JoyFull

February 19, 2024
Nutritionist and yoga instructor Devlukia-Shetty promotes 5,000-year-old Ayurveda tradition in her scattered debut. “Low-vibration foods” bring people down, she asserts, while spices and plants energize. Though the author insists that “Ayurveda doesn’t judge,” she also prescribes a diet free of garlic, onion, and cold drinks: “If your digestion is like a fire, then imagine what introducing a cold drink can do to that flame.” The light tone verges on cutesy (vegetable kitchari is likened to a “belly cuddle”) and the unifying concept is fuzzy, but the vegan recipes appeal. A breakfast chapter includes stewed apples and savory muffins made with chickpea flour and vegan feta. Nondairy cheeses aren’t the only ersatz items on the menu: Devlukia-Shetty creates eggplant “bacon” using liquid smoke, and “crabcakes” out of hearts of palm. Pasta dishes include tagliatelle with nutritional yeast, miso, and roasted red peppers, and fusilli with tomatoes, corn, and vegan cheddar. Five recipes for naan variants precede a smattering of sandwich options and store-bought pita with various fillings. The redolently spiced riffs on Indian dishes are standouts: red lentil dal can be blitzed into a dip; mung bean pancakes with grated carrots come with a side of cilantro-mint chutney; and a range of veggie curries appetize. Readers curious about an Ayurvedic diet will want to check this out.