YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

Divya Alter, a certified nutritional consultant, educator and chef in the Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda tradition is the co-owner of Divya’s Kitchen in New York City. The 80 plant-based recipes in Joy of Balance (Rizzoli, $53.95) are an Ayurvedic guide to cooking with healing ingredients.

 VEGETABLE BREAD

¾ cup diced green beans

¾ cup peeled and diced carrots

¾ cup diced celery

½ cup + 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for the pan

2½ cups spelt flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp dried basil

1¼ tsp salt (or less if your olives are very salty)

1 tsp dried savoury or thyme

¾ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Tiny pinch of asafoetida

¼ cup chopped black pitted olives

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Heat 1 tbsp water in an 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add the green beans, carrots and celery and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins. or until the vegetables are half-cooked and vibrant in colour. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 13x9-1/2-inch sheet pan with parchment paper and grease it with olive oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, basil, salt, savoury, oregano, pepper and asafoetida and mix well.

In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp water, the olives, lime juice, and cooked vegetables.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, using a few strokes to incorporate them into a batter (overmixing will make the bread stiff.)

Transfer the batter to the preheated sheet pan, and gently press to smooth the top surface. Bake for 40 mins., or until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the centre of the bread comes out clean.

Let the bread cool completely in the pan. Cut into your desired shapes. Before serving, warm the pieces, and brush with a thin layer of olive oil.

OKRA WITH COCONUT

2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil

¼ tsp ground turmeric powder

½ tsp kalonji or cumin seeds

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

5 fresh curry leaves

¾ tsp ground coriander

1½ lbs okra, halved or quartered lengthwise (about 3 cups)

3 tbsp finely grated coconut, dried or fresh

½ tsp salt

2 tsp fresh lime juice to garnish

Heat the ghee in a large skillet over low heat. Add the turmeric and toast for 10 seconds, then add the kalonji and toast for another 10 seconds, or until the spices release their aroma. Add the ginger, curry leaves and coriander, and continue to toast and crisp them for another 10 seconds. Add the okra. Toss well, increase the heat to medium-low and sauté, shaking or stirring frequently but gently with a metal spoon, for 10 to 15 mins., until the okra is tender, but still vibrant green. Be careful not to mash the vegetables while stirring.

You may cover the skillet to speed up the cooking, but do so only briefly because the condensation will make your okra slippery, giving it the dreaded “slimy” feel. If the okra begins to brown and stick to the pan, lower the heat.

Fold in the coconut and salt and continue to toss and cook for 5 more mins., or until the okra is tender and the coconut has browned slightly and absorbed the excess moisture. The vegetables will be soft and succulent, neither dry nor wet.

Garnish each serving with a splash of lime juice. Serve immediately.

TAMARIND SHERBET

Tamarind concentrate

½ cup raw cane sugar or shaved jaggery

½ cup sweet tamarind pulp

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

2 tbsp chopped fresh mint (or 2 tsp dried mint)

4 cardamom pods

2-inch cinnamon stick

1 tbsp dried rose petals

1 tsp orange zest

¼ cup fresh orange juice

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Pinhead amount of natural edible camphor crystal (optional)

To make the concentrate:

In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the sugar, tamarind, ginger, mint, cardamom, cinnamon, rose petals and orange zest. Stir well, cover, lower the heat to low and simmer for 10 mins. Set aside uncovered and let it cool.

Remove the cinnamon and cardamom. In a blender, combine the cooked tamarind, orange juice, lime juice, and camphor. Blend until smooth then strain through a fine-mesh strainer.

Store the concentrate in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To make one serving of the sherbet:

Pour 1/3 cup of the concentrate into the glass, and add 1 cup still or sparkling water.

Stir and mix well. Enjoy with lunch or early dinner.