Monks’ Cookbook

Our Typical Daily Menu at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery

Three wholesome meals are served from the monastery’s kitchen. Breakfast consists of yogurt, fresh fruits and seeds. Lunch is the primary meal, consisting of rice and curry. Dinner is lighter— generally a grain and a soup made with leftovers from lunch. At lunch, for optimum digestion, we follow the general guideline of 2 portions of starch to 1 portion of protein. Many South Indian recipes, such as idli and dosai, are made with 2 parts rice and 1 part dal, providing a perfect balance. Deep-fried foods are minimal: papadams once or twice a week, and vadais and other delicacies only on festive occasions. §

Breakfast: A free choice of fresh and dried fruits (we have about 108 kinds of fruit trees on the property), seeds (sunflower, sesame, flax and sometimes pumpkin) and yogurt. Supplements are also available, including nutritional yeast, All-One nutrition supplement, and various seeds and spices prescribed for individual ayurvedic temperaments (called doshas). We avoid eating acidic fruits, like pineapple or oranges, with nuts or dried fruits. They are OK with neutral fruits like apples and pears, but not with bananas. Melons, when available, are eaten by themselves; but they digest quickly, and other breakfast foods can be taken after 15 minutes. Rasam is served around 10AM. §

Lunch: This is the main meal of the day, enjoyed shortly after noon, when the body’s digestive powers are strongest. Lunch consists of:§

• One or sometimes two rice dishes: usually plain brown steamed rice, and when the chefs are inspired tamarind rice, lemon rice or another variation.
• Dal, kulambu or sambar.
• Occasionally (on special days) dosai or idli in addition to the rice.
• One green curry–made with a fresh leafy vegetable (we have several kinds to choose from growing on the 51-acre sanctuary).
• One vegetable curry : potato, string beans, pumpkin, taro root, etc.
• One and usually two sambals, chutneys or pachadis. Often it’s our much-loved coconut sambal and a freshly-made fruit or mint chutney (yum).
• Yogurt (each monk enjoys about ½ cup).
• An occasional sweet, usually kesari or payasam.
• Papadams one or two times a week

Dinner: This is a light, cooked meal (taken around 6 PM), usually consisting of quinoa, mung beans or millet prepared in a variety of ways, along with a light stew made from vegetables and dal. Dosai, idli or chapatis are sometimes served when the monks have more time, with kulambu and coconut chutney. §