Yummy Morning Porridge
The most questions that I receive from my students regarding food is, "What can I eat for breakfast?"
Breakfast seems to be a delicate issue. So, I would like to talk first a little more about the relationship between breakfast and Ayurveda.
Did you know that what you eat in the morning can profoundly impact your day?
According to Ayurveda, breakfast falls during the Kapha time of day, between 6 and 10 am. Kapha is characterized by heavy, slow, cold, and sticky qualities. Consuming breakfast foods with these qualities might make us feel lethargic or sluggish throughout the day.
To balance these qualities, Ayurveda recommends a warm and light breakfast.
However, the ideal breakfast choice can vary depending on your individual constitution.
For those who are Vata dominant, a warm and nourishing breakfast like porridge with ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom can help balance Vata's cold quality.
Similarly, those with a Pitta-dominant constitution should also consume breakfast to provide fuel for their strong digestive fire. Regular meals are essential for maintaining the energy levels of both Vata and Pitta body types, as they tend to have less substance.
On the other hand, those with a Kapha-dominant constitution can get by without breakfast due to their natural substance. A light option, such as fruits, is recommended if breakfast is necessary. Remember that the perfect breakfast choice can vary depending on your unique Ayurvedic constitution.
In conclusion, it's essential to consider your Ayurvedic body type and the qualities of the morning when selecting your breakfast. Don't let a heavy breakfast drag you down!
So, here is a breakfast idea for you. It might not be what you expected, but bear with me; the humble porridge is a great choice.
According to the season, you can choose different grains; oats are one option. Still, barley, rye, rice, quinoa, amaranth or millet are excellent too.
They all have different qualities:
Oats are nourishing, excellent nerve tonic, help to reduce cholesterol and have a heart tonic. It has a sweet taste with slimy/gooey, heavy, and dry qualities. It reduces Vata & Pitta and increases Kapha, which makes it ideal for autumn and winter.
Barley is sweet and astringent in taste. Astringency draws the tissues together; this action helps balance both Kapha and Pitta; the sweet taste benefits Vata and Kapha. The qualities are light, cold and dry; light and dry balance the spring qualities and cold helps to keep Pitta in check. It is nourishing and strengthening.
Barley increases Vata due to its astringent taste and cold, light and dry qualities. It reduces Kapha and Pitta.Rye is more used on the European continent. It has a bitter, pungent taste and heavy, dry, and hot qualities. Yet, it is nourishing and strengthening as well. The qualities and pungent taste imbalance Pitta and balancing for Kapha dosha. Rye is a great spring grain.
Rice is cooling, sweet in taste, heavy, oily and cold in quality. It is a Rasayana that builds all tissues. Increases production of breastmilk and semen.
It reduces Vata & Pitta as well and increases Kapha. Its cooling qualities make it an excellent summer grain, balancing the lightness and heat of Pitta.Quinoa and amaranth are not grains; strictly speaking, they are seeds from the same family flower.
Amaranth has a sweet, astringent taste and cold quality, which helps balance Pitta. It is nourishing and filling. This makes it excellent for the summer. The drying quality helps with potential excess mucous during the spring months. Amaranth increases Vata and reduces Pitta and Kapha, so spring and summer are the best seasons for this grain.
Quinoa is sweet and bitter in taste. Its qualities are moist, cold and oily. It is nourishing and strengthening. It reduces V (the moist and oily qualities and sweet taste) and P and balances K, which makes it suitable for all doshas throughout the year.
Millet is also nourishing and strengthening. It is sweet and astringent with dry, light, and hot qualities. Vata is increased by both the astringent taste and dry and light qualities. Millet is extremely drying, which can lie to constipation. Sweet and astringent taste suit Pitta dosha; the qualities balance Kapha dosha, so it is good during spring and summer.
Quinoa, amaranth and millet are higher in protein than the other grains.
Choosing the suitable grain makes porridge lighter than expected.
So here is a base recipe you can adapt to any of the grains you choose throughout the year.
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Recipe
Ingredients for two portions:
1 cup of the above or mixed flakes
1 ½ cups of water
1 ½ cups of milk of your choice
1 tsp ghee or coconut oil
1 tbsp raisins
½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cardamom
½ tsp fennel
Preparation
Put water flakes, spices and raisins in the pot, let it soak for about ½ hour, then bring to a boil. Next, heat the milk up in a separate pot.
Once the water is boiling, stir occasionally, and keep the lid slightly open to avoid over-boiling. Cook on low heat for about 5 min, add the milk, and keep it boiling for another couple of minutes.
Ensure the porridge doesn't dry out; add more water if needed.
When done, stir in the ghee or oil.
Variations
Use only water.
Add 1 tsp honey when the porridge has cooled down; this is particularly beneficial in the spring. During autumn and summer, use coconut sugar or agave syrup.
During spring, don't soak the flakes but put the ghee or coconut oil in the pot, heat it up, add the flakes and toast them for about 5 minutes, then add hot water.
Add 1 tbsp mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame) or 3 soaked and peeled almonds during the winter.
Here is something to consider!
Ayurveda recommends not mixing fresh fruits and dairy as this leads to the formation of toxins in the body. Instead, have the fruit separate from meals.
Dried fruits and milk are ok to mix.
Let me know your favourite porridge. Let me know how you make it on Instagram, Facebook or even good old email.
I love hearing from you!
Katja x
P.S. If you like to learn more about season living with Ayurveda and how to cook delicious, nourishing meals, join our Ayurveda for the Summer Cooking Session and YogaVeda Summer Mini-Retreat.
