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Ayurvedic Date Dream Balls

The particular combination of energies present when we enter this world at birth is known in Ayurveda as our innate constitution or prakruti. What we do with our constitution is up to us. It is the sourcebook for our health, vitality, and well-being. It can also be the springboard toward difficulties, if we ignore its needs. The five elements come together to create three basic constitutional types, or doshas. They are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. If air and ether predominate in your constitution, you are Vata in nature. If fire and water take the lead in your physical makeup, Pitta is the result. If water and earth hold ascendancy in your body at birth, Kapha is your constitution. For more information and to determine your dosha, visit holisticonline.com and ayurveda.com

In Ayurveda, dates are used to strengthen the liver. They are also valued as an all-round tonifier and are used therapeutically to calm lung and bladder inflammations as well as fevers and chills. They are delicious, which makes them a very good and sumptuous mid-winter rejuvenative. Fresh dates are considered mildly heating in quality, and so are best for Vata. Dried dates are not as warming as fresh ones, and date sugar is even more cooling. Both can be used by Pitta with good benefit. In Ancient India, these Date Dream Balls would have been considered an aphrodisiac of sorts!

This recipe calms Vata and Pitta, and can aggravate Kapha.

Date Dream Balls

Preparation Time: 45 minutes Makes 24-30 balls.

-Vata, -Pitta, +Kapha Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

1 cup whole dried pitted dates (about 1/2 pound)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon organic tangerine peel (orange can be substituted)
1/4 cup blanched almonds, chopped
1/4 cup date sugar (or less)

Chop the dates finely. Mix the dates, water, syrup, vanilla, and tangerine peel in a small, heavy skillet and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until all the water has evaporated and the dates are a thick mass. The thicker it is, the easier it is to work. Stir in the almonds and let cool. When cool, form into 1 inch balls (you can grease your hands with a bit of ghee, but basically you’re going to get sticky with these). Roll the balls in date sugar (to get them dry enough to serve).

Amadea Morningstar is a student of Tibetan Buddhist yogis HE Garchen Rinpoche, the Venerable Traga Rinpoche, and Tulku Nyima Gyaltsen Rinpoche. She is grateful for her early Ayurvedic training with Drs. Vasant Lad, David Frawley, and Sunil and Shalmali Joshi. Founder of the Ayurveda Polarity and Yoga Therapy Institute (AyurvedaPolarityYoga.com), Amadea is the author of The Ayurvedic Cookbook, Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners, and The Ayurvedic Guide to Polarity Therapy and other works, with 25 years of experience in Ayurvedic self care education. She has worked with energy and healing since 1974.

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