What to Eat for How You Feel: The New Ayurvedic Kitchen - 100 Seasonal Recipes

I deliberated over buying this cookbook for several weeks before doing so. “Do I reaaallly need another Ayurvedic cookbook?” Im so thrilled I went for it! Not only is it filled with delectable + beautifully crafted recipes, it is overflowing with Divya’s compassionate + loving heart and the deep wisdom of SV Ayurveda. What we Westerners know about Ayurveda is mainly limited to a watered-down version that can only take healing so far. This cookbook is the outpouring of a centuries-old lineage that somehow managed to survive the Mogul era where most of the wisdom of this kind was destroyed. Divya brings the dietary aspect of this wisdom to light in an accessible and reverent way through her diverse dishes. The meals are incredibly light and easy on the digestion while being deeply nourishing and utterly satisfying. The book is delightfully and thoughtfully organized and easy to navigate. The quality is very high and feels good in the hand. It is clear from beginning to end how much intention went into creating this cookbook and her passion shines through page after page, inviting and inspiring you to engage with food anew. She creates a space in which you come to understand the wisdom in your own body, what it’s communicating with you about what it needs to feel well tended, and how to meet those needs with clarity + joy. Thank you, Divya, for such an immense gift!!

I have had this book for a year now and feel I can do a just review now after a year of using it and learning from it on and off. Firstly, it's a beautiful and elegant book that makes me happy when I look over and see in my kitchen collection. As for the recipes, when I started going through them I felt they were too simplistic, boring or even assumed they'd be tasteless, but I dedicated to trying a number of them before making a final call. I am happy to report have not been disappointed once. I am amazed how the simple ingredients are turned into an elegant and appetizing meals that taste good and just as importantly - make you feel good. My favorite are the barley/einkorn biscuits, they are out of this world and such great addition to the many soup recipes. And yet so simple for me as a self-professed non-baker. I am still working through the recipes and look forward to trying most of them. One thing I had mixed feelings about is that the author white-washed it a little but but removing the reference to the doshas (vata/pitta/kapha) and replaced it with airy/fiery/earthy digestion. While I understand that this was likely in effort to make it closer and less intimidating to the western reader, but then again, the western reader would also be new to the entire air/fire/earth reference anyway so thought this was unhelpful, but this is minor, I think. Thank you for the book, I am sure I will continue to enjoy and learn from it.

I was so excited to find this book after being interested in Ayurveda for the last few years, but not having much luck finding a resource that really resonated with me. Divya has a beautiful and compassionate way with words through her fun descriptions of her recipes. And her incredibly knowledgeable and user-friendly breakdown of the principles of Ayurveda. And the recipes! I've tried several so far, and they have gotten me excited to try more. I find myself looking forward to the next season to try a whole new set of recipes. They are simple to prepare, tasty, and even my picky husband was reading through it last night with me agreeing that he looked forward to trying more and more recipes (this from a meat and potatoes kind of guy- love it!) We've especially enjoyed the Date Milkshakes at night, and the Cooked Apples first thing in the morning. This simple apple recipe has allowed me to kick my first-thing-in-the-morning diet pepsi habit... and given me so much more energy to start and get through my day. I've also really enjoyed learning more about what spices to buy and how to combine them for my specific needs. All in all, a wonderful book that I highly recommend to anyone wanting to make small or large changes with their diet and overall well-being.

What an amazing book! I love that it is a combination of advice on healthy living/eating and delicious, healthy recipes. I've noticed an improvement to my digestion and energy level since I started following the diet recommended in the book (I may have even lost a little weight!) The recipes are easy to follow and so delicious. It's easy to get into a rut of making the same recipes over and over - this book has expanded my arsenal and inspired me to cook more! I've made some of the recipes for my non-vegetarian family and friends and they raved about the meal (particularly the creamy cashew/cilantro sauce and the soups)! It's also nice that most of the ingredients called for in the book are inexpensive and can be found at your local grocery store. I also like that the recipes are organized seasonally and that the book contains explanations of uses and health benefits of the ingredients and recipes. This book is definitely a must-have for any food-lover vegetarian or otherwise- and a great away to eat healthy without it feeling like a sacrifice. It is quickly becoming my go-to meal planner and secret weapon to impress dinner quests.

This is possibly the best Ayurvedic cookbook I have come across. The recipes are straightforward and easy to follow once you have the ingredients. If you have never cooked Indian food, you may need to stock up on some spices, but most of the main ingredients are pretty common. The instructions are clearly written and make you feel like cooking healthy, nourishing, and tasty meals is absolutely doable. I love the categorization by seasons and the additional recommendations for each type of digestion. I've tried out almost all of the recipes and every one of them was a success. Divya's explanation of basic Ayurvedic principles and how food is meant to heal the body is invaluable. Her introduction provides a wonderful, greater philosophical context for the art of cooking, and if you'd like to learn more about Ayurveda (in addition to learning many delicious recipes), this books is a must-have.

I love Divya and ayurvedic food - this is my go-to-book for lick-your-fingers recipes that my family actually eats (compared to foods from other ayurvedic cookbooks that seems too weird for them). There are at least a dozen recipes from this book that I cook all the time, including home-made yoghurt. I dinged one star because of the seriously underestimated times for most of the recipes. Unless you're a professionally trained chef working in a commercial kitchen with impeccable mis-en-place, the states times are ridiculously unreasonable. I find that it takes me 2-3 times longer to cook because the list of ingredients is longer than the recipe, so you have to take out, measure out and prep 20+ things for a "10 min" recipe. My partner will usually clean up the kitchen after dinner EXCEPT for when I cook Divya's food - he flat out refuses because the kitchen looks like it's been hit by an explosion.

The Sweet Potato Smoothie. It only takes one recipe to hook your interest, and that was the one for me. I made this smooth and creamy orange smoothie and I was absolutely blown away by the subtle flavors, beautiful colors, and how it made me feel - nourished and happy - and I've been obsessed with this cookbook ever since. The ingredients can be off-putting (lauki squash? kalonji seeds?? agar agar???) and to be honest this book sat on my shelf for almost a year for that reason. When I invested in ingredients though, my culinary explorations took off. Divya actually teaches cooking classes in NYC so her meticulousness as a teacher comes through in her directions - every single recipe I've made from this cookbook has turned out spectacular on the first go (much to the delight of my husband!!) Most recipes are actually quite simple, the biggest hurdle is getting the ingredients. Once you have them, everything flows. One recipe lead to another and another, my curiosity blossoming with each new conquest and "winner" and my lifestyle changing along with the recipes. Which really, this cookbook is all about an alternate lifestyle. After a couple months of basically solely cooking from this cookbook during quarantine and making certain recipes multiple times, it's hard to imagine going back to canned foods and packaged almond milk. I always joked with my husband that my goal in life was to be a legendary cook. I thought it would take decades of trial and error. I realize that here's a great shortcut - just cook from a legendary cookbook from a legendary cook! Voila! So, what will the recipe be that will hook you??

This book is a must for anyone interested in not only learning how to eat the Ayurvedic way,but understanding the principles and logic behind this protocol that has not changed in thousands of years, why eating for your dosha is very important and why foods that are healing for some may not be for others. The reader is blessed by having Divya`s 25 plus years of knowledge in this easy to read and step by step detail cooking instructions, the reader has no more excuses for not eating healthy. When I was living in NY I was fortunate to get to know Divya and her husband Prentiss when I was one of their meal delivery clients , they both gave so much of their time , love and effort into not only cooking for their clients but also teaching them how to cook for themselves. Moving out of NY aside from family and friends it`s Divya`s food I miss the most and she is one of my first stops when I go back to NY to visit. Now with this book I can cook my own meals , the creamy green protein soup was so good I cooked it 3 times before moving on to try something else. I am grateful for the teachings in this book and am sure others will be too. Thank You Divya, my dear friend

I've been using it daily since its arrival! It has a very comprehensive outline of Ayurveda principles and how to apply them to yourself, and is chock full of recipes that are nourishing and satiating. I like that they aren't necessarily "Indian" foods, but based on the use of whole foods complimented by cooking methodologies and herbs/spices that help support the body's vitality. Brilliant book. So grateful to Divya for putting it out into the world.

This is now my favourite cookbook. By far. There is plenty of information about Ayurveda, seasonal food use, use of spices, all written clearly and accompanied by gorgeous photos. As well as many wonderful recipes for everything from breakfast to dessert and drinks and spice mixes, many of which are recommended for specific constitutions. I recommend it entirely!

Love the design and the idea. Love the recipes as well. One of my favorite cookbooks with a modern twist of Ayurvedic cooking!

This is a wonderful book which is really worth reading - Divya's tone is nurturing and personal, and she provides the 'why' behind her advice. The recipes are delicious and have already had an impact, particularly the pre-breakfast cooked apple, and the fennel milk, which allowed me to have a full night's sleep for the first time in two years (I have a toddler!). Highly recommended

i love the way this book is written and the recipes are fantastic. highly recommend!