College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

 

AYURVEDIC RECIPES

Basil, Beef & Mushroom Congee


How to Make Basil, Beef & Mushroom Congee

INGREDIENTS


SKILL LEVEL: MEDIUM
1/2 c
2 tbsp
1/4 c
2 tsp
1 c
1 c
1/2 lbs
1/4 tsp

PREPARATION OF THIS HEALTHY RECIPE

1. Thoroughly rinse basmati rice in a strainer.

2. Add to a pot of 6 cups of boiling water with mineral salt.

3. Cook on medium for a minimum of 1 hour, or until the rice is completely broken down, stirring occasionally.

4. Meanwhile, chop the mushrooms and finely slice the beef into thin strips.

5. Toss together with tamari and orange zest.

6. Pan fry beef and mushrooms in sesame oil for about 10 minutes, or until beef cooked through.

7. Serve the congee in bowls and add the beef strips on top.

8. Garnish with finely chopped fresh basil and green chilli.

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.

Is Basil, Beef & Mushroom Congee Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Basil, Beef & Mushroom Congee' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

Metabolic Nature of Basil, Beef & Mushroom Congee

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

METABOLIC NATURE

Metabolic Nature

Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick. Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.

Find Out More

MOBILE

ABOUT MOBILE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Mobile refers to anything that stimulates the nervous system, muscles, or activity.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MOBILE

EASY

ABOUT EASY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY

HOT

ABOUT HOT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot is identified by increased body temperature, metabolism, or inflammation.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOT

CLEAR

ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR

LIQUEFIED

ABOUT LIQUEFIED BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Substances that thin fluids (lower viscosity of blood plasma). These may include blood thinners or mucolytic herbs.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LIQUEFIED

TASTES

The 6 Tastes

Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?

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SALTY

ABOUT SALTY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Salty refers to anything with salt, or high mineral content.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SALTY

DOSHAS

The Three Doshas / Body Types

Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.

Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.

Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.

Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.

The 3 metabolic body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).

Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.

Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.

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PACIFIES
Kapha pacifying Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Pitta aggravating

GREEK MEDICINE / TEMPERAMENTS

The Four Temperaments / Humors

Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia. They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature. Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.

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PACIFIES
MELANCHOLIC

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MELANCHOLIC

PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Wet & cold. When out of balance becomes congested, stagnant, and overweight. Loving, trusting, and patient.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHLEGMATIC

AGGRAVATES
CHOLERIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHOLERIC

SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot and oily with a moderate metabolism and a well nourished body. Vigorous, vivacious, outgoing and generous, and prone to impulsivity and self indulgence. Bullish and intense when out of balance.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SANGUINE

Other

Aromatic

AROMATIC

Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues.

SEE ALL 'AROMATIC' FOODS / HERBS

,
Musky

MUSKY

Have an earthy smell to them, such as mushrooms.

SEE ALL 'MUSKY' FOODS / HERBS

Downward

DOWNWARD

Downward-moving (Adho Gati Marga) substances move food downward in the GI tract, settle the nervous system, and relax muscles.

SEE ALL 'DOWNWARD' FOODS / HERBS

Fat

FAT

Fat tissue (Meda Dhatu) includes adipose tissue and sebum (skin oil).

SEE ALL 'FAT' FOODS / HERBS

,
Red Blood

RED-BLOOD

Red blood (Rakta Dhatu) includes red blood cells and blood vessels.

SEE ALL 'RED-BLOOD' FOODS / HERBS

,
Muscle

MUSCLE

Muscle tissue (Mamsa Dhatu) includes muscles and ligaments.

SEE ALL 'MUSCLE' FOODS / HERBS

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Basil, Beef & Mushroom Congee
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

(see all)
Carminative

CARMINATIVE

Stimulates the release of gas. Helpful for bloating or cramping abdominal pain. Propels food downward. Carminatives typically expel gas by relaxing the muscles of the intestines.

SEE ALL 'CARMINATIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Nerve Relaxant Grounding

NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING

Encourages feelings of stability and heaviness. Makes you feel settled, mentally relaxed. Mildly sedates the nervous system to ease stress. Can bring a spacey or anxious person back to earth. Reduces agitation, irritation, stress and racing thoughts.

SEE ALL 'NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING' FOODS / HERBS

,
Wakes You Up

WAKES-YOU-UP

Invigorates the body and nervous system, increases energy.

SEE ALL 'WAKES-YOU-UP' FOODS / HERBS

Satisfies Stomach

SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' FOODS / HERBS

,
Stimulates Energy

STIMULATES-ENERGY

This category groups thyroid and adrenal stimulating herbs.

SEE ALL 'STIMULATES-ENERGY' FOODS / HERBS

,
Builds Stamina

BUILDS-STAMINA

Promotes strength, endurance and resistance in the body. Rebuilds weak tissues after a time of depletion.

SEE ALL 'BUILDS-STAMINA' FOODS / HERBS

,
Refreshing

REFRESHING

Stimulates and wakes up the body, leaving it feeling cool, fresh, and energized.

SEE ALL 'REFRESHING' FOODS / HERBS

,
Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Diaphoretic

DIAPHORETIC

An herb that induces sweating, often by dilating blood vessels close to the skin.

SEE ALL 'DIAPHORETIC' FOODS / HERBS

Cardiac Stimulant

CARDIAC-STIMULANT

Herbs that increase the heart rate. Useful in cardiovascular health, blood stagnation, and subjective feeling of heaviness in the chest area.

SEE ALL 'CARDIAC-STIMULANT' FOODS / HERBS

,
Warms Ears

WARMS-EARS

Stimulates peripheral circulation to warm extremities, including the ears.

SEE ALL 'WARMS-EARS' FOODS / HERBS

,
Warms Head

WARMS-HEAD

An herb that increases sensations of heat and warmth in the head.

SEE ALL 'WARMS-HEAD' FOODS / HERBS

,
Blood Tonic

BLOOD-TONIC

An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

,
Rebuild Electrolytes

REBUILD-ELECTROLYTES

Substances that increase your electrolyte balance. Electrolytes help you retain water, keep your palate moist, and truly quench your thirst.

SEE ALL 'REBUILD-ELECTROLYTES' FOODS / HERBS

Diuretic

DIURETIC

Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure.

SEE ALL 'DIURETIC' FOODS / HERBS

Muscle Tonic

MUSCLE-TONIC

Herbs that strengthen and tone muscle tissue. Helpful for people recovering from long term illness and debility, or after a sprain.

SEE ALL 'MUSCLE-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:
Aromatase Inhibitor

AROMATASE-INHIBITOR

Blocks estrogen synthesis by inhibiting conversion of progesterone and testosterone into estrogen.

SEE ALL 'AROMATASE-INHIBITOR' FOODS / HERBS

, Fats, Protein, Medium Chain Triglycerrid,
Nitric Oxide

NITRIC-OXIDE

Improves circulation by dilating blood vessels. Protects blood vessels from damage. Improves athletic performance, libido, immunity, and brain health.

SEE ALL 'NITRIC-OXIDE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Rosmarinic Acid

ROSMARINIC-ACID

Inhibits autoantibodies from binding to TSH receptors in the thyroid.

SEE ALL 'ROSMARINIC-ACID' FOODS / HERBS

,
Salicylates

SALICYLATES

Salicylates relieve inflammation, are anti-cancer, and antidiabetic, but some are allergic to it.

SEE ALL 'SALICYLATES' FOODS / HERBS

, Carbohydrate,
Betaine

BETAINE

Used to reduce homocysteine in the blood, which supports proper liver function and prevents fatigue and blood clots. Improves muscle stamina and weight loss.

SEE ALL 'BETAINE' FOODS / HERBS

, Beta Carotene, Melatonin

Foods with a Similar Nature to Basil, Beef & Mushroom Congee

  • Mustard Seed

    Mustard Seed has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Warms-ears, Carminative, Stimulates-energy, Warms-head, Diaphoretic, Wakes-you-up

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard Powder

    Mustard Powder has these Actions in Common

    Carminative, Stimulates-energy, Warms-head, Diaphoretic, Wakes-you-up, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Warms-ears

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard

    Mustard has these Actions in Common

    Carminative, Stimulates-energy, Warms-head, Diaphoretic, Wakes-you-up, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Warms-ears

    LEARN MORE

  • Lamb

    Lamb has these Actions in Common

    Muscle-tonic, Satisfies-stomach, Blood-tonic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Warms-ears, Builds-stamina, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Sesame Seeds

    Sesame Seeds has these Actions in Common

    Muscle-tonic, Satisfies-stomach, Blood-tonic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Stimulates-energy, Builds-stamina, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Tahini

    Tahini has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Stimulates-energy, Builds-stamina, Nutritive, Muscle-tonic, Satisfies-stomach

    LEARN MORE

  • Almonds

    Almonds has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Stimulates-energy, Builds-stamina, Nutritive, Muscle-tonic, Satisfies-stomach

    LEARN MORE

  • Jackfruit

    Jackfruit has these Actions in Common

    Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Refreshing, Nutritive, Satisfies-stomach, Muscle-tonic, Rebuild-electrolytes, Wakes-you-up

    LEARN MORE

  • Pork

    Pork has these Actions in Common

    Builds-stamina, Satisfies-stomach, Muscle-tonic, Warms-head, Blood-tonic, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Beef

    Beef has these Actions in Common

    Muscle-tonic, Satisfies-stomach, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Warms-ears, Blood-tonic, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Banana

    Banana has these Actions in Common

    Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Satisfies-stomach, Nutritive, Stimulates-energy, Muscle-tonic, Rebuild-electrolytes

    LEARN MORE

Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to Basil, Beef & Mushroom Congee

  • Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi)

    Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi) has these Actions in Common

    Refreshing, Stimulates-energy, Warms-ears, Blood-tonic, Warms-head, Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

    LEARN MORE

  • Deodar (Himalayan Cedar, Devadaru)

    Deodar (Himalayan Cedar, Devadaru) has these Actions in Common

    Refreshing, Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up, Warms-ears, Warms-head, Cardiac-stimulant, Carminative, Diuretic

    LEARN MORE

  • Regular exercise

    Regular exercise has these Actions in Common

    Builds-stamina, Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Refreshing, Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up

    LEARN MORE

  • Shilajit Tonic

    Shilajit Tonic has these Actions in Common

    Wakes-you-up, Builds-stamina, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Refreshing, Stimulates-energy

    LEARN MORE

  • Hyssop Powder

    Hyssop Powder has these Actions in Common

    Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Refreshing, Stimulates-energy, Cardiac-stimulant, Carminative

    LEARN MORE

  • Chyavanprash Nutritive Jam

    Chyavanprash Nutritive Jam has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, Cardiac-stimulant, Carminative, Muscle-tonic, Nutritive, Stimulates-energy

    LEARN MORE

  • Breathing Exercises

    Breathing Exercises has these Actions in Common

    Refreshing, Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up, Blood-tonic, Builds-stamina, Cardiac-stimulant

    LEARN MORE

  • Bellows Breath (Bhastrika Pranayama)

    Bellows Breath (Bhastrika Pranayama) has these Actions in Common

    Wakes-you-up, Blood-tonic, Builds-stamina, Cardiac-stimulant, Refreshing, Stimulates-energy

    LEARN MORE

  • Breath of Fire / Shining Skull (Kapalbhati Pranayama)

    Breath of Fire / Shining Skull (Kapalbhati Pranayama) has these Actions in Common

    Refreshing, Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up, Blood-tonic, Builds-stamina, Cardiac-stimulant

    LEARN MORE

  • Eleuthero Ginseng

    Eleuthero Ginseng has these Actions in Common

    Builds-stamina, Muscle-tonic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up, Blood-tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Punarnava

    Punarnava has these Actions in Common

    Diuretic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Stimulates-energy, Blood-tonic, Builds-stamina, Cardiac-stimulant

    LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

View Other Healthy Recipes for Autumn-Winter

This recipe is recommended for Autumn-Winter. Check out these other Autumn-Winter recipes here.
VIEW ALL AUTUMN-WINTER RECIPES MORE VATA / KAPHA RECIPES
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About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy, & botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. His wife and family of 7 kids live in Asheville, NC.

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