Here we are in the depths of Winter where nature calls us to slow down, restore ourselves, and strengthen our immunity. This recipe is the perfect remedy. Both dates and ghee are Ojas-increasing foods which mean they boost your immune system and provide supreme resilience.
Ojas is one of the most health-promoting agents of the body. It is an absolutely essential substance to cultivate. There is no corresponding idea for Ojas in the Western world but it is considered a very profound piece of the immunity puzzle in Ayurveda.
Ojas gives our bodies strength, vigor, vitality, and immunity and it fights against aging, decay, and disease. To read more about this amazing substance Ojas and how to cultivate it, see my post here.
About the Recipe
This ancient Ayurvedic ojas-promoting tonic is a Rasayana (a rejuvenative) as it nourishes and fortifies deep in the tissues. It is for anyone needing to boost their immunity, and therefore it is supportive for those who are depleted and recovering from an illness, surgery, childbirth, or a stressful experience. This tonic also provides aid for conditions like chronic fatigue, anemia, muscle weakness, and infertility.
The spices cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and saffron are all digestive aids making this both beneficial and easy on digestion. The ghee provides a highly unctuous quality to help nourish dry, depleted tissues and acts as a vehicle for driving the medicine of this tonic in deeper, which we call an anupan in Ayurveda. The combination of ghee, spices, and dates makes this one powerful Winter tonic.
The Recipe:
1 cup melted ghee
18 dates, cut in half & remove pits
1/8 tsp Ginger powder
a pinch of Cinnamon
1 pinch of Cardamom
1 pinch of Saffron threads, pulverized
Melt the ghee & stir in the spices.
In a pint-size mason jar, add the dates & pour the spiced ghee over the dates.
Place the cover on & give it a gentle shake.
Let sit on the countertop at room temperature.
Enjoy 1-2 pieces of date every morning. Always use a clean, dry fork.
After all the dates are eaten, you can reuse the ghee to make the same recipe.
During cold weather, you could warm the dates before eating if preferred.
For a short demonstration on the recipe, see my video below: