Ashwagandha has been used as a key herb in traditional Ayurvedic medicine – as a bulk promoter, purgative, aphrodisiac, and as a general tonic for overall physical and mental health. Every part of the ashwagandha plant – roots, leaves, and fruits – can be used in herbal remedies.
You can stock up and consume ashwagandha on a daily basis, typically 1–2 tsps a day. Here are some easy recipes to include ashwagandha in your daily diet.
Ashwagandha Tea
- Take 2 tsps dried ashwagandha root.
- Add to approximately 3½ cups boiling water.
- Allow it to boil for 15 minutes.
- Remove the root from the liquid.
- Strain to remove any remaining plant matter in the water.
- Consume 1/4 cup twice daily.
Ashwagandha Tea With Milk And Cardamom
- Boil 1/2 cup milk, 1 tsp ashwagandha root powder, 1 tsp palm or date sugar, and 1/2 cup water on low flame till the mixture reduces to 1/2 cup.
- Add cardamom and drink when it is lukewarm.
- Consume twice daily.
Ashwagandha Tincture
Ashwagandha tincture has many known health benefits, including pain relief and improving urinary health.
- Add 1/2 cup dried, cut ashwagandha root to a jar and pour 2 cups of 80 to 100 proof, non GMO vodka or rum over it.
- Cover the jar and place it in a dark location for 2 weeks to 4 months – shake the mixture on periodically.
- When your tincture is done, carefully transfer it into amber or cobalt glass bottles with droppers for easy dispensing.
- Add about 40–50 drops ashwagandha tincture to 120 ml water and drink – up to 3 times daily or as directed by your practitioner.
Ashwagandha Smoothie With Dandelion And Basil
Dandelion root is well-known for its healthful properties and liver support. It pairs well with milk, chocolate, and honey. Ashwagandha increases stamina, reduces stress and fatigue, and balances hormones. Holy basil is also an adaptogen that helps combat stress.
Blend the following into a smooth consistency:
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp roasted dandelion root
- 1 tsp ashwagandha root powder
- 1 tsp holy basil powder (Tulsi)
- 2 cups nut milk
- 5–7 ice cubes
Ashwagandha Chocolate
Add ashwagandha to raw chocolate and other healthy ingredients to make this refreshing dessert minus the guilt pangs!
- Mix 1/4 cup ashwagandha powder, 1/4 cup maca powder, 1–2 tbsps raw cocoa powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp unrefined sea salt in a bowl.
- Add 1/2 cup coconut butter, 1/2 cup of honey, and 1/2 cup hemp butter.
- Pour the mixture into a silicon mini-muffin tray or chocolate mold.
- Place in the freezer to set.
- Store in a cool place.
Ashwagandha and Ghee Mixture
- Roast 2 tbsp ashwagandha in 1/2 cup ghee.
- Add 1 tbsp date sugar.
- Store in the refrigerator.
- Add 1 tsp of the mixture to a glass of milk or water and consume.
Ashwagandha Recipes From The Charaka Samhita
Charaka, one of the founding fathers of Ayurveda, and author of the seminal Charaka Samhita, goes into great detail into the medicinal properties of various herbs and how to include them in recipes. Here are a few recipes where ashwagandha finds a mention:
Skin Ointment
Here’s a recipe for a skin ointment for topical application which relieves itching, boils, urticarial patches, skin diseases, and various types of edema:
- Take equal parts of kustha, both types of haridra, tulasi, patola, nimba, ashwagandha, devadaru, sigru, sarsapa, tumburu, dhanyaka, kaivarta, mustaka, candana.
- Powder all the above together.
- Add buttermilk.
- Mix into a paste.
- Apply on the affected part of skin.
Decoction To Purify Breast Milk
- Boil 1 tsp each of sarngesta, saptaparna bark, and ashwagandha in 2 cups of water to make a decoction.
- Reduce it to 1/2 cup.
- Consume twice daily
Aphrodisiac Decoction
An ancient libido-boosting recipe – the claim might very well be true given the variety of healthy herbs that go into its preparation.
- Take 1/4 kg newly harvested grains of black gram and 1/4 kg seeds of kapikacchu.
- Add 1 tbsp each: jivaka, rsabhaka, vira, meda, rddhi, satavari, madhuka, and aswagandha.
- Boil all of the above together into a decoction (reducing to 1/4th volume) and filter.
- Add 3 cups cow’s milk.
- Add 1/4 cup ghee.
- Add 1/4 cups juice of each: vidari and iksu.
- Cook on a mild fire.
- Add 1 tbsp palm or date sugar.
- Add 1 tbsp each: vamsalocana, honey, and pippali.
- Mix all of the above together.
- Take 1/4 cup before meals.