Friday, March 17, 2006

RECIPE ~ Excellent Breakfast


This breakfast is hearty enough for Vatas all year round, and for Pittas and Kaphas in winter and spring. It's bursting with flavour, energy, fiber and wholesomeness. This recipe takes a while to prepare, so it's good for a weekend morning or prepared the night before. Pictured above is the Kapha Kamut Breakfast with green tea chai.

VATA WHEAT BREAKFAST
1/4 cup whole wheat kernels (or brown basmati rice)
1 apple, chopped
6 dates
1 Tbsp shredded coconut
pinch each stevia, cinnamon
few drops of vanilla


PITTA WHEAT BREAKFAST
1/4 cup whole wheat kernels (or barley)
1 apple, chopped
8 prunes
1 Tbsp shredded coconut
1 Tbsp maple syrup
few drops of vanilla


KAPHA KAMUT BREAKFAST
1/4 cup whole kamut kernels (or millet or buckwheat)
1 apple, chopped
8 prunes
1 tsp shredded coconut
pinch each stevia, cinnamon
few drops of vanilla


Soak the whole grains overnight in 1 cup water. In the morning, rinse the grains and add 1 cup fresh water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour or until kernels are swollen and chewy (half an hour for rice and barley). Add remaining ingredients and cook 10 minutes longer. If you're not using stevia, stir in a bit of honey after cereal has cooled slightly.

GREEN TEA CHAI
1 Tbsp green tea leaves, or 2 bags
1/2 stick cinnamon
4 cloves
pinch each cardamom and turmeric
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup soy milk or to taste


In a small pot, bring 2 cups water to boil. Add remaining ingredients and low boil for 10 minutes. Using a small strainer, pour into 2 cups and sweeten with honey (Vatas and Kaphas) or maple syrup (Pittas).

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've noticed a lot of your recipies include wheat for pittas, but I've been told by an ayervedic doctor that wheat increases pitta and to avoid it completely...?

Claudia Davila (Fran) said...

Thank you for your query! All of my sources, including my Ayurvedic practitioner, include wheat as pacifying for pitta because it is sweet and cooling. If your doctor advised you not to have it you can substitute for any of the following:

~ amaranth
~ barley
~ oats (cooked)
~ rice (basmati, white, wild)
~ spelt (a relative of wheat)
~ tapioca

Hope this helps! :-)

Anonymous said...

I was under the impression that fruits are generally recommended to not be mixed with anything - is this true in all cases?

Claudia Davila (Fran) said...

It's a matter of degree. At the most sattvic or "purest" level of food for nutrition, proper absorption, etc, fruits should only be eaten alone. But if your diet is moderate in following rules, my belief is that in combination with grains or dairy it's suitable. It's one of those instances where we need to find our own place in the spectrum of strictness, or do our best with eating fruits alone and minimize it in combination with other foods.

Anonymous said...

I have read in several sources that Kaphas should avoid coconut, but shredded coconut is in the Kapha recipe?

Claudia Davila (Fran) said...

The Vata and Pitta recipes call for 1 Tbsp of coconut, and yes since Kaphas should avoid it I've reduced it to 1 tsp. Keeping it in adds some nice flavour, but for a strictly Kapha-pacifying breakfast by all means feel free to leave it out. (Coconut is both oily and cooling, both qualities Kaphas have and therefore should minimize!)

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for your site! My whole life I have been classic Vata. To a "T". Then 3 years ago due to a lot of stress and tragedy I started gaining weight and became hypothyroid and have adrenal issues. Nothing has let me lose the weight and I couldn't find anything explaining what to do as a Vata! It all said ways to gain! (Which used to be my problem!) lol! So thank you for letting me know I am not crazy and not alone. :)))

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for your site! My whole life I have been classic Vata. To a "T". Then 3 years ago due to a lot of stress and tragedy I started gaining weight and became hypothyroid and have adrenal issues. Nothing has let me lose the weight and I couldn't find anything explaining what to do as a Vata! It all said ways to gain! (Which used to be my problem!) lol! So thank you for letting me know I am not crazy and not alone. :)))