Oatmeal – Ayurvedic Style
Adapted from Divya Alter by My Little Blue Heron
It’s a cold and snowy, snow day in NYC. Feels great to stay home because of the weather.
Here’s an old-fashioned breakfast (lunch or dinner) that’ll warm you and make you feel great, inside out.
Overnight oats are so 2020. Add water and wait or nuke containers are okay for emergencies.
This recipe may help to rekindle your love for oatmeal.
The smallest teaspoon of ghee renders a luxurious and velvety porridge. Ayurvedic cooking prefers cultured ghee (which is sometimes difficult to find and when found, pricier than ‘regular’ ghee.)
Bye-bye bland! Cardamom, cinnamon and saffron not only taste gorgeous, but these spices help with your digestion. After eating a bowl of this, you won’t feel like you have a resident squatter in your tummy.
I like to add a pinch of pure ground vanilla. It's not inexpensive (all vanilla is pricey!) I like this one because it isn't cut with anything: an ounce of powder from Madagascar.
The only sweetener in this is sweet masala or a simple chopped date or a handful of raisins. The spices are 'sweet'!
MLBH Truc: use your teeth to crack open the end of a cardamom pod (I’m serious.)
N.B.If you don’t have saffron, no big deal. Alter writes that you can substitute ground fennel for cinnamon (or you might just add a pinch of ground fennel.) I do love ground fennel. It’s a great spice that is sweet, light and is great for digestion.
I’ve made this with both rolled and steel cut oats, and my preference is steel cut. If you’re going to use steel cut oats, be prepared for the additions of more water and more time. If you soak the oats overnight (and then drain them before proceeding with the recipe), you will reduce cooking time!)
It’s best to prepare this with organic oats. If you don’t have organic oats, next time you are restocking the pantry, consider organic.
Alter calls for either cow’s or almond milk. I've never used cow's milk and use only almond or oat milk. If you use cow’s milk, I suggest using organic, grass fed whole milk.
This recipe is for a (large!) single serving and is easily scaled up. (Ayurveda is anti-leftovers. In an ideal world, a lifestyle with time, it makes sense to eat everything freshly prepared. I have a busy schedule and work early in the morning. I would probably be berated by Ayurvedic practitioners, but I feel no shame.
Stay warm, cozy, safe and healthy.
with warmth and love,
jane
Oatmeal – Ayurvedic Style
Ingredients:
1 tsp. ghee
2 cardamom pods, slightly opened at one end
1-inch-long cinnamon stick
1/8 tsp pure vanilla powder
2 (or more, if small or not the highest quality) saffron threads
¼ cup rolled or steel cut oats*(see step 4)
½ cup water
½ cup almond, oat or cow’s milk
1 tsp. sweet masala (follow the link!) or 1 chopped Medjool date or 1 Tbsp. raisins
Procedure:
1 In a small saucepan that has a lid, heat the ghee over med-low heat.
2 Add the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick and toast for a minute or less, until fragrant.
3 Add the oats and saffron, and if using the sweet masala, add it now. Stir, coating the oats well with the ghee, allowing the ghee to penetrate and absorb into the grains. Toast for a minute or two.
4 Add the water (first) and then the milk. If sweetening with dates or raisins, toss them in now.
*If using steel cut oats, increase water by ½ cup. You may need to continue to add water as the oats cook until they reach desired tenderness.
5 Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, partially cover.
6 Cook rolled oats for about 10 minutes. Cook steel cut oats for considerably longer .. 20 to 40 minutes, depending on your heat, your liquid and desired texture. Don’t be afraid to continue to add liquid. You’re the boss. The finished texture will be very creamy.
7 Remove from heat. Remove the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick.
8 Inhale, eat, smile, repeat.
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