some ghee (olive or coconut oil) in a flat pan. Ladle the dough into the pan, spread evenly and fry 8 pancakes at medium-low heat. Keep warm in the oven at 70°C.
Fill pancakes with vegetables and serve with brown lentil dal.
Brown lentil dal
Ingredients
- 180 g brown lentils
- 2 tsp fresh, finely grated ginger
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 3 cm cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp cardamom
Preparation
Rinse lentils, place into a bowl and add enough water so that they are covered with water the width of two fingers. Let sit for a few hours.
Drain well before using them.
Heat ghee in a saucepan, then gently roast spices, cane sugar and lentils until fragrant. Add water or vegetable stock, bring to a good boil, then cover the saucepan and let simmer for approx. 25 minutes. Stir in the crème fraîche, lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Spiced pear with spiced creamed semolina and stewed blackberries
Ingredients for cream
- 50 g whole spelt flour
- 260 ml almond milk
- 1 orange
- ½ tsp cardamom
- A pinch of ginger
- A pinch of natural vanilla
- 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar
Preparation of creamed semolina
Gently roast semolina with the spices in a pan until fragrant. Stir in almond milk and let simmer for two minutes. Let mixture thicken before pouring into a bowl. If the mixture is too thick, add more liquid to it. Add orange zest for flavour.
Ingredients for pear
- 4 pears
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 spikes of star anise
- 4 saffron threads
- 3 pinches of turmeric
- 3 cardamom pods
- 2 cm cinnamon stick
- 500 ml apple or pear juice
- 250 g blackberries
- 3 tbsp agave syrup
Preparation of pears
Prepare a stock from juice and spices.
Peel pears and halve length-wise. Carefully remove seeds. Place the pear halves into the stock (they should be fully immersed) and steam them for about 10 minutes until al dente (this will vary depending on the pear type). Leave the pears in the broth until you use them; the longer they soak in the broth, the more colour and aroma they absorb.
Let blackberries simmer in agave syrup for five minutes.
Remove pears from the broth. Spoon some creamed semolina into the middle and top with blackberries.
Bring a small amount of pear broth to a boil, then add a little bit of corn starch to make a creamy sauce. Pour over the pears.