About the Recipe
Summer calls for Pitta pacifying foods with the qualities of cool and refreshing.
Side note about summer: The qualities of summer can vary according to your climate. If you live somewhere that is hot and dry, you might want more of the cool and moist qualities in your food especially as it approaches the end of summer in August & September. That is when the dry quality really picks up so you want to pacify that as much as possible before it hits the super dry months of fall. If you live in hot and humid climate, you want to veer towards the cool and dry qualities. That means less fats & oils as these are too heavy and moist in these environments. Of course, what to eat for both of these climates also depend on you and your dominant dosha.
This recipe highlights nori, tofu, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, cucumber etc. All of these ingredients are cooling with the exception of the salt from the coconut aminos, carrot, and small amount of tahini. Soy is especially pacifying for Pittas. It has the qualities of cool and heavy which balances the light and hot qualities of this dosha in this season. Soy is considered rajasic (having a stimulating effect on the mind) due to the fermentation process. This can be sometimes problematic for Vatas mentally and digestively. There is a problem today with the quality of soy products due to genetic engineering. Make sure you choose organic soy products and avoid excessive daily use. Like anything else, moderation is key.
Sea veggies like nori are excellent for certain conditions in Ayurveda. Seaweed is incredibly nutrient rich. They are known to eliminate heavy metals and radiation from tissues. They are excellent for clearing the lymphatic tissues, blood, and strengthening the thyroid and bones. They do not absorb toxins from the ocean, they transmute them into salts which the body excretes through the intestines.
I hope you enjoy this summer recipe. Usually when I think of summer, I want sushi! Here's a way to make it at home that is easier to digest, light, cool, and refreshing.
Ingredients
Base
1/2 cup rice, rinsed (sushi rice, brown rice, or basmati rice. I used basmati rice)
3/4 block tofu, chopped into small cubesÂ
Nori sushi sheets cut into 4x4 inch squares (enough to fit into your muffin tins)Â
SauceÂ
1 large carrot, peeled and choppedÂ
2 celery sticks, choppedÂ
Juice of 1/2 limeÂ
1 tbsp rice vinegarÂ
1 tbsp coconut aminosÂ
1 1/2 tbsp tahini (adjust to taste)Â
2 tbsp avocado oil (adjust to desired consistency)Â
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and choppedÂ
3 finger pinch asafoetida
Salt & pepper to tasteÂ
Optional ToppingsÂ
Avocado, chopped
Cilantro, chopped
Fresh lime juice
Coconut aminosÂ
Any extra sauce from the recipe aboveÂ
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook the rice by brining 1 cup water to boil in a small pot, adding the rice, reduce to simmer, cover, and allow to cook until the water is absorbed and rice is fork tender.
While that is cooking, prepare the sauce by adding all the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, adjusting ingredients to the desired taste and consistency.
Add sauce to a medium mixing bowl, add the chopped tofu, and mix together. Option to leave a little bit of the sauce away from the tofu as a topping once the sushi is cooked. Set aside and allow the tofu to marinate for about 10-15 minutes.
Cut the nori into 4x4 inch squares (enough to cover each of the muffin molds). Add the squares to the muffin molds.
Add 1 tbsp of the cooked rice to each nori cup (this will weigh down the nori so it will fit nicely into the muffin mold). Add 1 tbsp of the tofu on top of the rice in each cup, adjusting the amounts so each cup has an even consistency. Try not to overfill the cups or they will not hold their shape and you will have one messy (but tasty) dish.
Bake the sushi cups for 15 minutes.
Allow to cool. The cooling process will help them to hold their shape even more.
Add the optional toppings (avocado, cucumber, cilantro, lime juice, and/or coconut aminos).
Enjoy!