AYURVEDIC RECIPES

Asparagus Saffron Risotto With Lemon

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"Very good. Subtle taste. Great with chicken"
- Crystal Garland, Tucson, AZ full start reviewfull start reviewfull start reviewfull start reviewfull start review

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How to Make Asparagus Saffron Risotto with Lemon

SERVINGS: 4
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 40 MINUTES

STYLE: WESTERN
PREPARATION: BOILED
FOR OCCASION: THANKSGIVING, DINNER-PARTY

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp
2 c
1 tsp
1 c
1/2 tsp
1/4 tsp
1/4 whole
2 pinch

PREPARATION OF THIS HEALTHY RECIPE

1. Grind saffron with a mortar and pestle. Place a few drops of water and continue grinding until saffron is completely dissolved. Let sit ten minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a separate pot bring 1 quart of water to a boil and set aside.

3. Clean and dice asparagus.

4. Sautee the cumin seeds in ghee in a large pot.

5. Add risotto, asparagus and other ingredients to the cumin while the seeds are still aromatic, before they begin to brown. Sautee for an additional 30 seconds.

6. Add 1c of boiling water and lower heat to a simmer. Continue adding 1c of boiling water from the other pot every five minutes.

How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Asparagus Saffron Risotto with Lemon is a perfect way to celebrate your first picnic in Spring, Italian style. Asparagus, saffron and lemon are naturally refreshing ways to purify your blood in Spring after a long dreary winter. Garnish with a touch of Parmesan Reggiano for a romantic flare. Or, serve alongside cilantro lassi and ginger dal for an ideal Ayurvedic meal.

Cool, Fresh, and Drying

Asparagus Saffron Risotto with Lemon helps your body adjust to the new heat in the spring air. Asparagus itself is cooling, drying and astringent. It is high in potassium and saponins- diuretics good for spring release of excess fluids. As a cooling diuretic, like saffron, it purifies the blood, so that you feel light and calm as the temperature steadily increases. Note: An acidic substance called asparagine produces an acetone smell in the urine after eating.

Blood Purifying

Saffron brings a healthy glow to the body after winter's gray. It is a nourishing purifier that invigorates and moves the blood while cooling it. Saffron's circulatory properties are useful in Pitta disorders with blood stagnation, including inflammation, arthritis, acne, and hepatitis. It improves eyesight and enhances digestion. Saffron's blood moving qualities are particularly desirable among herbs that stimulate the release of oxytocin, the "tend and befriend" hormone, supporting saffron's use as an aphrodisiac when combined with milk and ghee.

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.

Is Asparagus Saffron Risotto with Lemon Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Asparagus Saffron Risotto with Lemon' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.
See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.
INCREASES
Guna Help

Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas)

Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic.

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CLEAR

ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR

EASY

ABOUT EASY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY

LIQUEFIED

ABOUT LIQUEFIED BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Substances that thin fluids (lower viscosity of blood plasma). These may include blood thinners or mucolytic herbs.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LIQUEFIED

LIGHT

ABOUT LIGHT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Lightness is identified by reduced weight.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LIGHT

DRY

ABOUT DRY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY

TASTES
Taste Help

The 6 Tastes

Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?

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PUNGENT

ABOUT PUNGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Pungency is characterized by irritation, or sharp, spicy foods that irritate the mouth such as black pepper.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PUNGENT

DOSHAS
Dosha Help

The Three Doshas / Body Types

According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history.

The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded.

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PACIFIES
Kapha pacifying Pitta pacifying Vata pacifying
HAS THE FOLLOWING
Subtaste:
Aromatic

AROMATIC

Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues.

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,
Bland

BLAND

Bland means doesn't have much taste. In Chinese medicine, bland taste refers to afood without little macronutrients, such as cabbage, radish or bok choy.

SEE ALL 'BLAND' FOODS / HERBS

,
Crunchy

CRUNCHY

Makes an audible noise when you eat them. Can provide fun texture variation.

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HERBAL ACTIONS
(see all)

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Asparagus Saffron Risotto with Lemon
Help
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

Appetite Suppressant

APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT

Suppresses hunger without causing weight gain.

SEE ALL 'APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT' FOODS / HERBS

Relieves Burning

RELIEVES-BURNING

Herbs that soothe a burn or reduce an internal burning sensation, such as aloe vera.

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,
General Laxative

GENERAL-LAXATIVE

Promotes a bowel movement. General laxative is an umbrella term that refers to several different types of laxatives.

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Burns Toxins

BURNS-TOXINS

An herb that detoxifies by helping your body metabolize toxins, as opposed to eliminating them.

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Strengthens Resolve

STRENGTHENS-RESOLVE

Increases determination and courage by reducing stress and building strength.

SEE ALL 'STRENGTHENS-RESOLVE' FOODS / HERBS

Satisfies Stomach

SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

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,
Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

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Diaphoretic

DIAPHORETIC

An herb that induces sweating, often by dilating blood vessels close to the skin.

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,
Refreshes Skin

REFRESHES-SKIN

Flushes the lymphatic system to cool, awaken, and revive the skin.

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Flushes Sinuses

FLUSHES-SINUSES

An herb that relieves sinus congestion by flushing out mucus.

SEE ALL 'FLUSHES-SINUSES' FOODS / HERBS

,
Soothes Throat

SOOTHES-THROAT

Soothes throat discomfort, including from a sore or ticklish throat.

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,
Decongestant

DECONGESTANT

An herb that reduces mucus production often by restricting blood flow to mucus membranes.

SEE ALL 'DECONGESTANT' FOODS / HERBS

Flushes Membranes

FLUSHES-MEMBRANES

Herbs in this category stimulate mucus membranes to release fluids, flushing them out.

SEE ALL 'FLUSHES-MEMBRANES' FOODS / HERBS

Cardiac Stimulant

CARDIAC-STIMULANT

Herbs that increase the heart rate. Useful in cardiovascular health, blood stagnation, and subjective feeling of heaviness in the chest area.

SEE ALL 'CARDIAC-STIMULANT' FOODS / HERBS

Diuretic

DIURETIC

Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure.

SEE ALL 'DIURETIC' FOODS / HERBS

Cholagogue

CHOLAGOGUE

Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines.

SEE ALL 'CHOLAGOGUE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Livotonic

LIVOTONIC

An herb that strengthens the liver. It is helpful for people with a history of substance abuse, chronic liver issues from hepatitis and hemolytic anemias. Generally, liver tonics are oily, cool, sweet, mildly sour, or contain beta-carotene.

SEE ALL 'LIVOTONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:
Rutin

RUTIN

Rutin is a flavonoid with anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Commonly used to treat conditions such as varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and high blood pressure.

SEE ALL 'RUTIN' FOODS / HERBS

,
Saponins

SAPONINS

Can be used to make soap. Saponins stimulate mucus membrane secretion, liquefying mucus for easy removal (expectorant).

SEE ALL 'SAPONINS' FOODS / HERBS

, Sodium, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Carbohydrate, Fats, Folate,
Aromatase Inhibitor

AROMATASE-INHIBITOR

Blocks estrogen synthesis by inhibiting conversion of progesterone and testosterone into estrogen.

SEE ALL 'AROMATASE-INHIBITOR' FOODS / HERBS

, Potassium

Foods with a Similar Nature to Asparagus Saffron Risotto with Lemon

Mustard

Mustard has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Strengthens-resolve, Decongestant, Flushes-membranes, Burns-toxins, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses

LEARN MORE

Mustard Seed

Mustard Seed has these Actions in Common

Strengthens-resolve, Decongestant, Flushes-membranes, Burns-toxins, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Mustard Powder

Mustard Powder has these Actions in Common

Decongestant, Flushes-membranes, Burns-toxins, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Strengthens-resolve

LEARN MORE

Daikon Radish

Daikon Radish has these Actions in Common

Decongestant, Flushes-sinuses, Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, General-laxative, Cholagogue, Diuretic

LEARN MORE

Garlic (raw)

Garlic (raw) has these Actions in Common

Cholagogue, Diuretic, Decongestant, Flushes-sinuses, Cardiac-stimulant, Diaphoretic, General-laxative

LEARN MORE

Burdock Root (Gobo)

Burdock Root (Gobo) has these Actions in Common

Diaphoretic, Livotonic, Diuretic, Nutritive, Cholagogue, General-laxative

LEARN MORE

Red Wine Vinegar

Red Wine Vinegar has these Actions in Common

Appetite-suppressant, Flushes-membranes, Cholagogue, General-laxative, Diaphoretic, Livotonic

LEARN MORE

White Vinegar

White Vinegar has these Actions in Common

Diaphoretic, Livotonic, Appetite-suppressant, Flushes-membranes, Cholagogue, General-laxative

LEARN MORE

Salt (Mineral Salt)

Salt (Mineral Salt) has these Actions in Common

Flushes-membranes, Soothes-throat, Flushes-sinuses, Strengthens-resolve, Cholagogue, General-laxative

LEARN MORE

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar has these Actions in Common

Cholagogue, General-laxative, Diaphoretic, Livotonic, Appetite-suppressant, Flushes-membranes

LEARN MORE

Wasabi

Wasabi has these Actions in Common

Diaphoretic, General-laxative, Cardiac-stimulant, Diuretic, Cholagogue, Flushes-sinuses

LEARN MORE

Herb Supplements with a Similar Nature to Asparagus Saffron Risotto with Lemon

Mahasudarshan

Mahasudarshan has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Livotonic, Burns-toxins, Cholagogue, Decongestant, Diaphoretic

LEARN MORE

Hot Shower

Hot Shower has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Decongestant, Diaphoretic, Flushes-membranes, Flushes-sinuses

LEARN MORE

Hot Bath

Hot Bath has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Decongestant, Diaphoretic, Flushes-membranes, Flushes-sinuses

LEARN MORE

Inhale Steam

Inhale Steam has these Actions in Common

Decongestant, Diaphoretic, Flushes-membranes, Flushes-sinuses, Soothes-throat

LEARN MORE

Epsom Salt Bath

Epsom Salt Bath has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Decongestant, Diaphoretic, Flushes-membranes, Flushes-sinuses

LEARN MORE

Goldenseal

Goldenseal has these Actions in Common

Decongestant, Diuretic, General-laxative, Burns-toxins, Cholagogue

LEARN MORE

Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi)

Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi) has these Actions in Common

Diuretic, Burns-toxins, Cardiac-stimulant, Decongestant, Diaphoretic

LEARN MORE

Mustard Poultice

Mustard Poultice has these Actions in Common

Flushes-sinuses, Cardiac-stimulant, Decongestant, Diaphoretic

LEARN MORE

Agrimony

Agrimony has these Actions in Common

Decongestant, Diuretic, Appetite-suppressant, Cholagogue

LEARN MORE

Sinus Rinse

Sinus Rinse has these Actions in Common

Burns-toxins, Decongestant, Diaphoretic, Flushes-sinuses

LEARN MORE

Trikatu

Trikatu has these Actions in Common

Decongestant, Diaphoretic, Burns-toxins, Cardiac-stimulant

LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.

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About John Joseph Immel

About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda biocharacteristics. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's interest in Ayurveda and specialization in digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, as well as public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.

John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well. Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and 7 kids, and pursuing his love of theology, philosophy, and language.

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Comments & Impressions of 'Asparagus Saffron Risotto With Lemon'

Do you like 'asparagus saffron risotto with lemon'? Why or why not? What makes it unique? Is there something else you'd like to know about 'asparagus saffron risotto with lemon'?

full start reviewfull start reviewfull start reviewfull start reviewfull start review(5.00 out of 5 stars) 6 ratings, 2825 likes
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Tessa - thank you for pointing that out, it is a little bit confusing. Risotto can also refer to a type of rice, i.e. arborio. So, when it says add the risotto, all you need to do is add some arborio rice!
- Natalie Immel, Asheville, NC , 05-08-15 (Reply)
Yummy!!! Super creamy and hearty. However, there was no recipe listed under Risotto on the Joyful Belly website. There was a page for it, but no ingredients.
- Lisa Souba, Bozeman, MT , 06-01-17 (Reply)
All of the instructions needed are included in this recipe.
- Kimberly Kubicke, Asbury park, NJ
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, 06-07-17 (Reply)
Very good. Subtle taste. Great with chicken
- Crystal Garland, Tucson, AZ
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, 04-02-19 (Reply)
I lived this, very fresh tasty
- Laura
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, 10-23-21 (Reply)

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