How to Make Rose, Pistachio, Saffron, Cardamom Ice Cream

SERVINGS: 4

PREP TIME: 0 MINUTES

MEAL: SNACK-DESSERT

STYLE: INDIAN

PREPARATION: STEAMED, PUREE

EAT IN: SUMMER

FOR OCCASION: BACKYARD-PICNIC-BBQ, ROMANTIC, KID-FRIENDLY

How Can Rose, Pistachio, Saffron, Cardamom Ice Cream Make You Feel Great?

AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS

Surprise! Homemade ice cream can be Ayurvedic! No need to deprive yourself of one of summer's most special treats. Knowing a few simple tricks about foods and spices is the key to making an ice cream that not only tastes good, but makes you feel good.

Rose Pistachio Saffron Cardamom Ice Cream is sweet and aromatic. Rose, saffron, and cardamom provide elegant, decadent aromas which in turn help you digest heavy, cold ice cream. The crunchy texture of pistachios compliments the sweet and smooth consistency of this creamy dessert. Hearty, rich pistachios also offer a savory balance to sweet ice cream.

Moroccan Inspiration

This ice cream is a heavenly finish to a Moroccan or any Mediterranean menu. If you don't like rosewater, you can leave it out and it will still be absolutely delicious.

Be Creative!

When making ice cream, try many different combinations. That's how chefs stumble upon delicious flavors like Lavender, Sea Salt and Caramel, Earl Grey, Jasmine Green Tea, and Pumpkin Pie Spice. In your own kitchen, experiment with essential oils like sandalwood or khus, lemon balm or orange blossom, the sky is the limit!

Ayurvedic Ice Cream

Making ice cream the Ayurvedic way should:

1) Include spices that break up mucous and aid digestion
2) Avoid eggs (a bad food combination when mixed with dairy) and
3) Avoid refined sugars.

But be warned! No matter how you prepare it, ice cream may provoke congestion, sluggish digestion and heavy thick blood in Kapha individuals, so indulge in moderation. Kapha types might try our cherry sorbet instead.

The Science of Ice Cream

Ice cream provokes a flood of gooey mucus in the stomach. Cardamom breaks up these mucus forming qualities of ice cream. Once the rich, tasty gooeyness of ice cream is absorbed into the blood, the blood becomes congested and thick. Saffron moves this heavy blood and helps maintain good circulation.

Ever wonder why you crave a glass of water after eating ice cream? Digesting the fats in heavy cream absorbs water through a process called hydrolysis. Your body then needs more water to replace the water lost to digesting fats.

Rose and saffron are sattvic. Together with high quality dairy products, this ice cream is a strength and ojas building tonic to rebuild tissues and fat in underweight Vata individuals.

Preparation

Ice becomes creamy and smooth when crystals are kept small. Large crystals are grainy instead of smooth. To achieve this effect, the ice crystals are made into an emulsion of water, sugar, fats and proteins. The mixture helps lower the freezing point of water, helping the ice cream stay creamy.

Here are some guidelines to good homemade ice cream:

1) Use liquid sugars (called inverted sugars) over crystallized ones where possible. Examples are maple syrup, agave syrup and honey.

2) Skim milk powder and pectin are a better food combination than egg whites. Egg whites, however, will result in a creamier product.

3) Egg yolks provide fats. In this recipe we'll use dairy alone to provide fats for vegetarians. However, it is easier to whip air into large fat molecules like egg yolks - making lighter, more desirable cream.

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.

LEARN MORE

Is Rose, Pistachio, Saffron, Cardamom Ice Cream Good for Me?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether Rose, Pistachio, Saffron, Cardamom Ice Cream is a good fit for you. Time to complete: approximately 1 minute.

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. Learn More	COLD ABOUT COLD GUNA Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow. LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD GOOEY ABOUT GOOEY GUNA Gooey is identified by anything gelatinous (such as oatmeal), or by mucus congestion. LEARN MORE ABOUT GOOEY HEAVY ABOUT HEAVY GUNA Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight. LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY OILY ABOUT OILY GUNA Oily refers to anything fatty, or that increases fat. LEARN MORE ABOUT OILY DIFFICULT ABOUT DIFFICULT GUNA Difficult refers to anything that is difficult to digest, or takes a long time to digest. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFICULT
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? Learn More	SWEET ABOUT SWEET GUNA Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET
DOSHAS The 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. Learn More	PACIFIES AGGRAVATES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	EFFECT Sattvic SATTVIC Sattvic 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. LEARN MORE ABOUT SATTVIC , Ojas OJAS Ojas is the essence of healthy tissue, immunity, stable energy and happiness. Substances that improve ojas are recommended after long-term illness, debility, emotional and physical trauma, and even sadness. LEARN MORE ABOUT OJAS , Prana PRANA Prana 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. LEARN MORE ABOUT PRANA , Acidifying ACIDIFYING An herb that creates an acidic pH in the blood chemistry. LEARN MORE ABOUT ACIDIFYING TYPE Dairy CONTAINS Allergens, Lactose LACTOSE Lactose is a sugar found in milk derived from galactose and glucose. It is difficult for many people to digest. LEARN MORE ABOUT LACTOSE , Non Vegan NON-VEGAN A recipe or diet that includes meat and/or dairy products. LEARN MORE ABOUT NON-VEGAN , Tree Nuts ELEMENT Water WATER Resembles water (ap) in quality - fluid, sticky, soft, heavy, stable, cool. LEARN MORE ABOUT WATER 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. LEARN MORE ABOUT AROMATIC NUTRIENT Calcium, Protein NOURISHES Fat FAT Fat tissue (Meda Dhatu) includes adipose tissue and sebum (skin oil). LEARN MORE ABOUT FAT

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	Quenches thirst QUENCHES-THIRST An herb or substance that relieves thirst. LEARN MORE ABOUT QUENCHES-THIRST
Energy Vitality Strength	Nutritive NUTRITIVE An herb that is strengthening and nourishing. LEARN MORE ABOUT NUTRITIVE
Heart & Circulation	Refrigerant REFRIGERANT An herb or substance that strongly cools the body. Can be helpful in cases of heat conditions. LEARN MORE ABOUT REFRIGERANT
Mind, Stress & Sleep	Nervine NERVINE Herbs that specifically go to the nervous system and brain. They can help with stress, memory, early alzheimer?s, even chronic pain. LEARN MORE ABOUT NERVINE