Volume III · Part II · Chapter 12
Grains — Choosing, Preparing, Cooking
The Ayurvedic Kitchen
About 2 min read
Grains are the foundation of the thali and the main source of energy. Ayurveda prefers grains that are at least a year old (purana): newly harvested grain is considered heavy and Kapha-forming, while aged grain is lighter and easier to digest. All grains are washed, often soaked, sometimes dry-roasted — each step makes them lighter.
| Grain | Sanskrit | Qualities | Dosha | Best for | Preparation tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basmati / aged rice | Shali | Sweet, cooling, light when aged | ↓V ↓P | Daily staple; khichdi, kanji | Wash 3 times; soak 20–30 min |
| Red rice (rosematta, njavara) | Rakta shali / shashtika | Sweet, nourishing | ↓V ↓P | Kanji, convalescence | Double-cook very soft for elders |
| Wheat | Godhuma | Sweet, cooling, heavy, nourishing | ↓V ↓P ↑K | Phulka, dalia, upma | Fresh-milled atta; rest dough 20 min |
| Barley | Yava | Sweet, astringent, drying | ↓K ↓P ↑V | Spring, diabetes, water retention | Soak overnight; add ghee for Vata |
| Oats | — | Sweet, warm when cooked | ↓V ↓P | Breakfast porridges | Cook with water first, then milk |
| Ragi (finger millet) | Nartaka / madhuli | Sweet, astringent, cooling | ↓P ↓K | Calcium-rich porridges, rotis | Whisk into cold water to avoid lumps |
| Jowar (sorghum) | Yavanala | Sweet, cooling, drying | ↓P ↓K | Summer rotis | Blend 50:50 with wheat for softness |
| Bajra (pearl millet) | Sajja | Sweet, heating, drying | ↓K ↓V (with ghee) | Winter only | Use fresh flour; plenty of ghee |
| Foxtail, kodo, little millet | Kanguni, kodrava | Light, drying | ↓K | Diabetic-friendly upma, khichdi | Soak 30 min; cook 1 : 4 |
| Barnyard millet (samak) | Shyamaka | Light, cooling | ↓P ↓K | Fasting days | Quick-cooking; 1 : 4 |
| Maize | Makka | Sweet, drying | ↓K | Winter makki roti | 25–35% with wheat for softness |
| Amaranth (rajgira) | Rajgira | Sweet, light | Tridoshic | Fasting; protein | Popped or as flour |
| Buckwheat (kuttu) | — | Heating | ↓K ↓V | Winter fasting | Small portions; bind with potato |