Apart from the backwaters, tea plantations and delicious food, Kerala is also renowned for Ayurveda. It is a significant part of their intrinsic cultural heritage. During our recent food tour in the Northern part of the state, with the help of our knowledgeable host Shihad, we went ahead to experience ‘the science of life’ at a popular Ayurvedic center in Kozhikode named Greens Ayurveda.
What followed was a morning full of wholesome breakfast, super insightful and genial conversations, warm hospitality and a revitalizing massage session. Here we met Dr. Rekha who was there to guide us through the making of breakfast. Chef Mini was in charge of the cooking. In due course of this session, in a lucid manner Dr. Rekha elucidated how the principles of Ayurveda ensures wellness and wellbeing. Health imbalances can easily be tackled by the natural solutions that Ayurveda has to offer. This involves the holistic wellness of mind, body and soul.
We also got to learn about prakriti and dosha. We also understood how the most important thing in case of diet is to use fresh ingredients that are free from chemicals, pesticides and artificial flavors. Furthermore, an Ayurvedic diet maintains the balance between tastes and nutrition.
The genial chef Ms. Mini walked us through the making of idiyappam (steamed rice flour noodles), sweet ela ada (rice flour dough and coconut jaggery mixture stuffed steamed snack) and spicy ela ada (rice flour dough and spicy mixed veg stuffed steamed snack) and Kerala style vegetable stew. These are all everyday traditional dishes that are light and wholesome.
When the breakfast preparation was done we all joined Dr. Asghar and Fatima Rinu for the meal. Interspersed with useful insights shared by them, this food experience was memorable and soulful. We also enjoyed the idiyappams at the end with some coconut milk and freshly grated coconut.
After the meal Dr. Asghar presented us a copy of his book The Ayurvedic Kitchen which imparts Ayurvedic wisdom to the common mass in a lucid manner. The interaction was an opportunity to gather more insights about this ancient practice. The experience ended with a wonderful Ayurvedic head message.
Heartfelt thanks to Dr. Asghar, Dr. Rekha, Fatima Rinu and Chef Mini for the enriching and revitalizing time we had at Greens Ayurveda.