Ayurvedic Vanilla Pumpkin Pie

Aromatic, grounding, delightful.

What makes a meal Ayurvedic? The ingredients and the method, to be sure. But it’s also a joyful, peaceful approach to consumption.  When we eat with true appreciation, savouring each bite, we will fully digest both the food and the experience itself. We will leave the table with a feeling of fulfillment, rather than guilt or discomfort.

Appreciation goes hand-in-hand with awareness, and each meal is an opportunity to cultivate these qualities. With each bite, bring a gentle focus to the process of chewing and enjoy picking out the unique spices. Now and then, put the fork down and take a few breaths.  And remember: watch for the first burp - it’s the indicator that the stomach has reached its capacity.  

With that, here is our take on a Thanksgiving classic. Create. Share. Savour.

Ayurvedic vanilla pumpkin pie. A sattvic dish to calm vata.

Serves 4-6
Preparation time: 60 minutes
Augmenting

Step 1 - prepare crust

You’ll need

1 cup wheat or barley flour

3/4 cup rice flour

3/4 tsp mineral salt

1/2 cup pecans or chopped almonds (blanch and remove skins prior to chopping)

2 tbsp ghee

4-6 tbsp Water

Here’s how

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly with your clean hands. Add ghee and mix until absorbed then add enough warm water to have a moist dough. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Lightly oil 9-inch pie dish with ghee, then press the chilled dough into the dish using your hands. Bake at 375 for 5-10 minutes or just until crust starts to form. Remove from the oven and let sit until the filling is ready. 

Step 2 - prepare filling and bake

You’ll need

2 Tbsp ghee

1 tsp mineral salt

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp anise seed

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp finely chopped vanilla bean  

3 cups chopped pumpkin

Water - to cover 1/3 the height of the pumpkin

Here’s how

Warm the ghee and add salt and spices, cooking until the aroma is present. Add the chopped pumpkin and stir, spreading the spices and ghee on the pumpkin. Add water 1/3 the height of the pumpkin in the pot. Put a lid on and simmer until soft. Let cool and put into a blender with 1 tbsp of maple syrup, adding a small amount of water as needed. Blend to a thick smooth consistency spread it into the pie crust and bake for 15-20 minutes at 375F/ 190C.

Serve with your favourite rice, beans and greens. And of course, a condiment makes a lovely addition to any meal.

​If you live in a warm climate where coconuts are abundant, try coconut cream! Simply blend coconut meat with a little water. Add a tsp each of cardamom and carob.

For cold-weather folks, try fresh whipping cream (organic and raw if possible. Not homogenized).

Visit our Ayurveda Lifestyle page for kitchen essentials