March 5, 2004   daily bread comfort gourmet  
Interior, Waitresses, A Meal, and Decor of Ayurveda Cafe.
or a young South Asian American in search of comfort food, Ayurvedic cuisine can provide a useful counterbalance for the more common heavy dishes like mateer paneer. Ayurvedic cuisine uses the same full palate of spices and vegetables as regular Indian food, but balances flavors and smells in an attempt to harmonize health with pleasure. A good Ayurvedic meal contains sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent and pungent tastes. With an emphasis on lightness and digestibility, the almost always vegetarian fare tends to be wetter and less greasy than the typical restaurant meal. Using spices like ajwain (carom seeds) and vegetables like green papaya, Ayurvedic recipes are often used by parents comforting a cranky child with the flu or an upset stomach. Their pungent aroma brings back memories childhood warmth, though it's still no replacement for Mommy's home cooking. Ayurveda Cafe, 706 Amsterdam Road (Between 94th and 95th) (212)-932-2400.

Listen to NYC24's Saheli Datta reminisce on finding Ayurveda Cafe. Launches a 58-second, 910 KB mp3. in your system's default player--click here for help.

 
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