At the time of writing I am in an Ayurvedic Pancha Karma Retreat at the Amrta Siddhi Retreat Center in Bali. The food here is simply the best of Saatvik Cuisine. I had the good fortune to do a cooking class here and learned so much in one hour about ‘food as medicine’. Normally we think of medicine as being unpleasant to our taste buds. However, in Ayurveda, a delightful combination of spices, herbs, vegetables, grains, legumes and oils are prepared in the light of loving awareness, to bring balance and wellness while still tasting absolutely delicious.

One of the recipes I learned is Biryani Rice.

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups whole grain basmati rice
• 3 pieces of clove
• 1 finger length of cinnamon stick
• 1 piece of star anise
• 4 pieces of cardamom
• 2 pieces of bay leaf
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp cashew
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 6 cups of water
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

Preparation:

Heat the saucepan with the oil

Add cloves, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, bay leaf to the pan till they release their aroma (2 minutes approximately)

Add onion

Add cashews and raisins

Add sea salt

Continue stirring till onions have become soft and slightly browned

Add the rice and stir it so it can absorb the flavour of the spices (2–3 minutes)

Add water

Put all ingredients together into a rice cooker and allow to cook.