Good cooking and nutrition should be a lifestyle- that’s the basic premise behind what we do here at Joyfoodly. Is it any surprise that Anna Yoga and Ayurveda share many goals in common. Here to share her thoughts on practicing yoga in the kitchen and to share a favorite recipe is Kajal Dhabalia of WholesomeSoul.com. Her chickpea flour and rice patties feature spinach and onions for a delicious vegetable kick, but can easily be adapted to any number of fresh in season vegetables year-round. -Chef Hollie
Have you ever finished a yoga class feeling grounded, quiet and joyful….and wishing you could feel like this all day long? As someone who spends a lot of time and effort on her yoga and meditation mat, I’ve learned that some of the best ways to continue my practice off the mat is through my diet and lifestyle.
The ancient yogi’s of India thought about everything in the context of how things influence our bodies, our minds and ultimately our consciousness. In fact, many people don’t know this, but there’s a whole branch of yoga called Anna Yoga– a science devoted to food for health and happiness. Combined with Ayurveda (the Indian Science of Healing), Anna Yoga and Ayurveda provide great resources for striving yogi’s who want to have a strong yoga and meditation practice…because food after all, is an amazing tool.
Food not only satisfies our hunger, but it replenishes our blood supply, helps us heal and influences the stability of our mind. Yogic cooking does not dissect food into vitamins, minerals, protein, but rather it shows that the true benefits of whole ingredients can be experienced only when they are NOT isolated and are kept true in their natural form as possible (i.e. preservatives, additives, processed foods). They explain that the most vital component to true health is to have a fresh and balanced diet so that all the faculties of digestion can work smoothly.
The core intentions of Anna Yoga + Ayurveda are:
- Every body has a different constitution; therefore, not all food is made for every body. To learn what your constitution is, click here: https://www.ayurveda.com/pdf/constitution.pdf
- All foods have various qualities of prana (energy) that stimulate the mind/body in different ways. To learn more about basic ayurvedic food guidelines, click here: http://www.ayurveda.com/pdf/food-guidelines.pdf
- Food should be easy for the body’s digestion to work smoothly—absorption, assimilation and elimination.
- Meals should consist mainly of fresh fruits & veggies and whole grains.
- And, developing the understanding and awareness that, we truly are what we eat; so to be conscious of what we put into our bodies.
Hand in hand with becoming more mindful of what we put in our bodies, is the importance of being conscious of the people, places and things we surround ourselves. Just as the food we eat affects us, what we fill our lives up with soaks into our subconscious. For example, good company can inspire us to live well, a meaningful piece of art can serve as a daily reminder of something positive and an uplifting book can put a spark of magic into your day. These little but big doses of inspiration can directly and indirectly shape our perspectives, nourish our faith and foster our own personal growth.
So, here’s to taking your yoga practice off the mat and into your daily life…one bite at a time ☺.
One of my favorite go-to recipes is my Chickpea Flour and Rice Patties. Basically, they turn out like mini, eggless, omelets; easy, delicious and very nourishing. ENJOY!
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup garbanzo bean flour
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1-1 1/2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoon ginger, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon jalapeño, finely grated
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 3 cups spinach, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoon salt (salt to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon asafetida or ½ cup finely diced onions
- In a large bowl, place garbanzo bean flour, yogurt and water and beat until smooth.
- Add turmeric, red chili powder, asafetida and salt to the batter and mix. Then, add ginger, jalapeño, spinach, cilantro and onions and combine again. Add then fold in cooked rice.
- Place a non-stick, medium size skillet on medium heat and place 1 teaspoon of oil on pan.
- When oil is heated, place 1/2 cup mixture on skillet, flatten out patty a little, if necessary.
- *BE PATIENT and allow to cook 4-5 minutes on each side. I like to wiggle the spatula underneath every so often just to ensure the patty isn't sticking, but make sure to be very gentle.
- *It is very important to keep the skillet well greased so that the patty does not stick.
- VEGAN NOTES | Just omit yogurt and add extra water in batter for pancake batter like consistency.
- GLUTEN FREE NOTES | Totally gluten free!

BIO | Kajal Dhabalia
Kajal Dhabalia is a graphic designer by trade, and at heart a devout lover of yoga, food and art. Basically she loves all things creative and spiritual. When she’s not cooking or doing yoga herself, she runs an online creative design boutique called Wholesome Soul (www.wholesomesoul.com) where she offers an uplifting collection of original art pieces, prints, and other home related goodies, while also sharing a few of her favorite recipes in between.
Since she knows that most of us can’t stay on our yoga mats all day, her mission is to help people stay inspired—off the mat and into their daily lives.
Find Kajal at:
Website: www.wholesomesoul.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kajaldhabalia/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wholesome-Soul-by-Kajal-Dhabalia/272191999486604