College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

 

AYURVEDIC RECIPES

Cold Sesame Cucumber & Tofu Noodle Bowl

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How to Make Cold Sesame Cucumber & Tofu Noodle Bowl

SERVINGS: 4
PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES

STYLE: ASIAN
PREPARATION: SAUTEE
EAT IN: SUMMER

INGREDIENTS

1/4 c
1/4 c
2 tbsp
4 c
2 tbsp
1 inch
1 tbsp
1 c
1 clove

PREPARATION OF THIS HEALTHY RECIPE

  • For best results, use toasted sesame oil

1. Peel cucumbers and turn into noodles with a spiralizer (or julienne peeler).

2. Dry toast sesame seeds in a non stick pan for 2-3 minutes or until gently brown, then set aside to cool.

3. In a blender, combine tahini, soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic clove and 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil to make a smooth sauce.

4. Cut tofu into cubes and pan fry with remaining 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil until golden brown.

5. Combine noodles, sauce and tofu.

6. Serve immediately with sesame seeds and chopped scallions as garnish.

How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

When the weekend takeout cravings hit, whip up 'Cold Sesame Cucumber & Tofu Noodle Bowl' for a satisfying but wholesome 'fakeout' experience. Soon, you'll be immersed in the aromas, signature tastes and vibrant colours of Asian street food from the peace of your own kitchen.

The raw, cooling crunch of the juicy cucumber noodles will keep you hydrated and feeling fresh. While raw food is difficult to digest, it is balanced by the oily nature and heating qualities of sesame seeds, tahini, soy, ginger and garlic in this recipe. This gluten free and vegan dish is best enjoyed late summer when the temperatures are still warm but starting to cool down.

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 Cold Sesame Cucumber & Tofu Noodle Bowl Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Cold Sesame Cucumber & Tofu Noodle Bowl' 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.
See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.
INCREASES
Guna Help

Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas)

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

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CLEAR

ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC

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

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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
Taste Help

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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BITTER

ABOUT BITTER BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Bitter taste has cholagogue action - it is cold, clear, light, and stimulating. It increases digestive enzymes, laxative, and drying.

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PUNGENT

ABOUT PUNGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Pungency is characterized by irritation, or sharp, spicy foods that irritate the mouth such as black pepper.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PUNGENT

DOSHAS
Dosha Help

The Three Doshas / Body Types

According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history.

The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded.

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PACIFIES
Kapha pacifying Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Pitta aggravating
HAS THE FOLLOWING
Subtaste:
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.

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,
Crunchy

CRUNCHY

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

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,
Acrid

ACRID

Acrid taste is a combination of bitter and pungent tastes. Example include radish, turnip, and coffee.

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,
Bland

BLAND

Bland means doesn't have much taste. In Chinese medicine, bland taste refers to afood without little macronutrients, such as cabbage, radish or bok choy.

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Tissue (dhatu):
Muscle

MUSCLE

Muscle tissue (Mamsa Dhatu) includes muscles and ligaments.

SEE ALL 'MUSCLE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Blood Plasma Lymph

BLOOD-PLASMA-LYMPH

Plasma (Rasa Dhatu) includes plasma, white blood cells, and lymph.

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HERBAL ACTIONS
(see all)

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Cold Sesame Cucumber & Tofu Noodle Bowl
Help
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.

Quenches Thirst

QUENCHES-THIRST

An herb or substance that relieves thirst.

SEE ALL 'QUENCHES-THIRST' FOODS / HERBS

,
Warms Abdomen

WARMS-ABDOMEN

Warms the muscles and organs of the abdomen, stimulating digestion and metabolism.

SEE ALL 'WARMS-ABDOMEN' FOODS / HERBS

,
Appetite Suppressant

APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT

Suppresses hunger without causing weight gain.

SEE ALL 'APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT' FOODS / HERBS

Internal Detoxicant

INTERNAL-DETOXICANT

Liquefies, dissolves, decongests or dislodges internal stagnant toxins. Decongests the lymphatic system.

SEE ALL 'INTERNAL-DETOXICANT' 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.

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,
Makes You Tired

MAKES-YOU-TIRED

Induces drowsiness and promotes sound sleep.

SEE ALL 'MAKES-YOU-TIRED' 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

,
Satisfies Stomach

SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

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,
Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

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Diaphoretic

DIAPHORETIC

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

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,
Soothing

SOOTHING

Calms and alleviates irritation, discomfort or pain in a particular region.

SEE ALL 'SOOTHING' FOODS / HERBS

Warms Chest

WARMS-CHEST

Warms the chest and lungs, clearing mucus and allowing for clear breathing. Often these herbs are hot, aromatic, and pungent.

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,
Soothes Throat

SOOTHES-THROAT

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

SEE ALL 'SOOTHES-THROAT' FOODS / HERBS

,
Clears Sinuses

CLEARS-SINUSES

Cleanses sinuses by draining excess mucus, allowing for clear, easy breathing.

SEE ALL 'CLEARS-SINUSES' FOODS / HERBS

Anti Inflammatory

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Reduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems.

SEE ALL 'ANTI-INFLAMMATORY' 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

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

,
Dries Mouth

DRIES-MOUTH

Makes the mouth feel dry, or pasty.

SEE ALL 'DRIES-MOUTH' FOODS / HERBS

,
Irritates Kidney

IRRITATES-KIDNEY

Tight, sharp pain just below ribs in the back.

SEE ALL 'IRRITATES-KIDNEY' FOODS / HERBS

Lowers Blood Sugar

LOWERS-BLOOD-SUGAR

An herb that lowers blood sugar.

SEE ALL 'LOWERS-BLOOD-SUGAR' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:
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

, Vitamin K, Sulphur,
Saponins

SAPONINS

Can be used to make soap. Saponins stimulate mucus membrane secretion, liquefying mucus for easy removal (expectorant).

SEE ALL 'SAPONINS' FOODS / HERBS

, Protein,
Calcium

CALCIUM

Calcium nourishes bones and muscles. A muscle cell is activated when calcium enters the cell. It relaxes when the calcium is secreted.

SEE ALL 'CALCIUM' FOODS / HERBS

, Fats, Alpha Linolenic Acid, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Essential Fatty Acids,
Magnesium

MAGNESIUM

Helps muscles relax. Laxative.

SEE ALL 'MAGNESIUM' FOODS / HERBS

,
Isoflavone

ISOFLAVONE

A type of naturally occurring isoflavonoid. Many have a phytoestrogen effect. Frequently found in the pea family (Fabaceae).

SEE ALL 'ISOFLAVONE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Iron

IRON

Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells.

SEE ALL 'IRON' FOODS / HERBS

,
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.

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Foods with a Similar Nature to Cold Sesame Cucumber & Tofu Noodle Bowl

Tofu

Tofu has these Actions in Common

Anti-inflammatory, Dries-mouth, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Soothing, Appetite-suppressant, Irritates-kidney, Nutritive, Diuretic, Makes-you-tired, Satisfies-stomach

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Jackfruit

Jackfruit has these Actions in Common

Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Refreshing, Wakes-you-up, Anti-inflammatory, Nutritive, Satisfies-stomach, Dries-mouth, Quenches-thirst, Soothing

LEARN MORE

Daikon Radish

Daikon Radish has these Actions in Common

Anti-inflammatory, Diaphoretic, Stimulates-energy, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Warms-abdomen, Clears-sinuses, Refreshing, Warms-chest

LEARN MORE

Mustard

Mustard has these Actions in Common

Stimulates-energy, Warms-chest, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Wakes-you-up, Clears-sinuses, Internal-detoxicant, Warms-abdomen, Diaphoretic

LEARN MORE

Mustard Powder

Mustard Powder has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Wakes-you-up, Clears-sinuses, Internal-detoxicant, Warms-abdomen, Diaphoretic, Stimulates-energy, Warms-chest

LEARN MORE

Mustard Seed

Mustard Seed has these Actions in Common

Wakes-you-up, Clears-sinuses, Internal-detoxicant, Warms-abdomen, Diaphoretic, Stimulates-energy, Warms-chest, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Wasabi

Wasabi has these Actions in Common

Diaphoretic, Wakes-you-up, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Warms-abdomen, Clears-sinuses, Refreshing, Warms-chest

LEARN MORE

Horseradish

Horseradish has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Warms-abdomen, Clears-sinuses, Refreshing, Warms-chest, Diaphoretic, Wakes-you-up

LEARN MORE

Beets

Beets has these Actions in Common

Internal-detoxicant, Nutritive, Warms-abdomen, Irritates-kidney, Satisfies-stomach, Anti-inflammatory, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Stimulates-energy

LEARN MORE

Allspice

Allspice has these Actions in Common

Stimulates-energy, Cardiac-stimulant, Internal-detoxicant, Warms-chest, Clears-sinuses, Lowers-blood-sugar, Anti-inflammatory, Dries-mouth

LEARN MORE

Cinnamon

Cinnamon has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Soothes-throat, Cardiac-stimulant, Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy, Diaphoretic, Lowers-blood-sugar, Warms-chest

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Herb Supplements with a Similar Nature to Cold Sesame Cucumber & Tofu Noodle Bowl

Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi)

Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi) has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Dries-mouth, Internal-detoxicant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Anti-inflammatory, Refreshing, Cardiac-stimulant, Stimulates-energy, Clears-sinuses, Warms-chest, Diaphoretic

LEARN MORE

Shilajit Tonic

Shilajit Tonic has these Actions in Common

Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up, Builds-stamina, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Internal-detoxicant, Lowers-blood-sugar, Refreshing

LEARN MORE

Punarnava

Punarnava has these Actions in Common

Anti-inflammatory, Builds-stamina, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Internal-detoxicant, Lowers-blood-sugar, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Stimulates-energy

LEARN MORE

Amalaki

Amalaki has these Actions in Common

Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up, Anti-inflammatory, Internal-detoxicant, Lowers-blood-sugar, Nutritive, Quenches-thirst, Refreshing

LEARN MORE

Deodar (Himalayan Cedar, Devadaru)

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

Warms-chest, Anti-inflammatory, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Refreshing, Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up

LEARN MORE

Breathing Exercises

Breathing Exercises has these Actions in Common

Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up, Builds-stamina, Cardiac-stimulant, Internal-detoxicant, Lowers-blood-sugar, Refreshing

LEARN MORE

Breath of Fire / Shining Skull (Kapalbhati Pranayama)

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

Builds-stamina, Cardiac-stimulant, Internal-detoxicant, Lowers-blood-sugar, Refreshing, Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up

LEARN MORE

Bellows Breath (Bhastrika Pranayama)

Bellows Breath (Bhastrika Pranayama) has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Internal-detoxicant, Lowers-blood-sugar, Refreshing, Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up, Builds-stamina

LEARN MORE

Eleuthero Ginseng

Eleuthero Ginseng has these Actions in Common

Lowers-blood-sugar, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Stimulates-energy, Wakes-you-up, Anti-inflammatory, Builds-stamina, Internal-detoxicant

LEARN MORE

Regular exercise

Regular exercise has these Actions in Common

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

LEARN MORE

Hyssop Powder

Hyssop Powder has these Actions in Common

Stimulates-energy, Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Internal-detoxicant, Refreshing

LEARN MORE


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About John Joseph Immel

About the Author

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

John's interest in Ayurveda and specialization in digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, as well as public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.

John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well. Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and 7 kids, and pursuing his love of theology, philosophy, and language.

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