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- Susan Buck, 
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How to Make Kale with Coconut & Fennel
SERVINGS: 3
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 40 MINUTES
MEAL: LUNCH-DINNER
PREPARATION: BOILED
EAT IN: SPRING
FOR OCCASION: ON-THE-MEND , CLEANSE
INGREDIENTS
| 2 pinch | |
| 1 tbsp | |
| 1 tsp | |
| 1 lbs | |
| 1 tsp | |
| 1 pinch | |
| 2 tsp |
PREPARATION
Add a small amount of water to the bottom of the saucepan. Strip kale of the central vein, chop into small pieces, and add to the water. Bring to a boil, add remaining ingredients and cover. Lower heat and simmer until Kale softens and turns a bright green.
Garnish with a wedge of lime.
How Can Kale with Coconut & Fennel Make You Feel Great?
AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS
How to Cleanse with Kale
In the spring, kale and other greens are a perfect choice to restore lightness and vitality. Greens are also an essential component to your yearly spring cleanse. If you haven't started your spring cleanse yet, or don't know how to cleanse, Kale with Coconut & Fennel is a great start.Kale with Coconut and Fennel gently cleanses while it rejuvenates. The cleansing action of this recipe is mainly due to kale's bitterness, and secondarily to fennel, known for its ability to burn "ama" or toxins in Ayurveda. Here kale is cooked until soft and tender, so its bitterness is mild. Meanwhile coconut and fennel add sweetness and flavor, a popular flavor combination that will be appreciated by the whole family.
Sometimes, a few meals featuring greens as the main ingredient are all you need for a mild cleanse. Try Kale with Coconut & Fennel, served alongside fish. Or, if you are vegetarian, mung dal or black bean soup. Finally, serve a bit of brown rice for a complete and nourishing meal that promises to leave you feeling light and refreshed.
Whether you are recovering after a fun weekend of festivities, or simply taking a rest, Kale with Coconut & Fennel is a supportive choice. If only everything in life was so simple as a bowl of greens!
Cool Your Temper
Kale and coconut are both cooling ingredients that can calm any irritation, whether mental or physical. The bitterness of Kale draws angry bile out of the gall bladder and liver, making you feel cool as a cucumber. Your mind will simply feel relaxed and your eyes refreshed. Coconut is one of the best refreshments, a perfect way to cool you down as the heat of summer approaches. The cooling properties can even give you some relief from mild inflammation.Bitter is Better
The leaves of all plants have a bitter component. Kale, endives, arugula and lettuce are some of the most simple, ubiquitously available greens in the grocery store. Bitters enhance and cleanse the digestive tract by stimulating GI movement (peristalsis) and the release of bile from the liver and gall bladder. Bitters were common in the diets of our ancestors and should be re-introduced as a main ingredient in the modern diet for health and longevity.Bitter taste lightens Kapha body type's natural heaviness while cooling fiery Pitta. Kale is an excellent bitter but when undercooked it is hard and chewy, and hard to chew usually means hard to digest. Therefore, Kale should be cooked until it is soft and more digestible. Fennel and salt are both digestive aids for anyone who has trouble digesting kale. The sugar, coconut flakes and oil in this recipe add a heavy quality balancing the light quality of kale.
This recipe is one of our favorite staples on Joyful Belly. For more information, read more about bitter taste and greens.
Raw or Cooked?
Raw food offers nutritional benefits but is more difficult to digest, causing gas and bloating. The nutritional benefits are then outweighed by the toxicity of food fermenting in the gut. Indigestible food is considered poison in Ayurveda. As Dr. Robert Svoboda says, 'Even the nectar of immortality is a poison if the body can't digest it." The measure of good food is not just its contents, but its interaction with our body.Cooked food is easy to digest but destroys some vitamins and enzymes. Neither is superior. The real answer to the cooked or raw debate depends on the digestive strength of the individual. Pitta people have the strongest digestive strength and can tolerate more raw foods than other doshas. Taken from The Raw Versus Cooked Debate.
WHY SHOULD YOU EAT AYURVEDICALLY?
Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. An Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body type and the specific imbalances you are working with at any given time. Foods that supplement your specific body type’s needs and digest easily create your menu. Watch as you eat less but feel more satisfied because what you are eating truly nourishes you. Since Ayurveda believes all disease begins in the digestive tract, food is your first medicine. By eating a healthy diet that’s ideal for your body, you experience optimal health.Is Kale with Coconut & Fennel Good for Me?
MEDICINAL QUALITIES
INCREASES Increases These Qualities (Gunas)
Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main states
(gunas).
Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance.
By knowing which states are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick.
Every state has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold).
You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite state.
| COLD
Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow.
| ||||
TASTESThe 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?
| BITTER
Bitter is disagreeable and stimulating rejection, and a strong taste often associated with black coffee, dark chocolate, and most salad greens.
| ||||
DOSHASThe Three Doshas / Body Types
People tend to get sick, over and over again, due to similar causes and habitual 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. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. Catabolic people tend to be easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic people tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic people are heavy, stable and grounded, but if they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. |
| ||||
HAS THE FOLLOWING | EFFECT Sattvic , SATTVICSattvic foods promote awareness and a refreshed mind by nourishing the body without taxing digestion. Sattvic foods do not stimulate desire or nervous energy. They create clarity instead of drowsiness or heaviness.Prana , PRANAPrana is the Sanskrit word for vital life energy, similar to Qi in Chinese Medicine. Many herbs stimulate your energy, or improve the flow of prana through your body. Generally, prana needs to be increased in spring after a sleepy winter.Alkalizing ALKALIZINGAn herb or food that makes the urine more alkaline (higher pH). This herbal action can be helpful for a number of inflammatory conditions.TYPE Greens |
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary.
The list of actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.
| Digestion | Digestive , DIGESTIVEHerbs that encourage healthy digestive.Stomachic , STOMACHICAn herb that increases appetite or settles a nauseas or nervous stomach. These generally increase the digestive fire, therefore relieving symptoms of sluggish or difficult digestion.Carminative CARMINATIVEStimulates the release of gas. Helpful for bloating or cramping abdominal pain. Propels food downward. |
| Cleanse and Detox | Detoxicant , DETOXICANTAn herb that eliminates or metabolizes toxins from the body.Burns Toxins BURNS-TOXINSAn herb that detoxifies by helping your body metabolize toxins, as opposed to eliminating them. |
| Energy Vitality Strength | Stimulates energy STIMULATES-ENERGYThis category groups thyroid and adrenal stimulating herbs |
| Heart & Circulation | Cardiac stimulant , CARDIAC-STIMULANTHerbs that increase the heart rate. Useful in cardiovascular health, blood stagnation, and subjective feeling of heaviness in the chest area.Blood Thinner , BLOOD-THINNERHerbs that thin the blood. Helpful for people with heart disease or clogged circulation.Alterative , ALTERATIVELiterally, an herb that restores the proper function of the body. In practice, alteratives are usually blood cleansers and blood chemistry balancers. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter.Blood Tonic , BLOOD-TONICAn herb that produces more blood cells in the body or otherwise strengthens blood. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.Vasodilator VASODILATORA 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. |
| Immune System | Anti Inflammatory ANTI-INFLAMMATORYReduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems. |
| Kidney & Urinary | Diuretic DIURETICHerbs 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. |
| Liver & Gall Bladder | Cholagogue CHOLAGOGUECholagogues stimulate the release of bile from the gall bladder for improved digestion. |
| Lung and Sinus | Expectorant EXPECTORANTHerbs that help you cough up and eliminate mucus. These herbs often work by increasing the quantity of mucus, or thinning the mucus. |
| Mind, Stress & Sleep | Brain Tonic BRAIN-TONICAn herb that strengthens the brain, thereby improves either mental function, stamina, or stability. |
| Reproductive Health | Galactagogue GALACTAGOGUEIncreases production of breast milk. |
| Weight Loss | Hypolipidemic , HYPOLIPIDEMICScrapes fats / cleanses blood vesselsLowers Thyroid LOWERS-THYROIDReduces thyroid function. Useful for people with hyperthyroid. |
| Other | Hypoglycemic |
Are you struggling with your health?
Learn how to feel your best by balancing your diet in just a week.How to Use Food Ayurvedically
HOW DOES EATING AYURVEDICALLY MAKE YOU FEEL?Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.
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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 exudes a certain ease, which many find enjoyable and insightful. His online course Balance Your Ayurvedic Diet in a Week provides tools for gracefully healing with Ayurveda to thousands. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda , which specializes in digestive tract pathology & Ayurvedic nutrition. John and his wife Natalie recently published Explore Your Hunger: A Guide to Hunger, Appetite & Food.John's interest in Ayurveda and digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, including his 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.
Comments & Impressions of 'Kale With Coconut & Fennel'
Do you like 'kale with coconut & fennel'? Why or why not? What makes it unique? Is there something you'd like to know about 'kale with coconut & fennel'?(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 review, 74 likes
Also works well with swiss chard. I used agave in lieu of sugar.
This sounds wonderful. I love to make Kale sauteed with garlic, olive oil and hot pepper flakes. I then add parm cheese with small white beans. Serve warm w/ a few croutons sprinkled on top for crunch! Really awesome!
Thank you for the raw vs. cooked debate answers. This is what I tell people but they don't believe me until they get sick. It is so important to have good digestion.
- Laurie Millar, Grass valley , CA , 06-13-10 (Reply)
All the tastes are here once you add a squeeze of lime, which protects the color, enhances mineral access from the greens. If you use chard instead, this recipe reduces astringency. Added sweetness, whether you add coconut or not, helps cool the heat of some dark leafy greens like spinach and chard. Magic taste transforming chemistry, all these things! I love fennel, sometimes toasty crisp othertimes sweetly plump. Or I choose toasted cumin seed even more often it seems. For those avoiding garlic, use a pinch of hing. 1-3 tsp of finely grated ginger is another choice instead of pepper, which in this version is mild enough to suit summer doshas. Melissa, also your recipe does sound awesome! Greg's chard of course is a much quicker dish than cooking with kale (or sub collards for kale).
- Ysha Oakes, Albuquerque , NM , 06-15-10 (Reply)
Wow great recipe and great suggestions Ysha. Thank you.
I follow a raw diet and made some adjustments that make this easier to digest raw. The secret to eating raw kale is to rub the leaves very thoroughly with fresh lemon juice. Put the chopped kale in a bowl, pour in about 1/4 cup of lemon juice and really rub it in. Just like ceviche, the lemon juice "cooks" the kale to break down the tough plant cell walls. Let it sit for a bit and then you can pour off any excess lemon juice if you like before adding the oil. I also swapped raw coconut oil for the sunflower oil. Coconut oil is a superfood that will kill harmful yeast in the gut. It also add a touch of interesting sweetness to balance out the bitter. You can also add dried cranberries (sulfite-free) or raisins ditto) for the remainder of the sweetness and that way leave out the sugar. I did lightly toast the fennel seeds to bring out their flavor. Not technically raw, but no harm done there. So if you don't need to avoid sour, this is a great way to eat it raw and get the benefit of living food.
This recipe has it all and really made me feel well nourished. The fennel, coconut and oil add a lot of depth and satisfaction. I also made it with some chick peas as a complete meal which was also delicious.
This recipe has it all and really made me feel well nourished. The fennel, coconut and oil add a lot of depth and satisfaction. I also made it with some chick peas as a complete meal which was also delicious.
This was so good and so satisfying! I didn't feel tired after eating this. And with the natural sweetness of the coconut flakes I think I might eliminate the sugar next time, too.
- Mitt, Trotwood , 02-19-18 (Reply)
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