‘Ayurveda does not preach some staid chastity or morality of abstinence that prevents you from, enjoying this world and it’s pleasures while you are journeying through it. Ayurveda actually validates it by recognizing it as a rooted instinct that needs expression – a healthy one’
For the last month, I have been interning as a Chef at New York’s premier Ayurvedic restaurant. The restaurant serves flavourful Globally inspired food, using ingredients to enhance its taste and healing aspects. As a member of the team, I also received a copy of the Chef/Owner, Divya Alter’s book, ‘what to eat for how you feel’, which has some amazing recipes in it, including this one, which I have adapted slightly.
This cake is gluten free, dairy free and tastes like deep dark chocolate without there being a drop of cocoa. It is made of buckwheat flour, a highly nutritious pseudo grain that many consider to be a superfood. It is a good source of fibre, protein and energy. It also has a good amount of calcium, magnesium, iron and vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, folate, vitamin K and B-6. It is a complex carbohydrate, has a low GI and keeps you fuller for longer.
From an Ayurvedic perspective buckwheat is astringent, pungent, sweet, heating and slightly heavy. It is used in the treatment of diabetes, excess weight, heart disease, dull Agni and Kapha mucous conditions. In macrobiotic terms it, ‘activates yang reserves’ supporting your bodies sustainable energy from deep within.
Mr. B loved it and ate it for breakfast, thinking it was a chocolate cake 🙂
Ingredients
Serving: 6-8 pieces
- 1 cup/130g buckwheat flour
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp. arrowroot flour
- ½ tsp. cinnamon powder
- ½ tsp. cardamom powder
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup chopped dates
- ½ cup applesauce
- ½ cup almond milk
- Handful of slivered almonds (for decoration)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a 9-inch cake tin with coconut oil
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients from the buckwheat flour to the baking soda
- In a food processor, combine the coconut oil, dates and applesauce and process to a puree, then add the almond milk and pulse to mix
- Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir to combine
- Spread the batter into the cake tin, smoothing out the top with the back of a spoon
- Sprinkle on the slivered almonds
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle
- Let the cake cool down, before taking it out of the pan
