Your Taste for Life

Dosha-Specific Spice Blends (Churnas)

Ayurveda uses the tastes to balance the doshas. Which tastes are most prominent in your daily diet? Which tastes do you turn to in times of mental or emotional stress? How can you begin to expand your palate and menu options to include all six tastes? Can you extrapolate that awareness to your tolerance for experiences that span the spectrum of sweet to salty and everything that is included in between?

One of the ways Ayurveda brings a balance of all the tastes to your table is through churnas. What are churnas? Churnas are Ayurvedic spice mixes designed to balance your doshas. They help to regulate and keep the body in balance and harmony. Spices are used liberally in Ayurvedic cooking for good reason. I am often told by my patients who have begun the difficult task of overhauling their diets that food is now “tasteless.” Healthy eating that excludes processed foods packed with preservatives, carcinogens, and sugar does not need to be joyless or tasteless. In fact, when you use these churnas, you will find a new joy in culinary adventuring. Not only will your food pop with mouthwatering taste, but your body will thank you for the medicinal qualities these spices offer by lowering inflammation.

Note that there are three different recipes here, one for each dosha type. If you don’t know your dosha, you can take a self-assessment on my website. Use these delicious spice blends during meals, while cooking, or put on snacks and salads. They are a quick and effective way to bring yourself into balance.

In Ayurveda, though spices are used medicinally to balance the doshas, the churnas I have created here for each dosha type are not meant to cure any disease. They are meant to help you experience each of the six tastes the way the ancient people who wrote about and lived Ayurveda did. Have fun with this. Mix your own blends. Pay attention to how your mind feels as you use all six tastes. Are you more capable of noticing your thoughts when you think of them as one of the six tastes? As you sprinkle each churna on your food, do it with mindfulness of your thought patterns and the need for balance.

To make each dosha-specific churna, grind each spice in a spice grinder, with a mortar and pedestal, or in a coffee grinder. Stir to mix and store in glass containers.

Vata Churna

In the fall and winter, especially if you are over 50 years of age or are a vata-predominant person, you might just love this vata churna. If you are any of the other dosha types who are living in cold, dry, windy areas and over 50 years of age and experiencing constipation, trouble focusing, forgetfulness, joint dryness, cracking, and popping, and very dry skin, try this churna and see how it feels to your body and your mind.

2 chili pods ground

2 tablespoons ground cloves

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

10 cardamom pods ground

4 tablespoons ground coriander

4 tablespoons ground cumin

4 tablespoons black mustard seeds

4 tablespoons ginger powder

4 tablespoons sea salt

4 tablespoons fennel seed powder

4 tablespoons ground black pepper

4 tablespoons garlic powder

4 tablespoons ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons bay leaf powdered

4 tablespoons ground turmeric

4 tablespoons lemon rind granulated

Pitta Churna

This spice blend is great for pitta-predominate persons. You may also benefit from this pitta-balancing churna if you are 20-50 years of age, a “Type A” personality, and it’s summer time. Experiment with it and see how you like it. If you are another dosha type 20-50 years of age, living in a hot climate, and feeling like you are inflamed and irritable, try adding this churna to your foods each day. It will help balance the pitta dosha.

½ cup ground coriander

5 tablespoons ground toasted white sesame seeds

5 tablespoons ground cumin

4 tablespoons ground fennel

2 tablespoons ground star anise

2 tablespoons poppy seed powder

2 tablespoons ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons ground toasted coconut flakes

4 tablespoons ground turmeric

½ teaspoon ground saffron

5 cardamom seeds (ground)

2 tablespoons ground peppermint leaves

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup finely granulated sea salt

Kapha Churna

If you are a kapha-predominate dosha type or any other type who is holding some extra weight and water, living in a wet, cold climate, and feeling unmotivated and full of mucous and congestion, try this churna and see how you feel.

¼ cup finely granulated sea salt

¼ cup ginger powder

4 tablespoons caraway seed powder

½ teaspoon clove powder

4 tablespoons fenugreek powder

17 cardamom seeds (ground)

2 teaspoons bay leaves powdered

2 tablespoons coriander powder

4 tablespoons mustard seed powder

4 tablespoons cumin powder

4 tablespoons ground black pepper

1¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup garlic powder

¼ cup onion powder

4 tablespoons ground rosemary

4 tablespoons ground basil

4 tablespoons ground curry powder

4 tablespoons ground turmeric

3 chili pods ground

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Keesha Ewers

Dr. Keesha Ewers is a board certified Functional and Ayurvedic medical practitioner, as well as Doctor of Sexology, family practice ARNP (advanced registered nurse practitioner), and founder of a new branch of medicine called Functional Sexology.

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