Although hummus now has a significant place in the western snack and appetizer world, it has been a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine for centuries. Hummus (or hommus) means chickpea in Arabic and can be found in recipes as far back as the 13th century. As meat was often hard to come by, the hearty bean dish has many variations within each culture and community, although chickpeas, lemon, tahini, garlic, and salt are usually the core of any hummus recipe.
Ayurveda reminds us that our diet isn’t one size fits all, even on National Hummus Day. Whether it’s enjoying a simple appetizer or implementing an entirely new dietary plan for every meal, to move in the direction of body balance there must be an understanding of an individual’s unique constitutional tendency, or dosha. Here are three hummus recipes, so everyone can celebrate with this classic appetizer in a way that serves every dosha in a sustainable way.
As beans have a hard-to-digest protein that increases the air quality in the body, it’s best for Vatas to eat limited beans. To get the hummus experience without creating further imbalance in the body, beets are a great substitute for garbanzo beans in most hummus recipes. Beets are naturally sweet and provide a grounding effect for the naturally airy Vata. With a side of pita chips, with limited or even no beans, this hummus recipe is ideal for Vata.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each beet into 1-inch pieces. Place in the oven with 1 Tbs of Olive Oil. Roast for 30 minutes or until fork tender.
Finely chop garlic cloves and add beets, garlic, garbanzo beans (optional), and salt to a food processor or blender. Blend until you reach hummus consistency.
Serves 4
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As you bring your dosha back into a balanced state, the natural cravings will be more in alignment with foods that will further balance your body. The more balanced you become, the more balanced those around you become. So put the cayenne bottle down.
This recipe uses lime instead of the traditional lemon because lemon irritates the already acidic Pitta digestion while lime juice (not lime rind) has a cooling effect.
Place chickpeas, tahini, cilantro, lime juice, and salt into a food processer or blender.
Blend all ingredients for about a minute.
Enjoy with sliced cucumbers.
Serves 4
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Swapping leafy greens and other veggies like broccoli and green beans for the traditional pita chip makes this recipe perfect for Kaphas or anyone looking to keep it light on national hummus day.
Directions:
Finely chop garlic cloves.
Place artichoke hearts, garbanzo beans, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, basil, and tahini into a food processor or blender and blend for about a minute or until it reaches a perfect hummus consistency for you.
Serves 4
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Enjoy these dosha-friendly hummus recipes so you can stay balanced while also enjoying a satisfying treat!
*Editor’s Note: The information in this article is intended for your educational use only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and before undertaking any diet, supplement, fitness, or other health programs.
Ayurveda reminds us that our diet isn’t one size fits all, even on National Hummus Day. Whether it’s enjoying a simple appetizer or implementing an entirely new dietary plan for every meal, to move in the direction of body balance there must be an understanding of an individual’s unique constitutional tendency, or dosha. Here are three hummus recipes, so everyone can celebrate with this classic appetizer in a way that serves every dosha in a sustainable way.
Vata
To balance and pacify Vata, foods that are sweet, sour, and salty are best. These tastes will help ground and warm Vata’s naturally cold and airy nature. If there’s a Vata imbalance in the body, it easily shows up in the area of digestion.As beans have a hard-to-digest protein that increases the air quality in the body, it’s best for Vatas to eat limited beans. To get the hummus experience without creating further imbalance in the body, beets are a great substitute for garbanzo beans in most hummus recipes. Beets are naturally sweet and provide a grounding effect for the naturally airy Vata. With a side of pita chips, with limited or even no beans, this hummus recipe is ideal for Vata.
Beet Garlic Hummus with Pita Chips
Ingredients:- 4–5 red beets
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup garbanzo beans (optional)
- Salt to taste
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each beet into 1-inch pieces. Place in the oven with 1 Tbs of Olive Oil. Roast for 30 minutes or until fork tender.
Finely chop garlic cloves and add beets, garlic, garbanzo beans (optional), and salt to a food processor or blender. Blend until you reach hummus consistency.
Serves 4
Pitta
To balance and soothe Pitta, it’s recommended to gravitate toward foods with the taste quality of bitter, sweet, and astringent. This helps to cool and calm Pitta’s innate fiery energy. Given its choice, Pittas are likely to naturally gravitate toward the spiciest or most garlicky hummus on the shelf! Especially when a dosha is out of balance in the body, it will crave foods that will further pull it out of balance.As you bring your dosha back into a balanced state, the natural cravings will be more in alignment with foods that will further balance your body. The more balanced you become, the more balanced those around you become. So put the cayenne bottle down.
This recipe uses lime instead of the traditional lemon because lemon irritates the already acidic Pitta digestion while lime juice (not lime rind) has a cooling effect.
Cilantro Lime Hummus with Cucumbers
Ingredients:- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3/4 cup cilantro
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
Place chickpeas, tahini, cilantro, lime juice, and salt into a food processer or blender.
Blend all ingredients for about a minute.
Enjoy with sliced cucumbers.
Serves 4
Kapha
To balance and invigorate Kaphas’ earthy and grounded nature, foods with bitter, pungent, and astringent qualities are best. Although Kaphas should avoid heavier legumes like kidney beans, light, and airy garbanzo beans are still a go. With both bitter and astringent qualities, artichoke hearts are the perfect match to beans and will create a dry lightness for Kaphas. Add a little heat to spice things up and you have the perfect hummus recipe to get Kapha moving.Swapping leafy greens and other veggies like broccoli and green beans for the traditional pita chip makes this recipe perfect for Kaphas or anyone looking to keep it light on national hummus day.
Artichoke Heart and Garlic Hummus with Green Beans, Broccoli, and Romaine Lettuce
Ingredients:- 1 can artichoke hearts
- 1/2 cup garbanzo beans
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup tahini
- Green beans, broccoli, romaine as desired
Directions:
Finely chop garlic cloves.
Place artichoke hearts, garbanzo beans, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, basil, and tahini into a food processor or blender and blend for about a minute or until it reaches a perfect hummus consistency for you.
Serves 4
Enjoy these dosha-friendly hummus recipes so you can stay balanced while also enjoying a satisfying treat!
*Editor’s Note: The information in this article is intended for your educational use only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and before undertaking any diet, supplement, fitness, or other health programs.