Ayurveda Recipe: Ginger Dressing
Warm, delicious Ginger Dressing makes a simple salad a tasty, easy-to-digest delight!
Ayurvedic nutrition usuallys recommend cooked, moist, oily (unctuous), well-spiced foods, especially in the winter time. When winter’s cold and damp surrounds you, it’s natural for your digestive fire – your agni – to burn a little low. But lots of us are salad junkies, right? Are you wondering… Can I have my crunchy, raw veggies – and a steady digestive fire, too? Sure! I’ve kitchen-crafted this Ayurveda recipe for Ginger Dressing delight your appetite and feed your digestive fire, while keep your salad habit going strong all winter long.
Amma brings in morning ginger harvest.
The energetics of Ginger make it a very useful healing ingredient. Ginger is included in countless Ayurvedic medicines and home remedies. Well-known to stoke the fire in the belly, ginger improves appetite and digestion, and eases intestinal gas. Dry ginger reduces kapha, and is fine to use in moderation for all the doshas. Fresh ginger is tri-doshic, and boosts circulation all over the body. (Perfect when your hands and feet are constantly cold!) Ginger helps clear mucous from the respiratory system, and is a documented anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. While everyone has different needs – and it’s important to address yours uniquely – almost everyone can benefit from a healthy dose of tasty Ginger Dressing now and then…
To keep your digestion humming along, try these adjustments to your salad in the winter time:
Don’t eat salad cold, straight from your fridge! Instead…
• Allow leafy greens to come to at least room temperature before serving. (You can even pop a bowlful into a warm oven for a few minutes, if you’re short on time.)
• Give other veggie ingredients a quick steam before adding to your salad bowl.
• Finally, spoon on liberal amounts of tasty, warm Ginger Dressing. Toss everything together!
Your tongue and your tummy will be glad you did!
Ginger Dressing
Ingredients:
25 g fresh ginger root, peeled and cut into ‘coins.’ – about 10 slices of fresh ginger. (Cutting ginger’s lengthwise fiber into tiny pieces/slices will make for a smooth dressing.)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sesame oil (the untoasted type)
1/3 fresh lemon juice (approximately the juice of one lemon)
1 – 2 cloves garlic (optional, steam a little to reduce pungency if needed)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon dry ginger powder
3/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
Preparation:
Blender method:
1 – Carefully remove the twist off blade and base from an electric blender, and check to make sure the blades and screw-on base fit on empty canning or other glass jar.
2 – Place all dressing ingredients into the small glass jar.
3 – Blend well until smooth. (see photo) *This is my favorite method. The jar doubles as a blending and storage container for less clean up!
Immersion/Stick Blender Method:
1 – Place all dressing ingredients into a tall pitcher or beaker designer for use with immersion/stick blender.
2 – Blend well until smooth.
If you want to go all the way to the land of balance, try warming this delicious Ginger Dressing a little bit.
Place the sealed glass jar of dressing in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. Shake well, then spoon generously over your salad.
Ginger Dressing is super-tasty on baked potatoes and sweet potatoes, too. It’s amazing on steamed veggies and rice, and makes a great dip for quick-steamed carrot sticks or raw apple slices.
Share YOUR creative way to pour on this spicy sunshine!
May your belly know the warmth of steady, comfortable digestion all season long…
with care,
