during my last post, we discussed savvy sources – cookbooks to return to again and again. i mentioned that ast year, i had the opportunity to work with food stylist, susie theodorou, and the rest of the amazing production team on a new ayurvedic cookbook by anjum anand, anjum’s eat right for your body type. if you were inspired by last month’s podcast about ayurveda by monica (who is so lovely!), this book will be filled with recipes for you and your dosha…

i received my copy of the book last week, and was inspired! and so, dinner was a light malaysian chicken laksa with rice noodles. we served it with fresh lime and mint, and i made grilled herb flatbreads with fennel seeds to accompany it… the laksa was warm and creamy, yet refreshing because of sweet coconut milk and steamed vegetables.

inspired by anjum’s eat right for your body type by anjum anand. see sample recipes and videos of anjum from the publisher here.

(if you know your ayurvedic dosha, this recipe is recommended for vata imbalance, and is also suitable for pitta with some omissions. it is not recommended for kapha, although it could be suitable if tofu is used instead of chicken, if the amount of coconut milk is lessened, and if buckwheat noodles are used. if you would like more ayurvedic recipes, please see this wonderful cookbook.)

1 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil
1 small–medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
10g peeled ginger, made into a paste (plus extra juliennes for garnish, optional)
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and made into a paste
1⁄4 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
salt and 1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (pitta please omit)
250ml good-quality chicken stock
3 medium chicken breasts or 4 boned thighs, skinned and cut into large pieces
250–300ml coconut milk
3⁄4 tsp garam masala (pitta please omit)
2–21⁄2 tsp lime or lemon juice, or to taste
180–190g rice noodles (you can also use wheat), cooked according to packet instructions
200g vegetables of your choice, blanched or steamed (for example, choose from green beans, broccoli, mangetout, bean sprouts, bok choy, edamame beans)
handful of fresh mint and coriander leaves and a little finely julienned carrot, to serve

heat the oil in a medium non-stick saucepan. add the onion and cook until soft and turning golden at the edges. add the ginger and garlic pastes and cook for 40–50 seconds, stirring often until the garlic smells cooked. add the spices, seasoning and a small splash of water and cook until the water has evaporated and the paste has had 20–30 seconds to cook.

add the stock, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes. the water should be quite reduced. add the chicken, coconut milk and garam masala, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on a low heat until the chicken is done, around 3–4 minutes for breast and 5–6 minutes for thigh (depending on how large the pieces are). the curry should be of a medium creamy consistency. stir in the lime or lemon juice, taste and adjust the seasoning.

place the cooked noodles in individual bowls or deep side plates, add the chicken on one side and the vegetables in neat piles on the other and pour over the coconut curry. garnish with lots of fresh mint and coriander and carrot julienne.

i will be posting three more guest posts here at tranquility du jour in may and june… if you have any topics that you would like me to cover on foodie friday, please let me know!

have you heard my podcast interview with kimberly about beautiful lifestyle and food? you can listen here.

photograph and post by robyn. visit her blog: this is life.

robyn michelle-lee is an ashtanga yogini, a foodie, a journalism and literature student, a photographer, and a lifestyle writer. live this moment – live your lifestyle.