Ayurvedic Pumpkin Pie

Recipes    |    Posted By Jenny Griffith

Isn't it neat that we can take lots of traditional recipes and make them Ayurvedic? I never really liked pumpkin pie, but when you add Ayurvedic ingredients like; ghee, cardamom, and cinnamon, my mouth starts to drool.

I am cooking for an Ayurvedic training in a few weeks in Ojai, CA for Mas Vidal. I'm beyond excited to have this opportunity on my 31st birthday! I have been manifesting more Ayurvedic training to deepen my practice and here it is. Not only will I learn about the science but I will learn more in the kitchen. Every time I make Ayurvedic food I am humbled by the medicine and health benefits it provides. I pray that every meal I make nourishes each person who attends and they to can learn how to cook Ayurvedically.

Pumpkins are sweet, slightly cooling and bitter.

Jennifer Weinberg, a preventitive lifestyle medicine physician says that, -According to Ayurveda, ripe pumpkins can reduce Pitta energy and also help balance Vata. Although pumpkin is somewhat cooling, this quality is reduced when it is cooked especially with ghee. Unripe pumpkins should be avoided as they can aggravate all three doshas and are hard to digest.

Pumpkins are detoxifying and thought to help clean the bladder and surrounding organs. Traditionally, pumpkins are believed to sharpen the intellect and induce calm. Therefore, they are used for a variety of mental imbalances and to reduce stress and agitation.

Pumpkins are also great for helping to balance out the metal element of the fall season and prevent illnesses. Weaknesses in the lungs and large intestine often arise during the fall as allergies, asthma and constipation. Pumpkins are sweet and grounding, corresponding to the earth element and can therefore relieve dampness and support digestive, respiratory and overall health.

Ayurvedic Pumpkin Pie

Recipe adapted from Hale Pule

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chopped and cooked pumpkin
• 2 tbsp. ghee
• ½ tsp. mineral salt
• ½ tsp. nutmeg powder
• ½ tsp. ginger powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon powder
• 2 whole cloves or ½ tsp. clove powder
• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• 1 tsp of cacao nibs
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• Water

Directions

Heat the ghee on medium heat and then add spices, cooking until the aroma come up. Add chopped pumpkin pieces and stir to coat with ghee and spices. Add water to ⅓ the level of the pumpkin, stir, and cover. Reduce the heat and simmer until the pumpkin is soft, about 15 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes, then blend or mash to your desired consistency.

For the crust, you’ll need:

• 3/4 cups oat flour
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• ½ tsp. mineral salt
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
• Water

Directions:

Mix flour, flax and salt. Stir in ghee and maple syrup, then add water to create a moist dough. Cover and let sit in a cool place for 5 minutes, then press into a baking dish.

Bake crust 5 to 7 minutes at 300 degrees until warm and slightly firm on top. Pull it out and add the pumpkin to the crust. Heat for 10 minutes. Top with nuts, cacao, and pumpkin seeds!

Let it sit for 5 minutes, then serve!

Sources:

1. Weinberg, Jennifer. “Discover the Many Health Benefits of Pumpkins.” Ayurveda | Everyday Ayurveda, 27 Sept. 2016, everydayayurveda.org/pick-powerful-health-benefits-at-the-pumpkin-patch/.