The Yoga Diet:
Foods That Burn Fat:
3 Perfect Meals

By Thérèse Baran

Lunch:
Lentil Salad With Fennel

Blanching the fennel in this recipe ensures that cooked lentils won’t be combined with a raw food (the fennel), which is harder to digest. If you have trouble with digestion, cook the fennel until tender. Because it’s cooling, fennel helps balance out the astringent lentils which could aggravate Vata if eaten regularly. In small amounts, sour ingredients like citrus can help stimulate digestion.

1     cup dried lentils (Vata: Use red lentils, if possible.)
3     large garlic cloves, chopped (Pitta: Omit garlic.)
1     bulb fennel, halved and quartered
¼     cup chopped cilantro
3    Tbsp olive oil (Kapha: Use sunflower oil.)
2-3    Tbsp fresh lemon juice (Pitta: Substitute fresh lime juice. Add ¼ tsp freshly grated ginger to dressing.)
½     tsp freshly ground black pepper (Pitta: Omit pepper.)
½    tsp honey


Makes 4 servings

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in saucepan. Add lentils and garlic and cook 15-20 minutes, or until lentils are just tender.
2. Bring small pot of water to a boil. Blanch fennel about 2 minutes. Remove to bowl of ice water to cool, then chop fennel.
3. Drain lentil-garlic mixture and rinse with cold water. Transfer to mixing bowl and add 1 cup chopped fennel and cilantro. Stir to combine.
4. Prepare dressing: Whisk oil, lemon juice, pepper, and honey in small bowl.
5. Toss lentil mixture with dressing in bowl. Season to taste with black pepper and serve immediately.

Back to: The Yoga Diet: Foods that Burn Fat

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