Dates, chia, hemp, coconut, and goji berries make these date chia balls a no-cooking, power packed dessert, which is nutritious, energizing and delicious!
Ingredients (makes 10 small sized balls):
- Dates (6 mejdool dates)
- Dried coconut flakes (1/2 cup)
- Goji berries (a handful) (optional)
- Hemp seeds (1 tsp) (optional)
- Chia seeds (1 tsp) (optional)
- Ghee (1/2 tsp) (optional)
- Cardamom (elaichi) powder (1/4th tsp)
Method:
- Pit the dates and chop them coarsely.
- Toast (dry roast) the hemp and chia seeds, if you are using them, on medium heat for a few minutes to make them more digestible.
- Mix all ingredients into a food processor and grind till you reach a consistency you like.
- Shape using your palms.
Tips:
I found that the whole ground mixture was very oily, so thought that the ghee could have been avoided, but adding a tiny bit will help with the digestibility and give it a nice flavor.
Tastes (Rasa):
Sweet (dates, goji berries, chia seeds, hemp seeds, ghee, coconut), sour (none), salty (none), bitter (none), pungent (cardamom), astringent (none).
Doshic Influence:
Chia seeds and hemp seeds, both can be kapha aggravating in excess. Chia seeds are oily and bulk up stools. Hemp seeds are grounding, nutritious with a cold vipaka (post-digestive effect). Dates are nourishing and very highly regarded in Ayurveda. They are considered a great way to enhance the rasa dhatu (the first in a set of 7 bodily tissues in Ayurvedic terms – the 7 dhatus are rasa (lymph), rakta (blood), mamsa (muscle), medha (fat), asthi (bone), majja(marrow), shukra/artava (reproductive), which culminate in the “essence” of health or ojas). Dates can be slightly vata aggravating in excess due to their dry qualities. Ghee is tridoshic. Coconut is nourishing and pitta pacifying. Cardamom adds the opposing pungent taste to balance all the sweetness and enhances digestibility. Overall, this is a very nourishing and satisfying food in small amounts for all doshas, especially in the cold winter months, when the digestive fire is strong.
Effects on the Mind (Gunas):
Sweet, nourishing and mild in flavors, this is a sattvic food in small amounts. If you overdo it, you can end up feeling heavy and tamasic.