According to Ayurveda, a balanced diet contains all six tastes at every meal. This can be challenging given our western influences. There’s a simple solution! Herb and spice blends called “Churna” that are specially formulated for the seasons. Fall/Winter when it is cold and dry is Vata season. Summer is Pitta season, and Spring is Kapha season. You can use these blends while cooking, or take the shaker with you to sprinkle on your food when you eat out. You can add the churnas to sauces, soups, vegetable or rice dishes, even just sprinkle it on salads, popcorn or snacks. Very convenient, and really delicious. You can make your own at home in the kitchen.

The Vata blend is calming, and includes cardamom, ginger, and other spices. The Pitta blend is cooling, and includes cumin, coriander and fennel along with other spices. The Kapha blend is invigorating, with turmeric, mustard, black pepper and more.

Vata Churna:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons cumin seeds

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

½ teaspoon cardamom seeds

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing powder)

¼ teaspoon salt (I prefer Himalayan salt, it is unprocessed)

1 tablespoon raw sugar

Directions

Pitta Churna:

Ingredients

        2 tablespoons fennel seeds

        2 tablespoons coriander seeds

        2 tablespoons cumin seeds

        1 tablespoon turmeric

        2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves (chopped), or dried mint leaves

        ½ teaspoon ground ginger

        1 tablespoon raw sugar

Directions

1.  In a dry skillet, roast the coriander and cumin seeds until nutty.

2.  Transfer to a spice grinder and add the cardamom and fennel seeds; process to a fine powder.

3.  Put the spices in a bowl with the turmeric, mint, ground ginger and sugar and mix all together.

4.  Transfer into a shaker bottle to use whenever you’d like.

Kapha Churna:

Ingredients

        2 tablespoons coriander seeds

        1 tablespoon cumin seeds

        1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds

        1 tablespoon ground ginger

        1 tablespoon turmeric

        1 tablespoon cinnamon

        1 teaspoon ground clove

        ½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1.  In a dry skillet, roast the coriander and cumin seeds until nutty.

2.  Transfer to a spice grinder and add the genugreek seeds; process to a fine powder.

3.  Put the spices in a bowl with the ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, clove and black pepper and mix all together.

4.  Transfer into a shaker bottle to use whenever you’d like.