Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
To celebrate the new year I baked this Chocolate Hazelnut Cake for my friends. It is not a cake that contains many Ayurvedic benefits, but sometimes you just need to celebrate life. Which is one of my intentions for the new year. 2017 was a year full of discovering, reflecting, new friendships, studying, letting go, surrendering to ice baths and to overheating bumpy train trips through India;). 2018 will be a year of dedication to my Dravyaguna - Ayurvedic Phytotherapy study and Ashtanga yoga practice and enjoy life.
Recipe
For the cake:
1 ¼ cup almond flour
1 cup coconut sugar
⅓ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup coconut oil (or ghee)
1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar
Bake for 45 – 50 minutes at 180 degrees.
For the glaze:
4 dates
4 Tablespoons of coconut oil
1 Avocado
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 Tablespoons of honey
Mix in the blender and garnish with roasted hazelnuts.
Ayurvedic nutrition review
Chocolate and Dosa
Is chocolate good for your health? In Ayurvedic terms you cannot respond to this question in a linear way. It depends on your situation or better said ‘constitution’. The Ayurvedic classification of body typing is based on the holistic understanding of the three Dosa's. At the time of conception, the proportions of the three Dosa’s are defined. If you know which ones are dominant you can adapt your food habits and lifestyle to it. These dosha’s or bio-dynamic forces control the five elements. Vata controls the air and ether elements, Pitta controls fire and water, Kapha controls water and earth. Besides your body, food is also build up by the five elements, in every food a certain element is dominant. This can be evaluated depending on the specific taste of the food. Regarding chocolate, the predominating elements are: air and ether, because of the bitter taste.
Bitter taste
The Bitter taste is the best blood purifier and cleaner of toxins in the body. It has a scraping effect which means that it can expel ama, or toxins, from the body. It promotes all the other tastes. Besides it reduces tissues and fluids and relieves the body from burning. In excess, this taste and therefore (dark) chocolate as well, it can cause coldness in the body, stiffness, headaches and reduction of reproductive fluids. Of course this is only in extreme situations. It is just good to be aware of its qualities which are: dry, light and cool. These qualities will be brought into your body. Therefore, it is less beneficial for the Vata types. Cacao is also a stimulant because it contains caffeine and therefore less beneficial for Pitta as well. Ayurveda says that the bitter taste comprises of the qualities: anti-toxic, anti-inflammatory, fever reducing, laxative and cleansing actions.
In biochemical perspective cacao will decrease oxidation and inflammation through its flavonoid content, increase HDL, and decrease LDL.
VP+
K-
Virya= warming