Vegetables are an integral part of our diet making the food that we eat tastier and more balanced. They are a rich source of energy, vitamins, and minerals and help to maintain the alkaline reserve of our body. Ayurveda, which emphasizes on the virtue of a vegetarian diet, has elaborately explained the qualities of every vegetable.
Vegetables should be part of a balanced meal and should be consumed adequately. Raw vegetables are more difficult to digest and hence it is better to cook or steam the vegetables to make them softer and easy to digest. However, care should be taken not to overcook the vegetables. Ayurvedic practices advice that one should analyze the quality and suitability of the vegetable according to its own constitution and environment (called 'doshas' and 'prakriti').
A simple way of preparing vegetables includes steaming, instead of frying it. Fried items are fatty, difficult to digest and cause atherosclerosis (Abhishyanda). Steamed vegetable preparations are light and increase the digestive power of the stomach (Agni - fire). This ensures that the vitamins in the vegetables are preserved. Very little oil is used for preparations using steamed vegetables. Care should be taken not to mix the vegetables with tamarind as it leads to 'Alasaka' (the condition in which the food stays in the stomach itself and is neither digested nor eliminated and causes increase of 'Vata'). Adding coconut, again, may make digestion difficult. If the dish is pungent it also leads to aggravation of 'Kapha'.Â
In case of a person who has 'Vata" but has good digestive power (Agni), vegetable or green leaves can be prepared by frying in ghee, although deep frying should be avoided, as it may increase 'pitta' which induces acidity.
Vegetables should be part of a balanced meal and should be consumed adequately. Raw vegetables are more difficult to digest and hence it is better to cook or steam the vegetables to make them softer and easy to digest. However, care should be taken not to overcook the vegetables. Ayurvedic practices advice that one should analyze the quality and suitability of the vegetable according to its own constitution and environment (called 'doshas' and 'prakriti').
A simple way of preparing vegetables includes steaming, instead of frying it. Fried items are fatty, difficult to digest and cause atherosclerosis (Abhishyanda). Steamed vegetable preparations are light and increase the digestive power of the stomach (Agni - fire). This ensures that the vitamins in the vegetables are preserved. Very little oil is used for preparations using steamed vegetables. Care should be taken not to mix the vegetables with tamarind as it leads to 'Alasaka' (the condition in which the food stays in the stomach itself and is neither digested nor eliminated and causes increase of 'Vata'). Adding coconut, again, may make digestion difficult. If the dish is pungent it also leads to aggravation of 'Kapha'.Â
In case of a person who has 'Vata" but has good digestive power (Agni), vegetable or green leaves can be prepared by frying in ghee, although deep frying should be avoided, as it may increase 'pitta' which induces acidity.
