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Ayurveda

Masala Chai Granola

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Namaste from Mother India peeps!

I’m writing from the beautiful reception area here at Devarya Wellness centre as Satya naps in her stroller. Writing blogs while she sleeps is my jam, and honestly, the breeze, palm trees and tropical weather beats the Starbucks down my street any day!

I figured since I’m here, in the land of spices, and the birthplace of Masala Chai, I should share with you my Masala Chai Granola recipe.

But before I go on I feel it is my due diligence on behalf of Vikram, my real live Indian husband, to explain to you that saying “Chai Tea” is redundant, and that you should stop. Chai translates to tea. So when you say “Chai Tea” you are literally just saying “tea tea” and it makes no sense.

Chai, as in the spiced tea you are referring to, is better known as Masala Chai – Masala means spice blend, and what you are drinking is Chai, that is spiced.

Hence, Masala Chai.

So the recipe I have for you today is spiced the same way the Masala Chai you know and love is spiced! Minus the tea…

I actually don’t like black tea, and I think it would be odd in Granola… Or maybe not. Try it out and let me now, but personally I think it would be weird!

Anyways, if you’ve ever made your own granola, then you know how ridiculously simple and delicious (and way cheaper than the store bought stuff) it can be.

And…in my opinion, one of the other best things is you can customize it to YOUR liking. Add in whatever spices, flavours, nuts, seeds, WHATEVER you want.

Which meeeeeeans – you can customize it to your Dosha!

That’s clearly becoming the theme of this blog LOL – customizing ALL THE FOODS to your Dosha.

But it’s important, right? Because when we start to live in alignment with our Dosha, we begin to live in harmony with our natural state of being. We feel more aligned, connected, calm, grounded – all the good things.

And who doesn’t want that?

Now this granola, is pretty tridoshic if you ask me… and, it tastes like Masala Chai in the form of granola. So good. So, very good.

But if you’re interested in doshi-fying (man I’m getting really good an making up adjectives to describe making things in alignment with your dosha) you can just make some simple tweaks.

Ok, here’s how you can modify this bad boy for your Dosha

For Vatas:

Vatas don’t do so good with dry, and cold things – so a great way to “vata-fy” this is to use more sweetener and oil. Favor spices like cinnamon, and ginger to heat things up a bit – you can really load up on the spices. And maybe serve this with slightly warm milk and a dollop of nut butter to really make sure you’re avoiding the dry-ness that can be present in Granola.

For Pittas:

Pittas don’t do so well with tons of spices, so maybe go easy on the cinnamon and ginger, use a little more cardamom which is a little easier for Pittas. They do really well with coconut, and sunflower seeds so adding a little extra or those to this bad boy, and serving with some slightly cooler coconut milk would be best.

For Kaphas:

Kaphas do really well with the dryness granola, so this is excellent! Lots of spices work well for kapha, so don’t be shy. But sweet and oily? Not so much. Maybe use a little less sweetener, and serving with slightly warm milk would be ideal! Kaphas would also benefit from just like, snackin’ on the ‘nola without milk. They could just have this dry.

Now, of course, you can just leave this recipe as is. It’s really delicious, and like I said it’s pretty tridoshic, but those are just some idea’s and ways of familiarizing you with the Ayurvedic concepts of balancing Doshas. 

Print Recipe
 Chai Spiced Granola
Servings
Ingredients
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. add in the sweetener and coconut oil, mixing thoroughly.
  3. You want the mixture to be well coat with oil/sweetener so if your granola is too dry continue to add 1 tbsp of each until the mixture is fully covered.
  4. Place the mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet in the oven at 275 for approx 30-40 minutes, mixing 1-2 times throughout so you have a nice evenly baked granola.
  5. Store in an airtight container and serve with almond mylk, or other non-dairy mylk of your choice!
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No Coffee, No Prana Protein Bars

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So… I’ve been on a protein bar making kick. But I’ve come up with some ridiculously delicious, simple ways for you to fuel up after your practice in the process.

You’re welcome!

So once I discovered the base recipe for protein bars, I got to work on creating variations and flavours, and the one I’m going to share with you today might be my favourite!

It tastes like a freakin’ coffee crisp bar.

BUT – has way less sugar, is filled with plant-based protein, healthy fats, and homemade chocolate.

Also, it comes together in like 5 minutes. Unless of course you’re making it with Sats… then it will take you like 40. *insert eye roll/shurgging emoji*

In my last post I shared a little bit about the Ayurvedic perspective on nut butters, and in this post I want to share about the Ayurvedic perspective on protein powder.

Now, I want to be the first to say that Ayurveda does not admonish any foods really, rather promotes the sparing use of products which may create ama or toxic build up in the body, and possibly aggravate any of your Doshas.

So here’s what Ayurveda has to say about protein powder

While it is delicious, and a great source of plant-based protein, it is technically a processed food and MAY be difficult for some to digest, and may create build-up of ama if ones Agni or digestive fire is not strong enough to digest it.

So one thing I always make sure to do is either supercharge my smoothies or bars with spices like cinnamon and ginger to support my Agni, OR in the case of these bars, I would drink a nice digestive tea on the side.

I’ll post a few simple digestive tea recipes next week!

The other thing we want to note about protein powder, is that it is a supplement. And we should be clear about using it this way. We don’t want to get all our protein from powder. We want to make sure MOST of our protein is coming in the form of a whole-foods plant-based diet. This is what our body knows, and likes.

So should I have protein power?!

Now, my advice to you when it comes to adding protein powder to your diet is to pay attention to your body, and see how YOU feel when you consume it. If you feel:

  • Bloated/Gassy
  • Overly Tired
  • Difficulty pooping the next day

Then protein powder might not be for you! If that’s the case you can totally make these bars without the powder! Simply add a little extra hemp and chia seeds, and little more coconut flour. There is still tons of whole-food protien goin’ on in these bars aside from the powder itself.

You may also dislike the taste of protein powder outside of a smoothie – thats totally cool!

Adding this supplement to your smoothies and bars is totally an individual decision, and I always recommend tuning into your body, and honoring what it tells you.

So what is the best protein powder to get?

My favourite is PROfi Protein Powder! You can follow the link to order some right to your door and save 10% and FREE SHIPPING in Canada when you use the code YOGIFUEL.

Alright, let’s get on to the recipe because let’s be honest.. that’s why you’re here!

These bad boys require just a few ingredients, maybe 5 minutes of your time and are soooo freakin’ delish. I recommend keeping them in the freezer for a more sturdy bar, or in the fridge for slightly softer bars.

These ones, when using the PROfi Coffee Caramel protein make it taste like a freakin’ coffee crisp – SOOO GOOD!

Print Recipe
 No Coffee, No Prana Protein Bars
Prep Time 5 mins
Servings
bars
Ingredients
Bars
Chocolate Glaze
Prep Time 5 mins
Servings
bars
Ingredients
Bars
Chocolate Glaze
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients with the exception of the coconut flour into a large bowl and bix together.
  2. Bit by bit add in the coconut flour until a thick dough is formed.
  3. Press into a parchment lined baking sheet and let set in the freezer
Chocolate Glaze
  1. Place all ingredients in a sauce pan over low heat and stir until well combined
  2. Pour over your bars, and let set for another 20-30 minutes in the freezer.
  3. Cut to desired size and enjoy! Keep these bad boys in the freezer for a firm bar, or in the fridge for slightly softer.
Recipe Notes

Note: To make these without protein, simply omit the protein, and all additional chia/hemp seeds, and more coconut flour. Add flour until a thick dough has formed, and follow the recipe and instructions as follows.

You can use any flavor protein powder when making these. I personally use PROfi, and cannot verify that they will taste as delish when using another brand!

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Vik’s Kitch – Vegan Kitchari

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Vegan Kitchari

My husband makes the best kitchari, period! And not to brag or anything, but he’s an authentic Indian human being so… you can only imagine how good this stuff is.

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