The Ayurvedic classification of food by its effect on the mind and body — satvik (pure, calming), rajasik (stimulating), and tamasik (heavy, dulling) — a framework that shapes what many households choose to cook and avoid.
खान-पान · Khan-Pan
Rooted in Ayurvedic and yogic texts, the three-gunas framework treats food as more than nutrition: satvik foods (fresh fruit, vegetables, milk, grains) are held to calm and clarify the mind; rajasik foods (spicy, salty, stimulating) are held to energize but also agitate; and tamasik foods (stale, overly processed, or heavy) are held to dull awareness. Many traditional kitchens also avoid onion and garlic on this same reasoning, considering them rajasik.
The framework remains the basis for many temple kitchens and fasting menus today, and shapes what is served during festivals and religious observances covered throughout this site's Utsav & Parva chapter — sweets and fruit favored, and pungent or stale food avoided, on most major fasting days.