Arugula is one of those green leafy vegetable that is so delicious both raw and cooked. It lends a nutty and spicy taste to other milder greens, and serves as a fine foil for feta cheese, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and dried Turkish apricots (those plump dark un-sulphered ones you get at the health food store).
I love cooked Arugula with Whole wheat pasta, in which case I quick fry under high heat chopped or lightly crushed garlic, I learned this from a chef–get the oil really hot, drop the garlic in, and stir for about 1 minute, don’t let it burn, but watch the color change as the smell rises. Then drop down the flame and drop the Arugula in. All that needs is a little lemon or balsamic vinegar at the end. If I add parmesan/Romano cheese, then I don’t use lemon or vinegar.
But last night I made a different Arugula, in which I combined
Ingredients
1 lb Arugula
Olive Oil, 1 tbsp
Garlic, 3 level tsp finely crushed
Cumin powder, 1/2 tsp
2 or more tsp pomegranate molasses
Salt/Fresh Ground Telicherry Black Pepper to taste
Recipe
Heat oil on a low medium flame.
Add garlic, cumin, salt, pepper
Stir a few minutes, but don’t allow to burn
Add Arugula and Pom Molasses
Stir quickly to coat the greens so the spices don’t burn at the bottom.
Cover for a minute and stir, the green will cook very fast, in a minute or two.
Ayurveda
This is a great dish for pacifying the Kapha that builds up in the damp cold of winter. It is bitter, pungent and astringent, the three flavors that reduce Kapha.
But it is also fine for Vata, in that the unctuous quality of the oil and the pungent warmth of the spices and the Arugula have a beneficent effect in moderation.
Chinese Medicine
Chinese Medicine says “eat rice for energy, meat for strength, and vegetables to keep your body clean.” So this is an excellent vegetable dish for balancing the heavier foods. It is reminiscent of the stir-fried pea greens (do-miao) you get in Chinese restaurants. With its bitter pungency this dish is excellent for people with Liver/GB full conditions, and also Spleen-Stomach empty conditions, as well as conditions of dampness in the Tai Yin Lung and Spleen
for more information of recipes for health from Ayurveda or Chinese Medicine, please see my website, www.bodymindwellnesscenter.com
copyright eyton j. shalom, san diego ca march 2012 all rights reserved use with permission
