Ayurvedic Broccoli

Broccoli is a very healthy vegetable itself and in this way, with Indian spices, Ayurvedically balanced, it is even better!

Ingredients 

1kg     Broccoli

1tbsp    Fresh, chopped Ginger

1tbsp    Olive Oil

1tsp    Cumin 

½     Bay leave

1/3 tsp    Garam Masala    

1tsp    Coriander

½ tsp    Turmeric

    Fenugreek seeds if you like

How to Prepare Ayurvedic Broccoli

Heat up a deep pan and, when it is hot, add the olive oil. To see whether the oil is hot, drop one seed of cumin into it. The oil is hot if the seed starts sizzling. You can then add the remaining cumin seeds and the bay leave. At this point you reduce the heat of the pan before adding garam masala, coriander, turmeric and fresh ginger. Make sure you don’t burn the spices but stir them till they are slightly roasted. When they have developed a nice aroma you finally add broccoli and some salt according to your taste. If you also use the stem of the broccoli – which is recommended as it holds a lot of the nutrients that make broccoli so healthy – you should put the small pieces in first, cook them for a while and add the flowers of the broccoli later.

Broccoli is a delicate vegetable, so keep it on a low heat and don’t overcook it in order to keep its nutrients. Now you only have to place the lid on your pan and steam the broccoli until it is cooked. 

Enjoy!

Ayurvedic Benefits

Broccoli is a great source of Vitamin C and a very healthy vegetable that is even said to prevent cancer, especially prostate cancer. Additionally to its physical benefits broccoli increases sexual energy.

Broccoli increases vata in the body, which can cause a bloated stomach. If you have this problem after eating broccoli, Ayurveda recommends adding fenugreek seeds to the dish together with the cumin seeds. This will reduce the production of gases and will thus make the dish balanced and even more easily digestible.