When my grandparents moved from India to Eastern Canada, they transformed our kitchen into something sacred. Amma Amma (grandma) never used measuring cups or timers. She cooked with her hands, her intuition, and most importantly, with love and intention. Those memories became the foundation of Tea & Turmeric in Laguna Beach, where we're making Ayurvedic cooking accessible to the entire Orange County community.
This guide pairs with our podcast episode Ayurvedic Cooking Made Easy: Indian Spices 101 on The Tea on Wellness, where Vidya dives deeper into choosing spices, building flavor, and making Ayurveda work in real life.
What is Ayurvedic Cooking? Understanding the Basics
Ayurvedic cooking is an ancient Indian approach to food that treats your kitchen as the first pharmacy. Rather than counting calories, Ayurveda focuses on balance—using spices and ingredients that support digestion, reduce inflammation, and restore energy naturally.
The best part? You don't need to eat only Indian food to cook Ayurvedically. You can apply these principles to any cuisine, Asian stir-fries, Italian risottos, even your weekly meal prep.
Shop Our Indian Made Easy Kit
The Indian Made Easy Kit: Your Essential Ayurvedic Starter Set
We created our signature Indian Made Easy Kit specifically for busy Orange County families who want authentic Indian flavor without the complexity. Each kit contains four handcrafted spice blends, ground fresh weekly in small batches right here in Laguna Beach:
What's Inside Your Kit:
• Veggie Mix – Perfect for lentils, vegetables, soups, and everyday cooking. This blend combines turmeric, cumin, and coriander to support digestion while adding color and depth.
• Protein Mix – Designed for chicken, fish, or lamb. The warming spices in this mix help your body process proteins more efficiently.
• Antha Mix – Meaning "everything" in Telugu, this finishing blend balances any dish. Think of it as your secret weapon for restaurant-quality flavor.
• GG Mix – Fresh ginger and garlic form the aromatic base of Indian cooking. This blend saves you prep time while maintaining authentic taste.
Every blend follows Amma Amma's Ayurvedic principles: anti-inflammatory, digestion-supporting, and made with ingredients that actually work for your body.
Order Your Indian Made Easy Kit Now $49.95
Your Top Questions About Ayurvedic Cooking - Answered
Here at Tea & Turmeric, customers walk into our Laguna Beach shop every week asking the same important questions. Let's address them:
1. Do I Need to Follow a Specific Diet or Be Vegetarian for Ayurvedic Cooking?
Short answer: No.
Ayurvedic cooking is about balance, not restriction. While many Ayurvedic recipes are vegetarian, the tradition actually recommends including moderate amounts of high-quality meat, fish, or eggs depending on your individual body type (called your "dosha"). The goal is eating what brings you into balance—not following rigid rules.
Start by adding Ayurvedic spices to meals you already make. Our Protein Mix works beautifully with grilled salmon, roasted chicken, or even plant-based proteins like tofu and tempeh.
Related resource: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health - Ayurvedic Medicine
2. What Spices Do I Actually Need to Start Ayurvedic Cooking at Home?
You only need 5-7 essential spices to create authentic Ayurvedic meals.
Our Indian Made Easy Kit contains all of them pre-blended and ready to use: •
Turmeric – The golden anti-inflammatory powerhouse backed by numerous scientific studies
Cumin – Supports digestion and adds warm, earthy flavor
Coriander – Balances heat and provides citrus notes
Ginger – Ignites your digestive fire (agni) and reduces inflammation
Garlic – Adds depth and helps your body process nutrients
Don't overwhelm yourself trying to stock 30 different spices. Start with our kit, master these basics, then expand from there.
Get Started With Pre-Mixed Spices
3. Is Ayurvedic Cooking Difficult or Time-Consuming?
Not at all. The myth that Indian cooking requires hours of prep time ends here.
With the Indian Made Easy Kit, you can have a complete Ayurvedic meal on your table in 25 minutes. Our dal recipe below proves it—six ingredients, one pot, and pure nourishment.
The key is having your spices pre-blended. Instead of measuring out seven individual spices, you grab one jar. That's the whole point of our kit: authentic flavor without the complexity.
4. How is Ghee Different From Butter? Is it Actually Healthy?
Ghee (clarified butter) is butter with the milk solids removed, creating a pure, golden cooking fat that's been used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 3,000 years.
Why Ayurveda loves ghee:
• High smoke point (250°C) makes it perfect for sautéing
• Contains butyric acid, which supports gut health
• Easy to digest, even for people who struggle with dairy
• Research shows moderate ghee consumption may actually support heart health, contrary to outdated beliefs
We use ghee in every recipe at Tea & Turmeric. If you're dairy-free, substitute with high-quality coconut oil or olive oil—Ayurveda adapts to your needs.
Related reading: Health Benefits of Ghee - National Institutes of Health
5. Can I Make Ayurvedic Food if I Don't Know My Dosha?
Yes! Start with "tridoshic" recipes that balance all three doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
Our dal recipe below is tridoshic, meaning it works for everyone.
Think of doshas as your body's unique constitution. While knowing yours helps fine-tune your diet long-term, you don't need this knowledge to begin cooking Ayurvedically. Focus first on:
Using fresh, seasonal ingredients
Including all six tastes in your meals (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, astringent)
Cooking with intention and love—Ayurveda teaches that your energy transfers into the food
When you're ready to discover your dosha, take our free online dosha quiz and explore our dosha-specific balancing kits designed for your unique constitution.
6. Where Can I Buy Quality Ayurvedic Spices and Ingredients in Orange County?
Right here in Laguna Beach.
Tea & Turmeric carries over 200 handcrafted tea and spice blends at our shop on Coast Highway. Everything is organic when possible, sourced responsibly, and crafted in small batches to maintain maximum freshness and potency.
We also ship throughout Southern California via our online store, so you can stock your Ayurvedic pantry from anywhere in the OC.
Visit us: 1175 South Coast Highway, Suite 104, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Hours: Open daily 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM (Closed Wednesdays)
Shop Online: teaandturmeric.com
Recipe: Amma Amma's Traditional Dal (Pappu) — Ready in 25 Minutes
This dal is everything we love about Ayurvedic home cooking: simple, deeply nourishing, and ridiculously comforting. It's also tridoshic, meaning it balances all three doshas and works for everyone.
Ingredients:
• ½ cup red lentils
• ½ cup split mung beans
• 2 cups filtered water
• 2 tsp Veggie Mix (from our Indian Made Easy Kit)
• ½ tsp Antha Mix
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp ghee (or coconut oil)
Instructions:
1 Rinse lentils and mung beans until water runs clear
2 Combine everything except ghee in a medium pot
3 Cook covered over medium heat for 20-25 minutes until creamy
4 Stir in salt and ghee
5 Serve warm over basmati rice or with naan
Nutrition per serving: High protein, rich in fiber, anti-inflammatory spices support digestion
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes | Serves: 4
This is the kind of meal that grounds you after a busy Orange County day. Light enough that you won't feel heavy, but satisfying enough that you won't be searching for snacks an hour later.
Get the Spice Blends for This Recipe
What Orange County Customers Are Saying
Lisa from Dana Point:
"The Indian Made Easy Kit completely changed how I cook. I started with the dal recipe, and now I use the Veggie Mix in everything—roasted vegetables, soups, even sprinkled on avocado toast. It's fresh, flavorful, and actually makes weeknight cooking relaxing instead of stressful."
Marina from Irvine:
"These spice blends have become part of our family routine. The GG Mix gives such incredible depth to soups and sauces—my husband keeps asking what I'm doing differently. It's a taste of Ayurveda that fits perfectly into our SoCal life."
Paul from Newport Coast:
"I discovered Tea & Turmeric while visiting Laguna Beach last month. The blends are amazing—authentic but completely approachable. I've been back twice just to restock. My kitchen has never smelled better."
Why Ayurvedic Cooking is Growing in Southern California
Across Orange County, Newport Beach, Laguna, Irvine, and beyond, there's a shift happening. People want to understand what's in their food, where it comes from, and how it affects their bodies.
Ayurvedic cooking meets this need perfectly. It bridges wellness and flavor. It transforms everyday meals into rituals of self-care.
This is exactly what our Tea & Turmeric community connects with: real food, made with intention, that actually supports your health.
If you've been curious about Ayurveda, this is the most delicious place to start.
Take Your First Step: Shop, Visit, or Learn
Whether you want to explore Ayurvedic cooking, try new recipes, or discover authentic Indian spices, our Laguna Beach shop is your gateway to wellness through food.
Three Ways to Start Today:
1 Order the Indian Made Easy Kit online – We ship throughout Orange County and Southern California
2 Visit our shop at 1175 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach | Open daily 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM (Closed Wed)
3 Join our cooking classes – Hands-on sessions where you'll learn to make dal, use our blends, and understand Ayurvedic principles (check website for schedule)
Additional Resources for Your Ayurvedic Journey
• National Ayurvedic Medical Association – Find certified Ayurvedic practitioners
• The Ayurvedic Institute – Educational resources on Ayurvedic principles
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health – Evidence-based information on Ayurveda
• Health Benefits of Ghee (NIH Study) – Scientific research on traditional ingredients
Ready to bring Ayurveda, tradition, and incredible flavor into your kitchen?
Shop the Indian Made Easy Kit Now →
Questions? Email us at hello@teaandturmeric.com or call (949 715-9600
