If it sounds crazy to look forward to a cleanse, you’ve never done an Ayurvedic reset before.
Rather than being an austere slog to an undefined point of “wellness,” or “cleanliness,” Ayurvedic resets are an immersive, holistic experience complete with self-care practices, spaciousness and special recipes that can’t help but make you feel well-cared for. The experience is one that I look forward to as these larger seasonal shifts approach – specifically this space where summer winds down into fall. It always seems to come just when I need it; when I think we can’t possibly pack more fun into the summer, when the swirl of all the goodness feels overwhelming, when I start to feel the pull to organize, cleanse and tidy up the loose bits for the winter. When the signs that pitta has reached it’s peak and is colliding with vata, that’s when I know it’s time to tune it down and turn in. And that’s where this gorgeous, creamy, comforting, flavorful Maple-Roasted Delicata Dal comes in.
Dal – specifically split yellow moong dal – as I use in this recipe, is a staple of the Ayurvedic kitchen. It’s a gorgeous ingredient to use year-round, but it’s particularly potent in recipes and during times of the (week, month) and year when we need to take the edge off of life. This pulse is the easiest to digest of all the lentils and beans, and it’s an ally for us in times when we need to soften the edges of life – literally and figuratively.
For this reason, this dal is perfectly suitable for a fall reset cleanse. Ayurveda recommends enjoying a lot of moong dal during a week of reset, and this recipe adds variety, flavor and textural excitement to the menu.
But you can also use this dal as a mini-reset after a hard day, a big training block, or even a rough night out. Enjoying a recipe like this Maple-Roasted Delicata Squash Dal is a great idea because it means that our bodies have one less challenge to encounter – that being the challenge of digesting something difficult (like a burger, or a salad, or a bowl of ice cream.) Eating a smooth, simple, delicious bowl of dal is like giving ourselves a healthy hug from the inside out.
This dal recipe specifically is designed for enjoying in the fall. What makes it a fall recipe? The warm creaminess, for one. The salty, warming additions of miso and tahini, two. And three, the addition of delicata squash. (DO not, I repeat do NOT go hunting for delicata squash in the middle of the summer — that’s missing the point!) These ingredients all emphasize salty, sweet and sour flavors and these flavors specifically help reduce vata dosha – the dosha predominant in the fall that threatens to throw us all off balance.
As the wind of fall arrives, with it’s crunchy leaves, rough and blustery winds, and cold-cutting temperature swings our bodies and beings start to come under the natural pressure of vata dosha. This, coupled with the high-vata lives that most of us lead (constantly moving and doing doing doing, eating big bowls of salad, drinking ice cold coffees and never stopping to rest,) is enough to significantly reduce the vitality of our lives. Our bodies feel dry, sore and tired. Our minds feel blown, and our spirits feel scattered and anxious.
Consuming smooth, warm, grounding foods like this nourishing dal – are the cure. It’s amazing what a little bowl of lentils can do!
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