College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

 

AYURVEDIC RECIPES

Brown Rice With Nettles, Lemon & Walnut


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How to Make Brown Rice with Nettles, Lemon & Walnut

INGREDIENTS


SKILL LEVEL: EASY
2 tbsp
2 tsp
2 tbsp
1 c
1/4 tsp
1/4 tsp
1/4 whole
1/4 lbs

PREPARATION OF THIS HEALTHY RECIPE

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the sunflower oil. Sautee the onions in the oil and then add the rice. Continue sauteeing for 30 seconds. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Let cook for approximately 45 mintues or until soft.

2. Separately, blend the nettles and remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor.

3. Garnish rice with nettle pesto sauce & serve piping hot!

Note: Use white rice if digestion is weak.

How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Robust and rugged, Brown Rice with Nettle Walnut Pesto imparts the hardy strength you need to feel great through the fall. Nettles naturally taste a little salty, giving this dish a "salt of the earth" strengthening effect. As your autumn schedule starts to stack up, this recipe puts you back in rhythm with the earth's reminder to slow down. Feel as strong as a powerful, stable brown bear traipsing through the forest after this nourishing meal of wild nettle, grounding brown rice, and warm, rustic walnuts.

Hearty Strength

Nettles offer a hearty earthiness to this rustic dish. This is a rough, tough plant that brings its strength as a gift for your body. Don't let the prickly nature of the plant fool you - nettles provide a stellar nutritional profile to build stamina. This wildly abundant plant packs more vitamins and nutrients than most give it credit for. Nettle is great when the back-to-school and work activity takes away time for self-care. Adding nettles to your diet offers a delicious way to infuse the body with the strength of the wild. It is also famous as a blood & yang tonic that can be used to fortify your body after menstruation, childbirth, or other blood loss, giving you strength and energy. To increase your rugged strength and build fall immunity, nettles are the way to go.

Get Ready for Winter with Warming Walnuts

Preparing for cooler weather is a ritual of sorts. You find the extra blankets in storage, trade your summer tank tops for long sleeves, and browse the market's shelves for familiar comfort foods. Believe it or not, walnut is a great choice to bring home this fall. Walnuts are warm and invigorating. A fireplace warms the hearth around it, and the stones provide long lasting, durable heat through the night. Similarly, walnut creates a long lasting fire within. Rich in healthy fats, walnuts also provide slow burning fuel that keeps your metabolism strong all day long.

Have you ever chewed a walnut slowly? First you taste the rustic tannins on the surface of the night. Later, you experience a layer of warm creaminess as you start to extract the oils from the meat of the nut. Walnut's rich creaminess and warmth helps your body prepare for cold weather by building its reserves for winter. It's important to enjoy these warming, building foods in autumn so you feel fortified and ready to take on cold weather and flu season. Warm, nourishing foods like walnut are especially desired for Vata disorders (such as the common cold) that are due to cold and deficiency.

Why Eat Whole Grains in the Fall?

Brown rice is a hearty addition to your autumn table. But have you ever wondered what makes brown rice brown? In brown rice, the hearty bran layer and the germ is kept intact. The germ is the part of the seed that germinates, and it contains all the vital nutrients and mineral of the seed. The bran contains the fiber. White rice is stripped of both.

That's why brown rice, and whole foods in general, are more nourishing to your hungry body. That's also why whole foods in general have more taste. However, the density of brown rice can be hard to digest, causing gas and bloating. To improve digestibility, soak your brown rice by placing it in a bowl of water the night before. When you're ready to cook the rice, start cooking it on the stove while you chop, blend, saute the other ingredients. These two steps will also greatly reduce brown rice cooking time so you can enjoy your meal.

In this recipe, the zest of lemon and pungent spice of black pepper further stimulate your digestion so you can process rice more easily. However, if you have sluggish digestion or are recovering for illness, choose white rice instead.

A Note on Nettles

Nettles are rich in fiber and have even been used to make durable clothing! While you may shy away from the idea of using a stinging plant, in many traditional societies it was customary to sting oneself with the nettle plant as a way of relieving the pain and inflammation from conditions such as arthritis. The compounds found in the nettle sting serve to improve circulation and lymph flow in the joints, but you need not sting yourself to enjoy the benefits! Cooking the nettles in a soup provides many of the wonderful qualities of the nettle plant to your body in a deliciously edible way.

You can often find nettles growing near stream beds wild, or in 'guerilla gardens' due to their popularity. Try growing some on your property. If you don't have access to fresh nettles, dried ones or even tinctures will do.

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 Brown Rice with Nettles, Lemon & Walnut Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Brown Rice with Nettles, Lemon & Walnut' 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 Brown Rice with Nettles, Lemon & Walnut

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

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

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.

Find Out More

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.

Find Out More

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

A Phlegmatic has a cold and wet metabolic nature. The coldness implies a slow metabolism, the moisture that you are well-nourished. Phlegmatics tend towards sluggishness and thickened fluids, including mucus.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHLEGMATIC

SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A hot and oily nature with a moderate metabolism and a well nourished body makes Sanguine individuals vigorous, vivacious, outgoing and generous, and prone to impulsivity and self indulgence. Bullish and intense when out of balance.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SANGUINE

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

Other

Crunchy

CRUNCHY

Makes an audible noise when you eat them. Can provide fun texture variation.

SEE ALL 'CRUNCHY' FOODS / HERBS

Inward

INWARD

Inward moving substances promote introspection, self reflection, stillness, or slow the system down.

SEE ALL 'INWARD' 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

Bone

BONE

Bone tissue (Asthi Dhatu) includes the bones, hair, and nails.

SEE ALL 'BONE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Red Blood

RED-BLOOD

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

SEE ALL 'RED-BLOOD' FOODS / HERBS

,
Fat

FAT

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

SEE ALL 'FAT' FOODS / HERBS

,
Muscle

MUSCLE

Muscle tissue (Mamsa Dhatu) includes muscles and ligaments.

SEE ALL 'MUSCLE' FOODS / HERBS

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Brown Rice with Nettles, Lemon & Walnut
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)
Appetite Suppressant

APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT

Suppresses hunger without causing weight gain.

SEE ALL 'APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT' FOODS / HERBS

Strengthens Resolve

STRENGTHENS-RESOLVE

Increases determination and courage by reducing stress and building strength.

SEE ALL 'STRENGTHENS-RESOLVE' FOODS / HERBS

Satisfies Stomach

SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' 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

,
Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Tonic

TONIC

A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine.

SEE ALL 'TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Diaphoretic

DIAPHORETIC

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

SEE ALL 'DIAPHORETIC' FOODS / HERBS

Flushes Sinuses

FLUSHES-SINUSES

An herb that relieves sinus congestion by flushing out mucus.

SEE ALL 'FLUSHES-SINUSES' FOODS / HERBS

,
Soothes Throat

SOOTHES-THROAT

Soothes throat discomfort, including from a sore or ticklish throat.

SEE ALL 'SOOTHES-THROAT' 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

,
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

,
Vasodilator

VASODILATOR

A vasodilator is an herb that widens the blood vessels by the relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, thereby increasing circulation systemically or to a local area.

SEE ALL 'VASODILATOR' 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

Cholagogue

CHOLAGOGUE

Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines.

SEE ALL 'CHOLAGOGUE' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:
Phytates

PHYTATES

Phytates prevent absorption of nutrients. They are commonly found in all seeds, including nuts, grains, and beans. Sprouting greatly reduces phytate content, as well as long, slow cooking with vinegar.

SEE ALL 'PHYTATES' FOODS / HERBS

,
Aromatase Inhibitor

AROMATASE-INHIBITOR

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

SEE ALL 'AROMATASE-INHIBITOR' FOODS / HERBS

, Phosphorous,
Inositol

INOSITOL

Inositol is an alcohol sugar made naturally in the human body from glucose. It is lipotropic (aiding fat metabilism in the liver). It affects a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, steroid, growth factors and water.

SEE ALL 'INOSITOL' FOODS / HERBS

, Carbohydrate, Fats, 5a Reductase Inhibitor, Tannins, Alpha Linolenic Acid, Protein,
Rutin

RUTIN

Rutin is a flavonoid with anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Commonly used to treat conditions such as varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and high blood pressure.

SEE ALL 'RUTIN' FOODS / HERBS

, Silica Salts, Sodium, Essential Fatty Acids, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Melatonin

Foods with a Similar Nature to Brown Rice with Nettles, Lemon & Walnut

  • Stinging Nettles

    Stinging Nettles has these Actions in Common

    Appetite-suppressant, Diuretic, Strengthens-resolve, Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Tonic, Builds-stamina, Satisfies-stomach

    LEARN MORE

  • Pork

    Pork has these Actions in Common

    Satisfies-stomach, Builds-stamina, Strengthens-resolve, Nutritive, Tonic, Blood-tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Lamb

    Lamb has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, Satisfies-stomach, Builds-stamina, Strengthens-resolve, Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Horseradish

    Horseradish has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Cholagogue, Flushes-sinuses, Diaphoretic, Vasodilator

    LEARN MORE

  • Wasabi

    Wasabi has these Actions in Common

    Cholagogue, Flushes-sinuses, Diaphoretic, Vasodilator, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic

    LEARN MORE

  • Garlic (raw)

    Garlic (raw) has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Cholagogue, Flushes-sinuses, Diaphoretic, Vasodilator

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard Seed

    Mustard Seed has these Actions in Common

    Diaphoretic, Strengthens-resolve, Diuretic, Vasodilator, Cardiac-stimulant, Flushes-sinuses

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard

    Mustard has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Flushes-sinuses, Diaphoretic, Strengthens-resolve, Diuretic, Vasodilator

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard Powder

    Mustard Powder has these Actions in Common

    Strengthens-resolve, Diuretic, Vasodilator, Cardiac-stimulant, Flushes-sinuses, Diaphoretic

    LEARN MORE

  • Quinoa

    Quinoa has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Blood-tonic, Satisfies-stomach, Builds-stamina, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Barley

    Barley has these Actions in Common

    Cholagogue, Satisfies-stomach, Diuretic, Appetite-suppressant, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to Brown Rice with Nettles, Lemon & Walnut

  • Punarnava

    Punarnava has these Actions in Common

    Builds-stamina, Cardiac-stimulant, Cholagogue, Diuretic, Tonic, Vasodilator, Blood-tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Ashwagandha

    Ashwagandha has these Actions in Common

    Strengthens-resolve, Tonic, Blood-tonic, Builds-stamina, Diuretic, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Pennyroyal

    Pennyroyal has these Actions in Common

    Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Vasodilator, Cardiac-stimulant, Cholagogue

    LEARN MORE

  • Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi)

    Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi) has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Vasodilator, Blood-tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Mustard Poultice

    Mustard Poultice has these Actions in Common

    Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Vasodilator, Cardiac-stimulant

    LEARN MORE

  • Hot Foot Soak

    Hot Foot Soak has these Actions in Common

    Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Vasodilator, Cardiac-stimulant

    LEARN MORE

  • Regular exercise

    Regular exercise has these Actions in Common

    Builds-stamina, Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Strengthens-resolve

    LEARN MORE

  • Anantamul

    Anantamul has these Actions in Common

    Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Tonic, Blood-tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Hot Shower

    Hot Shower has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Vasodilator

    LEARN MORE

  • Inhale Steam

    Inhale Steam has these Actions in Common

    Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Soothes-throat, Vasodilator

    LEARN MORE

  • Hot Bath

    Hot Bath has these Actions in Common

    Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Vasodilator

    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. John, his wife Natalie and their 7 kids live in Asheville, NC

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Comments & Impressions of 'Brown Rice With Nettles, Lemon & Walnut'

Do you like 'brown rice with nettles, lemon & walnut'? Why or why not? What makes it unique? Is there something else you'd like to know about 'brown rice with nettles, lemon & walnut'?

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 291 likes
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Sherry Agee Lynnwood, WA
2015-10-22
“I would live to make this, but around here we harvest nettles in the spring. Where do you get fresh nettles in the fall? Can we use dried nettles that we harvested in the spring?"
Tamara Macginty Cloughjordan, WA
2015-10-30
“Why is water not included in the recipe?"
Susan Buck Oxford, NJ
2016-02-27
“The description for this dish is very accurate even though I made a couple of modifications. I made it in the winter so I had to use dried nettles that came from my garden last spring and I added them to the rice while it was cooking and garnished it with the lemon and walnuts. Wonderful! I ate in the morning after a working too hard the day before and the depletion and headache that I felt were completely gone within minutes."
Kimberly Kubicke Asbury park, NJ
2016-02-29
“Add 2.5 cups of water."
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