Ayurvedic Cooking 101: A Foundational Workshop for Beginners

If you’re Ayur-curious but feeling overwhelmed about where to start, my Ayurvedic Cooking 101 workshop is the perfect, supportive place to begin.

On Thursday, January 29, 2026, I’ll be hosting a hands-on, beginner-friendly class at the Ayurvedic Wellness Center designed to simplify Ayurvedic cooking and eating and give you practical skills you can use in your kitchen, every day. Whether you’re entirely new to Ayurveda or simply looking to deepen your confidence and competence in the kitchen, this class offers a supportive, inspiring experience to nourish both body and spirit.

Why This Class, and Why Now?

Ayurveda teaches that food is medicine. It’s not just something to fuel us, but something that is the foundation for our digestion, energy, mood, and overall balance. In this ancient healing science, meals are crafted with intention, focusing on seasonal ingredients, preparation techniques, and combinations that support agni (our digestive fire) and promote balance among the doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha).

In the modern, fast-paced world we live in, it’s easy to turn to external solutions for creating optimal health… supplements, shortcuts, or strict diets without grounding our wellbeing in the everyday act of eating. Yet food is among the most powerful tools we have for managing stress, restoring balance, and supporting longevity. Ayurvedic Cooking 101 brings these principles to life by empowering you to care for yourself in a holistic way, starting in the kitchen.

This workshop can be especially supportive in the new year, a time when many of us are resetting rhythms, recalibrating our habits, and reconnecting with practices that support long-term vitality. Learning to cook Ayurvedically can be a powerful anchor as you navigate seasonal transitions, manage digestion after the holidays, or simply cultivate a more nourishing way of living.

What You’ll Experience in Ayurvedic Cooking 101

This class offers a blend of hands-on cooking, clear instruction, and joyful exploration in the kitchen. It’s structured around the foundational techniques of Ayurvedic cooking, but designed in a way that’s approachable for beginners and also beneficial for anyone wanting more confidence or inspiration in the kitchen.

Here’s what participants will experience:

Ingredient preparation: Learn how to prepare plant-based foods in ways that enhance digestibility and nutrient absorption.
Simple, nourishing dishes: You’ll build confidence preparing staples like kitchari and dal, time-tested Ayurvedic dishes known for their ease of digestion and ability to restore balance.
Spices & techniques: Discover how to use Ayurvedic spices and cooking methods that make healing foods that are both delicious and digestively friendly.

You’ll leave class with simple, delicious recipes and a toolkit of techniques that make Ayurvedic cooking feel accessible and empowering.

Benefits of Ayurvedic Cooking 101

Ayurvedic Cooking 101 isn’t just a workshop; it’s a path to a sustainable food practice that supports your health and well-being, long-term. Attendees will:

Support balanced digestion and vitality through mindful ingredient choices and food combinations.
Build confidence in nourishing meal preparation, even if you’ve never cooked Ayurvedically before.
Learn how food influences energy and mood, offering subtle tools to shift how you feel from one meal to the next.
Establish a sustainable kitchen practice that supports seasonal transitions and personal rhythms.

Who This Class Is Designed For

As a practitioner and chef, one of the things I’m most passionate about is making Ayurvedic wisdom approachable. Ayurvedic Cooking 101 is crafted for:

Ayurvedic newbies who are curious about Ayurvedic principles but unsure where to start.
Home cooks craving confidence, especially those who want to learn foundational techniques before diving into more advanced workshops.
Anyone seeking balance in their diet, whether that means regulating digestion, managing seasonal change, or simply feeling more grounded around food.

You don’t need any experience or a culinary background to participate, just curiosity and a willingness to learn new things.

How This Differs from Other “Cooking with Kristin” Classes

Perhaps you've seen my Cooking with Kristin series before; classes that explore specific themes like using the Instant Pot or dosha-pacifying meals. While those are fun, themed classes designed to broaden your repertoire, Ayurvedic Cooking 101 is a foundational class.

Here’s how it stands apart:

Foundational Focus: Instead of focusing on a single theme or type of tool, this workshop introduces the core principles of Ayurvedic cooking itself. What makes a meal balancing, healing, or energetically supportive?
Broad, Practical Skill Building: You won’t just cook a dish, you’ll learn frameworks for prep, spice use, and seasonal adaptation that you can apply to virtually any recipe.
Ideal for Beginners: While other classes might assume some kitchen confidence or prior experience, this class meets you right where you are.
Holistic Integration: This workshop emphasizes the why behind each practice and technique, tying everything back to Ayurvedic theory.

In short, this isn’t a one-off cooking demo; it’s a beginning point for transforming how you think about food and its role in your wellness.

Join Me

Ayurvedic Cooking 101 will be offered in person at the Ayurvedic Wellness Center on January 29th from 5:30–7:30p p.m. ET, with all ingredients and tools provided.

If you’re looking to jumpstart your Ayurvedic cooking journey, we invite you to start with kitchari. Kitchari is a staple food of an Ayurvedic diet. It is a neutral, light, and easily digestible food that cleanses and nourishes the body without supporting any imbalances, while also removing toxins. You can view our recipe here.