Shakti Hot Chocolate Tonic

From an Ayurvedic perspective this tonic is very supportive to vata dosha, which can be quite imbalanced in the winter months. It is deeply warming and grounding in the morning, and easily turned into a sweet treat with half a teaspoon of raw honey, although I find the coconut milk is sweet enough.

In her book Well and Good Nat Kringoudis, doctor of Chinese medicine, herbalist and women’s health guru, talks about the best foods for women’s overall health and fertility. I include three key ingredients from her book in this drink, cacao, maca and coconut. The combination of these ingredients, all super supportive to the female body, with the addition of warming spices as little sparks of fire, is why I call this my Shakti hot chocolate. It is tonic for feminine energy.

The recipe below is basically just a list of ingredients. I’m interested in the idea of intuitive cooking. It is how I cook, and how I get the most from what I make, as our bodies truly know what they need. Play around with the a pinch of ingredients and see what works best for you. My only tip is be generous with the cinnamon, cautious with the rest, and adjust to taste. Trust your instincts.

Ingredients

1.5 Tbsp. raw cacao powder 1 tsp. maca powder 1/4 cup hot or boiling water 1 cup coconut cream or milk

and a pinch each of turmeric pepper cinnamon powder cayenne pepper ginger powder turmeric powder cardamom powder

Blend your spices in a small saucepan on the stove. Add the water and whisk to combine. Add the coconut milk and whisk continuously as it heats. In the winter months I like to spoon the coconut cream off the top of the can of coconut milk and add it in at the end for a seriously creamy drink. If you’re using honey add it after pouring into the mug, as you do not want to over heat it.

I hope you find this drink supports you when you are thrown off course, warms you when you are cold and inspires you to cultivate your powerful feminine energy… xo