Joy of Balance - An Ayurvedic Guide to Cooking with Healing Ingredients: 80 Plant-Based Recipes

If you are looking for the next level of Ayurvedic cooking this is the book. Good for beginners and advanced students. Divya goes behind the Ayurvedic wisdom science of how and why to Ayurvedize recipes for better digestion, optimal health and longevity . The most delicious vegetarian and vegan recipes.

I heard this cookbook had good recipes using American dishes with Ayurvedic directions in terms of doshas, and using food to balance individual needs, and it did. Divya Alter gives very thorough and grounded information on a large and complex way of healing through food.

Divya Alter's second book will take you on a deeper dive into the world of Ayurveda to facilitate your own personal journey of healing with food by first understanding your own digestion. Though the book is filled with Ayurvedic knowledge (prana and its components, the six tastes, the golden rule of balance, etc.), since Ayurveda is first and foremost practical, you'll find tips in this book ranging from food suitability, meal portions, kitchen setup and tools, time-saving tips for preparing fresh meals daily, the best ingredients to use, etc. We live in the modern world, and yet Divya shows how Ayurveda can seamlessly blend with our lives to make us healthy, happy, and...well, balanced! Don't miss this opportunity to bring the joy of balance into your and your loved ones' lives!

I have had the privilege to study with this amazing chef and healer. The Joy of Balance is the perfect companion to her earlier cookbook, Cook for How You Feel and for anyone interested in learning Ayurvedic cooking methods and principals. This book is visually stunning but more importantly an incredible reference guide into the qualities from subtle to dense of each food group, helping the reader to grasp the nuances of Ayurvedic cooking. I could easily throw out my notes from her cooking course as I now have them organized in such a refined fashion in this book. Endless gratitude, Divya for making Ayurvedic cooking accessible and attainable.

I loved her first cookbook and use her dessert recipes from that book often but the cookie recipe in this book was a miss for me. I bought the entire book for the cookie recipe😂. I’ll try the savory things and I’m sure they are delicious but the chocolate chip pecan cookie was a miss for me. I generally like low sugar, healthy, austere cookies but these were not to my taste. This book is special to Ayurveda so much of the ingredients you will have to search for at a specialty store. Especially the spices.

I am honored and grateful to have taken courses with this gifted writer and teacher. Having relied on her first book, WHAT TO EAT FOR HOW YOU FEEL since it’s publication I could hardly wait for this new revelation of her bountiful care and knowledge. The recipes are clear and accessible for anyone whether we are students of Ayurveda or not. It is a beautifully produced volume. But behind these rather conventional attributes of any wonderful book lie the wisdom, generosity and skill of Divya Alter who is a blessing to all who enter a kitchen to cook or sit at a table to benefit from healthy, delicious meals.

really nice book!

This is a nice cookbook but it's a little misleading with it saying Plant Based. It's vegetarian not vegan so it's confusing. It's has a decent amount of vegan and gluten free recipes but I was disappointed when I started reading the recipes and saw honey, milk and cheese. I wouldn't have bought it if I knew it contained animal ingredients.

I loved Divya Alter's first book, What to Cook for How you Feel, and all of the recipes I made turned out well so I was excited to get The Joy of Balance. It is very well written and the author provides interesting information about ayurveda, relevant nutritional information about the ingredients, and a rationale for using them. So far I made the Cream of Fennel Soup as well as the Celery Root and Taro pancakes and both were delicious. Next on the list are the Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies :)