Kale Roasted Sweet Potato Pomegranate Salad
This is a fantastic Fall-Winter dish that can be suitable for all 3 Ayurveda Doshas. It is ideal for people who are easily heated and overworked (Pitta heaven…) because of the bitter kale, sweetness of the sweet potato and astringent taste of pomegranate. Avocado is also a cooling fat, good in moderation for Pittas. Avoid the cayenne pepper. This is also a good salad for the Kapha people, especially if adding cayenne pepper, eating more kale than sweet potatoes, skipping the avocado (sesame seeds and almonds will be your healthy fat) and possibly skipping the salty soy sauce. It is also a good salad for Vata people because the kale is water sauteed beforehand to make it more digestible (you can also choose less bitter greens that you like), and you avoid the cayenne pepper but add cinnamon to support digestion. I also like the combination of a leafy green, which grows towards the sun, with a root vegetable which grows underground. Energetically this dish is both energizing and grounding. Bon Appetit!
- 2 medium organic sweet potatoes
- 1 organic dinosaur kale (Russian kale)
- 1 pomegranate (seeded)
- 2 TBSP sesame seeds or slivered almonds
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 TBSP tamari (gluten-free soy sauce or Shoyu (naturally brewed soy-sauce))
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- Peel and bake the sweet potatoes for 60 min at 350 degrees F.
- When the sweet potatoes are ready, chop them in small 1 inch cubes and reserve in a serving dish.
- De-stem the kale, wash it and grossly break up the leaves with your hands.
- Pour a little water at the bottom of a wok, bring it to a boil and using tongues, bathe the kale leaves until they turn plump and bright green (about 2 minutes).
- Remove the kale leaves from the water (pour the water in a glass and sip the nutrient filled water like a tea) and add to the kale to the potatoes in the serving dish.
- Whisk the soy sauce, cayenne pepper (for kaphas) and the lemon juice together and pour over the kale.
- Sprinkle the sesame seeds or the slivered almonds, the avocado cubes and the pomegranate seeds on top and serve lukewarm or cold.
- You can bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time to speed preparation process during a busy night.
