Ayurvedic Semolina Porridge

Balancing for all doshas and all seasons; especially balancing and grounding for Vata & Pitta doshas
Kapha dominant with excess weight or mucous - omit milk, ghee & add more ginger powder
Excellent food for infants, children, elderly, pre-natal & post-natal, anybody with weak digestion
Porridge prepared ayurvedically is a light and easily digestible meal.
A deliciously nourishing breakfast with sweet, warm and moist qualities to kick start your day. The ‘sweet’ taste of grains is recommended as the first taste of the day because this provides the physiology of the body with cellular nourishment.
Fruit and grains are typically considered a poor food combination hampering good digestion, however, oats are a particularly light grain and are generally quite digestible and the sweet taste profile of raisins matches the sweet taste of semolina and oats, which makes them more compatible.
Serves 2

Ingredients

1-2 Tabs Ghee

½ cup Semolina (course is easier to avoid lumps)

2 cups Water, boiled

½ tsp Cinnamon powder

½ tsp Cardamom powder

¼ tsp Ginger powder (optional extra for Kapha)

¼ cup Sultanas, raisins or chopped dates

2 tsp Raw sugar or coconut sugar (optional)

3/4-1 cup Milk, organic unhomogenised, or unsweetened almond milk

Warm the ghee on medium heat and add the oats. Toast lightly until aromatic and golden to a slight light brown in colour.
Once toasted (this makes the grain lighter and more digestible), add the boiled water. It will spit and bubble, water mixing with the ghee/ fat but this step splits up the grain and further makes it more easily digested.
Lower the heat. Add the spices and raisins, sultanas or dates. Add sugar if using and mix thoroughly.
Cook until the semolina is soft and the water is absorbed.
Add the milk; add more if you like for the desired consistency. Ensure it boils to make it ‘lighter’ on digestion.
Remove from heat and cool slightly.
If your body feels dry, or you know you have a lot of Vata in your constitution, add 1 tsp ghee as garnish. Mix in well.
Enjoy eating in a peaceful environment and with happy mindfulness to enhance satisfaction and digestion.

Notes:

For extra protein and nourishment for the nervous system, add ½ cup almonds, soaked overnight (if you’ve thought of this ahead of time) and peeled
Include 1 Tab soaked chia seeds or 1 Tab ground flaxseed for brain-boosting omega 3s
For kids: Use more milk instead of water for the protein and nourishing tissue-building benefits of milk
As a guideline, generally use ¼ tsp of spices per person however I tend to be more generous with spice quantities, especially for porridge
Avoid adding more water after adding milk or the porridge becomes heavier and stickier and hampers efficient digestion
Do not add fresh fruit. Fresh fruit should be eaten on its own, between meals ,or it stays in the stomach for too long and ferments, causing undigested food toxins (ama in Sanskrit).