A 4-course Ayurvedic meal

2026 June 12

Starter: Papadams with cucumber raita

Papadams are a type of thin flatbread that you can find in any Asian shop. They are fried individually in ghee or coconut oil at a high temperature, for a few seconds on each side. Then leave them to drain on a kitchen towel.

To make the cucumber raita, place the yoghurt in a bowl and whisk until frothy. Add the cucumber, mint, cumin, salt and pepper, and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne pepper. Garnish with mint leaves.

Dessert: Mango and coconut cream à la Govardhana

Reduce the water and sugar, together with the ginger, over a medium heat until the mixture has reduced by half. Peel and dice the mango. Add the mango pieces, orange and lemon juice and ground spices, and cook for 5–10 minutes until soft.

Mix the vanilla powder with the coconut milk and cream, then gently stir in with a whisk. Bring the mixture to the boil until it thickens slightly. Add the rose water and leave the cream to cool. For a particularly smooth cream, briefly purée it before cooling. Decorate with whipped cream and garnish with strawberries or raspberries.

Main course: Shri Keshavas Masoordal

Tomato, apricot and fig chutney ‘Durgamata’

Masoordal: Sort through the red lentils and wash them thoroughly. Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a deep saucepan and fry the lentils for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add water and stir until it comes to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and leave to simmer. Meanwhile, wash, trim and dice the vegetables. After 30 minutes’ cooking time, heat the remaining ghee in a separate saucepan, let the mustard seeds pop, and add the ground spices. Fry briefly, then add the vegetables. Cook for five minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the dal and cook everything together until everything is cooked through. Season to taste with a pinch of rock salt and a little sugar. Finish with a dash of cream, then add the marjoram.

Tomato, apricot and fig chutney: Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, peel them, remove the seeds and cut them into fillets or cubes. Then dice the dried fruit into medium-sized pieces (remove the stalks from the figs first). Grind the spices in a coffee grinder. Heat the ghee in a deep saucepan and fry the spices with the sugar over a medium heat until the sugar caramelises slightly. Now add the chopped tomatoes and dried fruit, and continue to cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. After 5 minutes, add the lemon juice, tamarind paste and coconut cream. Finally, stir in the fresh basil and season with salt.

Serve with: white Himalayan fragrant rice and a plain fennel and courgette mix