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It’s easy to understand why there’s so much anxiety around. Today’s world presents a lot of food for the anxious heart. I fall prey to it for sure. I’m anti-medication for anxiety and depression; it feels like a band-aid when what’s needed is a cure. But still we have to get through the days, right? Any calming help is a blessing. Herbs can be that help. Ashwagandha is a perfect example and there’s so much more to this Ayurvedic princess than soothing nerves. It’s like you hit a gold mine. To get the whole benefit of some herbs, ashwagandha being one, you have to eat them. It’s a rich source of iron, a mineral vital to so many functions including building strong blood, which in turn helps with our vitality. If you take ashwagandha as a tincture, you don’t get the iron. In India, the home of Ayurveda, it’s traditionally boiled in milk with molasses. This panna cotta is my variation on that with the addition of saffron and cardamom to blend the flavor and add their own vital benefits.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 61/2 cup servings or 8 pie slices | 20minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 10minutes |
|
|
- For ashwagandha milk
- 2 cups organic whole milk
- 1 tbsp ashwaganda root, powdered
- 5 pods cardamom
- 10 strands saffron
- For panna cotta
- 1/4 cup ashwagandha root tea
- 2 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
- 2 cups organic heavy cream
- 1/3 cup organic granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups ashwagandha milk as prepared above
- 1/2 cup organic sour cream not low fat
- Pour milk into medium saucepan. Add ashwagandha, cardamom pods, and saffron. Bring to gentle simmer. Reduce to lowest heat setting and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat, cover with lid and allow to steep for 40 minutes until cool. Strain.
- May prepare up to 2 days ahead and store in refrigerator.
- Have ready 6 to 8 4oz or 6oz dessert dishes, ramekins, or mason jars.
- Prepare ashwagandha tea. In small saucepan, combine 8 ounces of water and 1 tsp ashwagandha root powder. Bring to gentle simmer and cover with lid ajar. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover tightly and steep for 30 minutes.
- Pour ¼ cup cooled tea into a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over surface. Do not stir. Set aside for gelatin to soften.
- In a 3 quart saucepan, combine heavy cream, sugar, and salt. Heat on medium until steaming, stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat.
- Add water and gelatin mixture. Stir well until gelatin is melted. Cool to lukewarm.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together ashwagandha milk and sour cream. Add to cooled cream mixture and stir well. Allow to sit until begins to thicken slightly. Stir frequently with rubber spatula to scrape anything that settles to bottom or clings to sides of pan.
- When mixture feels cool to the touch and coats a spoon, pour into dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Serve chilled. If desired, panna cotta can be unmolded from dishes by inserting a sharp thin knife around edges to loosen then invert onto a plate. Garnish with cardamom powder or a basil leaf
*Using organic ingredients whenever possible will make your baked goods all the more nourishing. For this panna cotta use organic milk, cream, sugar, and spices if available.
*Ashwagandha can purchased dried either ground or as a powder.
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