Digestive Fire: Keep it Kindling With Black Pepper

Whole Black Peppercorns. Photo Credit: Rumin Jehangir 2015

Black Pepper—like cinnamon, is another staple spice for the Ayurvedic pantry and here in the US, I think it’s pretty safe to say it’s probably one of the most commonly used spices. It can be easily found at restaurants, cafes, fast food joints, either on the table or in a packet. Even pantries that aren’t filled with array of spices likely have black pepper. Its accessibility and likely hood of being in every savory meal you eat, is why I thought sharing its medicinal benefits would be helpful.

Black Pepper stimulates the agni (digestive fire) like cinnamon. It's considered to be one of the strongest digestive stimulants that is also considered a cleanser because it burns ama (toxins). In-turn, helping to better absorb nutrients from your food as it prevents stagnation.

In taste, black pepper is pungent and its heating—a great spice to bring balance to cold or raw foods such as cucumbers or salads. It rajastic quality makes it an irritant, or produces an action like sneezing or coughing making excellent to treat respiratory issues related to congestion. I think we have all experienced a good sneeze when coming a little to close to peppercorn at some point in our lives—yes?

Black pepper's pungent, heating and rajastic qualities makes it a great spice for these cold winter months (Kapha time) helping to counter balance common winter imbalances—colds, flus, sinus and congestion. While also helping to digest and balance heavy winter foods.

The ratio of black pepper used when cooking is often times less compared to other spices due to is strong flavor—a little goes along way. Of course, all of our tolerances to spices differ, but I encourage you to give your pepper mill a few extra turns this season. Experimenting with quantity or type (whole vs. ground) can help to find the balance thats right for you. Especially if cooking with spices is new to you—this is the fun part. Ask yourself, do you feel a bit warmer? Did it make you sneeze, loosen some phlegm you didn't realize you had in your chest? Did you enjoy a little extra pungent flavor or maybe even with a few extra turns you didn't notice a difference?

Now don't go crazy. Its still about maintaining balance—if your mouth is burning or your sweating up a storm, its a good indication that maybe ½ tsp would have been better than 1 tsp. Eating should always be a pleasurable experience—visually, aromatically and for your taste buds.

Well,tell me, tell me – what are the benefits of black pepper?

• Improves digestion
• Removes toxins
• Helps absorb nutrients
• Stimulates the appetite
• Reduces congestion
• Improves circulation
• Promotes sweating (great for those who retain water)
• Pacifies Vata and Kapha. Increases Pitta (this doesn't mean Pitta constitutions should not eat black pepper, monitor the quantity as sometimes its about balancing the food)

How do I incorporate pepper into my next meal?

Ground Pepper

• Salad: Grind about ¼ tsp to ½ tsp into your salad dressing or after tossing—this is a great way to balance the cold qualities of salads and help digest raw/cold foods. 
• Sauté: Add ½ tsp to 1 tsp depending on quantity to hot oil/ghee to release the aroma (about 30 secs), prior to adding in your veggie. 
• Soup: Grind ¼ tsp to a ½ tsp in your bowl in addition to what the recipe call for. The hot steamy nature of soup combined with a pungent spice, is like giving yourself an internal steam.

 

Whole Peppercorns

• Make a quick black pepper tea/infusion and cook your rice, grains, pasta etc.. in this broth to infuse the flavor and add an amazing aroma. (Add some cloves, cardamom, cinnamon sticks and/or bay leaves—go crazy!)
• When making a stew style dish or a broth, add whole peppercorns in addition to ground, its adds a subtle quality to the background that less peppery and more warming. 
• Find a whole peppercorn in your next meal? Eat it and see how you feel.
• Whether you cook or not having knowing the medicinal benefits of spices is important in expanding our awareness of seeing food as medicine and to further appreciate every meal we enjoy.

Supplemental Notes

People with a little extra (imbalance) Pitta (heat) or digestive issues like IBS, should be wary… too much black pepper might not be the best option—listen to your body.

References

Lad, Vasant and Frawley, David; The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine; Lotus Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico USA, c1986

Digestive Fire: Keep it Kindling With Cinnamon

Before you know it the holidays will be here and the smell of cinnamon will fill the air. I love that invigorating smell--it’s so nostalgic and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside—this must have some sort of positive effect on my brain right?! Cinnamon’s aromatic energy is not its only fabulous quality. It’s also a wonderful flavor booster for your spiced loaves, apple pies, oatmeal and so much more.

To top it off, cinnamon is medicine. Whether you are consuming, smelling or applying this wonderful spice for pure pleasure, you are also reaping its medicinal benefits. Like most spices I have studied, each has their unique, but also similar benefits. I chose to write about cinnamon first because out of all the spices in a Desi (S.Asia) pantry, I think cinnamon can be found in most kitchen cabinets (cross-culturally) – I love that about this spice!

Well, tell me, tell me - what’s so great about cinnamon?

· It helps keeps the digestive fire alive
· Prevents toxins from building in our digestive tracks
· Its’ warming-so it’s great to counter balance colds and reduce phlegm
· Stabilizes blood sugar levels
· Lowers cholesterol
· Awesome for arthritis, joint pain and headaches due to its anti-inflammatory properties
· Great for increasing circulation
· Balances vata and helps to pacify kapha
· For a medicine it tastes and smells grrreat!

How do I incorporate cinnamon as a medicine into my life?

Starting to increase your cinnamon consumption in the fall is the perfect time to begin storing up your internal heat to take you through the cold and wet winter months. Consuming cinnamon a few times a week is a great way to begin, while also being aware and present to its healing properties. Remember BALANCE IS THE KEY INGREDIENT – too much of a good thing is not always a good thing.

· Love oatmeal? Add a little extra ( ½ a tsp per serving is a good amount to start with)

· Craving something sweet? Or Feel a cold or some congestion coming on? Take ½ tsp cinnamon with 1 tsp of honey. (cinnamon oil is great for this as well)

· Have sore/stiff joints? Rub cinnamon oil (food/massage grade) on your joints before going to bed, exercising, or when you feel some pain/stiffness

· Feeling a little cold or want to stabilize your blood sugar levels? Enjoy a warm cup of milk with ½ tsp of cinnamon or a cup of cinnamon tea*, a few times a week is a great place to begin

· Got a headache? Cinnamon oil is good for this – it gets the circulation going and the aroma helps to relax any mental tension

Supplemental Notes

People with a little extra (imbalance) Pitta (heat) or digestive issues like IBS, should be wary… too much cinnamon might not be the best option - listen to your body.

Coffee drinkers wait at least an hour to drink coffee if you have just consumed cinnamon medicinally (like the cinnamon and honey combo). Both are heating and may cause some irritability.

Suggestions above can be combined, i.e. suffer stiff joints, consuming more cinnamon can help as well – don’t limit your actions to just the topical application.

*To make medicinal tea, it’s recommended to simmer the spice for at least 15 minutes on the stove.

Looking for some recipes with cinnamon? Follow Chit Chaat Chai on Facebook and get access to a wide range of recipes.

Lentils, Lentils, Lentils: Let the Cooking Series Begin!

Daal (lentils) was a staple food in our home growing up. We ate Daal at least once a week. First, it would fly solo with some rice and chapatti. Then, the leftovers served as a side to compliment other dishes for the remainder of the week.  It was like the dish that just kept giving  and giving and giving. Reflecting back on those weekly Daal days,  it was amazing how 1 cup of daal could be part of our  family meals for multiple days. A little sure went along way!  Not only in quantity, but also nutritionally. And all this for not a ton of cash! I can see myself going down the philosophical path on the karmic value of this staple Indian/Pakistani dish, so I think I better stop myself before I begin to ramble and forget my point. However, before I get to it, I also have to mention the numerous types of daals and the variety of recipes that are floating in this ether. My imagination can only ponder so far when I begin thinking about the regional differences and then break it down further by city, then town, then village, then neighbor and faith. It’s endless. All I know is  I want to try as many Daals as I can in my lifetime! This being said, I also want to share the Daals I grew up eating, many of which I have yet to see in Northern California Indian or Pakistani restaurants. So, in addition to  serving up my favorite Daals when i pop open the café,  in July Chit Chaat Chai’ will also hold a 3-part cooking series on you guessed it – DAAL!

The 3-part cooking series will be held on 3 consecutive Thursdays beginning, July 12^th, 2012 at 6:30pm in Oakland. Each class will demonstrate how to cook one of my three favorite Daal recipes beginning with quick and easy Daal and ending with a more complex Daal. In addition to sharing my three favorite Daal recipes, each class will also discuss the medicinal benefits of the spices and Ayurvedic (a 5000 year old Indian veda meaning "the science of life") principles in relation to food, the seasons and our eating/cooking practices. After the demo and interactive discussion we will sit down together and enjoy a meal in good spirit! All are welcome to join, no matter what your skill level.

 Click here for class detail