About the Recipe
This simple and delicious summer recipe was adapted from 101cookbooks.com.
Salads are typically hard to digest but no one likes hot food when it's over 100 degrees out...which is usually what happens in July/August. In the Summer, digestion is stronger, so we can get away with a nice salad here and there. Also, we have made this salad a little easier to digest by cooking the asparagus slightly and incorporating all 6 tastes into this salad (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, astringent, pungent).
Asparagus and cilantro are balancing for all 3 doshas, especially Pitta which is typically aggravated during the summer months. They both calm the nerves and clean the blood making them useful for hypertension, high cholesterol, allergies, hyperacidity, anxiety, and skin issues.
This meal balances all 3 doshas. If Vata or Pitta serve with cooked basmati cumin rice. If Kapha, have on it's own and reduce the amount of olive oil used in the recipe.
Ingredients
1 cup asparagus, chopped
2 cups cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cane sugar
Salt to taste
Juice or 1/2 lime
Directions
Boil the asparagus for 1-2 minutes (until bright green). Then rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
Chop the cilantro and dry using paper towels.
Add olive oil, sugar, salt and lime to a small bowl, whisk together. Set aside.
Dry roast the sunflower seeds and sesame seeds in a medium saucepan over medium heat without oil until they brown and begin to release their oils (2-5 minutes). Set aside and allow to cool.
Add asparagus, cilantro, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and dressing ingredients to a medium mixing bowl and mix together. Enjoy!