Golden Adaptogenic Ashwagandha Dal

Ashwagandha: stress-buster for a superhuman existence

Adaptogens are all the rage these days despite having been part of traditional medicine for thousands of years. Ashwagandha, also known as Indian ginseng, is just one of many, and is possibly the most common kind these days (at least on the Internet). It’s an Ayurvedic rasayana, treasured for over six thousand years for its ability to invigorate and revitalize. In case you weren’t on this wave, adaptogens are a special class of tonic herbs (natural, nutritional “supplements”) that can help your body, mind and spirit adapt more easily under stress, promoting stamina, strength, resilience, and emotional and physical stress relief by down-regulating the body’s stress response, calming the mind and supporting healthy aging. It’s magic. They do not change the body, but rather subtly work with it to allow profound, balancing effects to unfold over time in a multidirectional and multidimensional way, helping to maintain homeostasis. And what’s more, they’re generally as safe to use as regular food.

Let’s face it: it is SO easy to be stressed out these days, but these herbs have become increasingly popular for good reason, especially if you live a Westernized lifestyle. They are fantastic tools that can help your body restore homeostasis, add an energetic spring to your step, and help you tread more lightly, playfully and equanimously in this lifetime, empowering us to be more committed with our contributions to the earth and those around us. The supplement industry is largely unregulated and can be pretty shady, so you’ll want to make sure you find herbs of TOP quality: ideally wildcrafted, organic, and di tao sourced if possible.

Ashwagandha (roughly known as ‘the strength of a stallion’ in Sanskrit) is an adaptogenic herb that I enjoy using from time to time, and this dal/lentil curry recipe takes great advantage of it. Traditionally it’s been used to strengthen the immune system after illness, and is probably a wise, preventative herb to take these days while living in the industrialized world. There have been over 200 scientific studies revealing its benefits. It’s got thyroid-modulating, neuroprotective, anti-tumor, anti-anxiety, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory properties, to name just a few. Although it’s generally recognized as safe for regular use with no or minimal adverse reactions, I encourage you to seek the guidance of your primary health practitioner before integrating it into your life if you have specific requirements or concerns. In my case, I simply just read about it and right away, I intuitively knew it was for me at the time.

I’ve been using Ashwagandha in my meals and drinks on and off for a few years now. After taking small amounts regularly over the long-term, I’ve noticed subtle but powerful effects such as a profound increase in mental and physical resilience in the face of constant stresses that would probably incapacitate the average joe or the past version of me (hello, craving climbing a mountain during a global pandemic). I tend not to dwell on minutiae and overthink things as much as I used to. My life feels more easy to handle and a lot more equanimous in the hard times.

Generally, you can start and stop taking it whenever you feel like it—there really aren’t any rules set in stone, but it is recommended to use a little bit over a long period of time to experience its effects (about 1/4-1 tsp daily). Many people love sneaking it into their cooking, as high quality ashwagandha has a rather distinct taste. The kick of the tamarind along with the potent spices in this curry go along with it nicely and I barely notice its taste.

I also use ashwagandha quite randomly in my other home cooked meals, or added to herbal drinks, soups, smoothies, and even in baking recipes – usually about a teaspoon will suffice. The possibilities are endless.

Not only does this curry boast plenty of healing benefits, but it’s also free from the usual inflammatory industrial seed oils found in the average take-out or restaurant curry. This recipe is the real deal—at least in my kitchen—so you’ll also be making your own easy curry paste! Let’s dive in.

Special ingredient for the yellow curry paste:

• Asafoetida, aka. hing – find it here or here. This is a powdered resin that is strong and bitter, so a little goes a loooong way. It really adds an extra savoury dimension to curries in general. Hing is a resin obtained from the Ferula Assa Foetida plant’s roots by making small cuts. The juice comes out from the roots, which solidifies and converts into Hing resin. It’s absolutely packed with a multitude of health benefits!

Special ingredient for the dal (lentil curry):

• Ashwagandha – optional, but highly recommended. The high quality, wildcrafted stuff imparts quite a strong flavour but it’s hardly noticeable when such a small amount is combined with the other flavours in this curry. Find Organic Traditions organic ashwagandha here. Or find Sun Potion wildcrafted ashwagandha here (the BEST, imo)

Tips to cook this curry:

• Soak your lentils beforehand! I’m serious. If you want to get the most out of your lentils by neutralizing their antinutrients, simply soak the desired amount of dry lentils, submerged in a bowl of filtered water on the counter for approximately 12-24 hours. Then when you’re ready to cook with them, simply drain and rinse one more time before using. Soaking and sprouting was a common ancestral practice that’s experiencing a resurgence in popularity these days, and for good reason: it vastly improves the digestibility and nutrient bioavailability of lentils, pulses, and beans in general.
• Temper (toast) your spice toppings separately to add in last: The key to a delicious curry is through the contrast of a toasty, crunchy, tempered garnish. Here I used one dried Kashmiri chili, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp fenugreek, and 5-10 dried curry leaves in high smoke point virgin coconut oil. You can also use any of your favourite whole or ground spices. Tempering, or tadka, is a traditional method used to extract the full flavour and nutrition out of the spices, typically heated in a healthy, high quality cooking fat, then added to a dish. When you’re tempering the spices, keep a close eye on it as the mixture burns quickly! Ideal high smoke point cooking fats include: virgin coconut oil, grass fed ghee, or grass fed tallow.
• Sourcing high quality bones for broth is imperative. Bones are not only high in minerals, but also tend to store heavy metals, so opt for ethically pasture raised, organic, and grass-fed and finished for optimal nutritional value. The highest quality bones will still be incredibly cheap. Ask your butcher or farmer. If you don’t have them on hand yet, just use filtered water or homemade vegetable stock.
• Blend your curry paste using a high speed blender or food processor fitted with the “S” blade. Stop intermittently to open the top and scrape down the sides with a spoon or silicone spatula. See below: you want to get the flyaway paste from the edges back into a compact clump for a quicker, more thorough blending job.