Mithalee's Ayurvedic Bone Broth

Recipe by

Mithalee Rawat

Serves

Makes about 3L

Difficulty

Intermediate

Photo by:

Photo by Andrea Gentl

Bone broth has a long history in Āyurvedic cooking and medicine. In the Mansa Varga (meat group), it has been glorified as anti-ageing and strength providing (must be all that collagen!). To accommodate its digestible properties, it is best prepared with aromatic, pungent and salty flavours, and enjoyed warm. Known as asthi rasa or mamsa rasa, it is also known to be nourishing to deep tissues.

The recipe is quite simple, but the one thing I want to emphasise is to try and source the highest quality ingredients you can afford. Bone broth is rich in collagen and micro-nutrients due to the low and slow cooking process which coaxes these nutrients out, and at the same time could likely leech any toxins stored in the bones as well. Pastured poultry and grass-fed and finished animals raised without the use of steroids and antibiotics will yield the healthiest stuff. Same goes with the vegetables and aromatics - organic/ biodynamically grown makes a world of a difference. In general, the end product is only as good as the ingredients that go into it.

Ingredients

Bones: 4lbs

For chicken (or turkey/ duck) bone broth: 2lbs necks and backs, 2 lbs feet
For beef (or lamb) bone broth: mostly meaty knuckle bones, and a couple of marrow bones

40g Fresh ginger, sliced fairly thinly (unpeeled if using organic)
1 tbsp Pragati Turmeric
1 tbsp Aranya Black Pepper
4-5 green Baraka Green Cardamom pods, lightly pounded
2 Himalayan Tejpatta leaves
1 3” Wild Cinnamon Quill
½ lemon, seeds removed
4 litres water, preferably filtered

Special equipment: 6qt or larger heavy bottomed stock pot or slow cooker, fine mesh sieve

Methods

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place all the bones (other than feet, is using) in a single layer on a roasting pan covered with foil or silicone baking sheet. Roast bones for 20-30 minutes, or until well browned, turning occasionally.
Pour the water into a stock pot or slow cooker. Add the roasted bones into the pot (and the feet, if using). If there is a lot of fat on the roasting pan from beef bones, save this to use as a cooking oil but do not add it into the pot. There should be about 2 inches of water covering everything, if there is not then add some more. Turn the heat to medium high.
Cover the pot and wait for it to come to a boil. Once it has come to a rolling boil, turn the heat to medium low. When the boil has mellowed a bit, if any impurities or foam come to the top they can be skimmed off. Put the lid on and keep checking on the boil till it is a low simmer. Keep skimming occasionally while it comes to this simmer. After the foam subsides, add in all other ingredients and carefully stir just enough so the turmeric is not just sitting on top of the liquid. Adjust the temperature as needed. If using the stovetop method, let it simmer for as long as you can and then cool, store in the fridge till next day and continue to simmer for anywhere from 6-24 hours for chicken, or 16-48 hours for beef. If using a slow cooker, leave it on for the same length of time.
Remove pot from the heat and let cool slightly. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into another pot. The quickest and safest way to cool it is in an ice bath (cold water plus some ice in a sink), stirring often). If there is a lot of fat visible on top, skim this off into a jar, trying to be as careful as possible to not get any broth in there. Beef tallow is an especially good high heat cooking fat, and chicken fat can be used in any schmaltz recipes.
The broth can be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days (longer if there is a fat cap on top) and in the freezer for up to a year. Some folks like to freeze ice cubes of broth as well.
Enjoy bone broth as a soup or stew base, to cook pasta and rice, or simply to sip on with some simple add-ins like good salt, miso paste or chili flakes. Āyurveda teaches us that to make spice medicine bioavailable in our bodies, it should be consumed with a high quality fat, so adding ghee or that gorgeous fat you have saved to your soup or mug of broth is strongly recommended!

Note: This recipe is especially potent for supporting gut health, but can easily be adapted to address other health goals. Want to improve your immune system? Smash some garlic cloves into it. Respiratory trouble? Add generous amounts of cinnamon sticks and cloves. Blood sugar high? Try burdock root. Want to support your body’s detoxification process? Parsley, fennel seeds and coriander seeds. Bone broth is a wonderful vehicle for herb and spice medicine! Also, most vegetables and their ends can be used for flavour (onions, leeks, carrots, celery, parsnip, fennel etc) except cruciferous ones since those add bitterness.

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