sweet mung daal porridge

Sweet Mung Daal Porridge

This vitalising and cleansing sweet mung daal porridge will have you longing for more! Mung beans’ astringent nature literally scrapes your bowels clean. They draw out toxins from your digestive tract, clear up excess mucus and combat dampness in your body.

This sweet little number offers a great alternative to standard breakfasts such as oat porridge and Co. and can also be a welcome change for people sensitive to grains and pseudo-grains. Mung daal is high in protein, potassium, vitamins A, C, and E, magnesium, calcium and iron.

Health benefits of mung daal:

Mung daal is rich in micro-nutrients, namely potassium, iron, magnesium iron and copper. Additionally the little beans also contain B6, folate (B9) and fibre. Super high in protein mung daal is thus also a great food for vegetarians and vegans. In comparison to other beans, mung daal doesn’t usually produce the dreaded bloat that so often goes in hand in hand with digesting other types of beans and pulses. Yellow daal produces something called ‘butyrate’: a short-chained fatty acid. Butyrate makes yellow daal much easier to digest and it also helps to maintain the health of the digestive tract and walls.

ayurveda

Feeling Vata: mung daal can aggravate a very dry and light Vata type, however this breakfast is balancing out this effect with the sweetness of raisins and maple syrup. Cook the mung daal in some coconut oil and add some salt to taste.

Feeling Pitta: mung daal are great for Pitta’s as they are very cooling in nature. This is a great breakfast for you.

Feeling Kapha: You’ll enjoy this breakfast but it can be a bit on the heavy side for you. Add plenty of ginger and cinnamon and go a bit easier on the dried fruits and maple syrup.

Weekly Recipe

Sweet Mung Daal Porridge

Sweet Mung Daal Porridge

sweet mung daal porridge

This vitalising and cleansing breakfast will have you longing for more! Mung beans astringent nature literally scrapes your bowels clean. They draw out toxins from your digestive tract, clear up excess mucus and combat dampness in your body.

This sweet little number offers a great alternative to standard breakfasts such as oat porridge and Co. and can also be a welcome change for people sensitive to grains and pseudo-grains. Mung dal is high in protein, potassium, vitamins A, C, and E, magnesium, calcium and iron.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 100g mung daal (soaked over night in water)
  • 2 x cups of water
  • 1/2 x teaspoon turmeric (curcuma)
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds (ground in pestle and mortar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 250ml oat-milk (or plant milk of your choice, just ensure it hasn't got any extra fats added to it. Most plant milks have added sunflower oils or other fats added and trust me this ain't good for your health. I use oatly's organic oat milk and it's free of any extra added fats.)
  • 3 x tablespoons maple syrup
  • seeds of 2-3 cardamom pods, freshly ground in pestle and mortar
  • 1 x thumb size knob of fresh ginger, minced
  • handful of raisins, soaked over night
  • optional: 1/2 teaspoon of saffron strands

Instructions

  1. Drain the soaked mung daal and add to a frying pan. Roast in the frying pan on a medium heat until the daal becomes fragrant and is lightly roasted.
  2. Add the roasted mung daal to a medium sized sauce pan and add water, turmeric, cinnamon and coriander seeds. Put a lid on and simmer for about 15 minutes and until everyrthing is nice and mushy.
  3. Now take a potato masher and mash everything in the pot until you have your preferred consistency.
  4. Add the plant milk, maple syrup, the cardamom seeds, fresh ginger and a bit of salt and pepper to taste (optional: add the saffron strands) and bring everything to the boil.
  5. Cover and simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes.
  6. Add the soaked raisins and mix through. Cook for another minute or so.
  7. Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped and roasted almonds, a sprinkle of cinnamon and drizzle with maple syrup to taste.

amaranth porrdige with pears and dried fruits

Amaranth Porridge With Pears and Dried Fruits

Amaranth porridge is a great alternative to oats or millet and can be a great substitue for those who can’t digest traditional grains or other psyeudo grains very well.

Amaranth is great for Kapha and Pitta types. Vata’s should try it out and mix with extra oil and sweet tastes to combat the very astringent and dry nature of amaranth. Amaranth ‘s astringent taste helps to dry up excess dampness and mucus in Kapha’s system. This benefits the lungs and respiratory system.

Amaranth is completly gluten free. It also has a cooling effect on hot Pitta types. Vata’s should avoid Amaranth as it’s too light for already light and airy Vata. Amaranth is very high in protein (30% more protein than rice), and contains four times as much calcium as wheat. It is also high in magnesium and manganese. Amaranth’s astringent taste is often balanced with oily, sweet, sour and salty ingredients. Vata’s can try this breakfast by adding plenty of coconut or olive oil, and adding sweet fruits, and extra salt if needed.

ayurveda

Feeling Vata: try out this breakfast by adding a dollop of coconut oil and a bit more salt to taste before you serve. Sweet pears and soaked dry fruits are all fine for you. If you’re feeling very Vata swap the amaranth with simple and plain porridge oats.

Feeling Pitta: you do well on this breakfast, just ensure that the fruits you add are sweet and avoid all sour fruits.

Feeling Kapha: amaranth is great for you, but you don’t do so well on an overload of sweet fruits. Leave out the dry fruits and simply make this breakfast with pears and raisins. You can also add more ginger and cinnamon if you feel you need that extra kick in the morning,

Weekly Recipe

Amaranth Porridge with Pears and Dried Fruits

Amaranth Porridge with Pears and Dried Fruits

amaranth porrdige with pears and dried fruits

Amaranth porrdige is a great alternative to oats or millet, and can feel less heavy for those who feel traditional porridge might be too filling or too heavy on the gut. Amaranth is great for Kapha and Pitta types. Vata's should try it out and mix with extra oil and sweet tastes to combat the very astringent and dry nature of amaranth.

Amaranth ‘s astringent taste helps to dry up excess dampness and mucus in Kapha’s system. This benefits the lungs and respiratory system. Amaranth is completly gluten free. It also has a cooling effect on hot Pitta types. Vata’s should avoid Amaranth as it’s too light for already light and airy Vata. Amaranth is very high in protein (30% more protein than rice), and contains four times as much calcium as wheat. It is also high in magnesium and manganese. Amaranth’s astringent taste is often balanced with oily, sweet, sour and salty ingredients. Vata’s can try this breakfast by adding plenty of coconut or olive oil, and adding sweet fruits, and extra salt if needed.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 x cup amaranth flakes (or whole amaranth soaked over night)
  • 1 x cup oat milk (I use oatly's organic as it's the only oat-milk I know that doesn't contain any extra added oils. Most oat-milks contain added sunflower or other fats. Try and find one without, it's better for your health!)
  • 1 and a 1/2 x cups of water
  • 1/2 x teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 x teaspoon turmeric (curcuma)
  • seeds of 2 x cardamom pods, ground in pestle and mortar
  • 1.5 cm of fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 and 1/2 x tablespoons maple syrup to taste
  • 1 x pinch of salt
  • freh pepper to taste
  • 2 x medium sized pears, diced
  • 1 x teaspoon vanilla extract (try finding one without alcohol)
  • 1 x teaspoon cinnamon 
  • handful or more of dried fruits of your choice, soaked over night

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients (apart from the pears, the cinnamon, and the vanilla extract) to a medium sized sauce-pan, and simmer for 5 minutes with the lid on.
  2. Then add the chopped pears and cook slowly on a low to medium heat, whilst stirring every now and then, for about 10-15 minutes. Keep adding water if mixture gets to dry.
  3. Add the vanilla and the cinnamon and cook for another few minutes.
  4. Then add the raisins to the pot and slowly mix through.
  5. Take off the heat, then serve with maple syrup and extra cinnamon.
  6. Voila!

warm amaranth breakfast bowl with apples and raisins

Warming Amaranth Bowl With Apples & Raisins

If oats, millet and Co. are not for you, or you simply want a bit of a change to your morning breakfast routine, try out some amaranth porridge for breakfast. It’s light and dry nature makes it an ideal grain for the Kapha dosha.
Amaranth ‘s astringent taste helps to dry up excess dampness and mucus in Kapha’s system. This benefits the lungs and respiratory system. Amaranth is completly gluten free. It also has a cooling effect on hot Pitta types. Vata’s should avoid Amaranth as it’s too light for already light and airy Vata.
Amaranth is very high in protein (30% more protein than rice), and contains four times as much calcium as wheat. It is also high in magnesium and manganese. Amaranth’s astringent taste is often balanced with oily, sweet, sour and salty ingredients. Vata’s can try this breakfast by adding plenty of coconut or olive oil, and adding sweet fruits, and salt for example.

Feeling Vata: you can try if this recipee works for you by adding coconut oil or olive oil, adding more salt and adding plenty of soaked raisins, figs or dates, and more of the sweet apple. Or simply cook this recipee but use oats instead of the amaranth.

Feeling Pitta: this is a great breakfast for you as amaranth is pacifying for Pittas. Raisins and sweet apples work well for you too, so it’s a WINNER!

Feeling Kapha: amaranth’s astringent nature is a superb psydo-grain for Kapha’s as it drys up excess mucus and helps remove Kapha’s excess dampness. Apples and raisins are fine for you too.

Weekly Recipe

Warming Amaranth Bowl with Apples & Raisins

Yield: 1 Bowl

Warming Amaranth Bowl with Apples & Raisins

warm amaranth breakfast bowl with apples and raisins

If oats, millet and Co. are not for you, or you simply want a bit of a change to your morning breakfast routine, try out some amaranth porridge for breakfast. It's light and dry nature makes it an ideal grain for the Kapha dosha.
Amaranth 's astringent taste helps to dry up excess dampness and mucus in Kapha's system. This benefits the lungs and respiratory system. Amaranth is completly gluten free. It also has a cooling effect on hot Pitta types. Vata's should avoid Amaranth as it's too light for already light and airy Vata.
Amaranth is very high in protein (30% more protein than rice), and contains four times as much calcium as wheat. It is also high in magnesium and manganese. Amaranth's astringent taste is often balanced with oily, sweet, sour and salty ingredients. Vata's can try this breakfast by adding plenty of coconut or olive oil, and adding sweet fruits, and salt for example.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 x cup amaranth, soaked in water over night
  • 1 x full apple, diced
  • 1/2 x teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/4 x cup raisins, soaked over night
  • 1/4 x teaspoon salt
  • 1 x cup of water
  • maple syrup to serve
  • fresh figs or other fruit to garnish

Instructions

  1. Chop the apple into small pieces.
  2. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of water in a medium sized sauce pan.
  3. Add the cardamom and cinnamom and mix well with the water.
  4. Then add all remaining ingredients (apart from the water) and mix well, whilst still heating on a medium heat.
  5. Then add the water and bring to the boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the amaranth becomes light and fluffy. Keep stirring every now and then, as amaranth can stick and burn quickly at the bottom of the pan!
  6. Serve with extra cinnamon, maple syrup, and garnish with fresh figs or other stewed or fresh fruit.


Amaranth breakfast bowl

Simple But Satisfying Amaranth Breakfast Bowl

This super simple recipe doesn’t require much effort, apart from the 20 minute cooking time which is slightly reduced if you soak the amaranth overnight. Amaranth is a pseudograin and glutenfree. Experiment by topping your fluffy Amaranth with stewed or cooked fruit such a blueberries, apples and pears.


Feeling Vata: Amaranth can aggravate Vata’s so this breakfast is probably not for you, however you can experiment with adding some nice oils such as olive or coconut, to make it’s energy more heavy and lubricating. Adding chopped fresh ginger can also help to add a bit of wamth to the mix.
Feeling Pitta & Kapha: Amaranth’s light, acidifying nature is very good for Pitta and Kapha types.


Weekly Recipe

Simple But Satisfying Amaranth Breakfast Bowl

Yield: serves 1

Simple But Satisfying Amaranth Breakfast Bowl

Amaranth breakfast bowl

This super simple recipe doesn't require much effort, apart from the 20 minute cooking time which is slightly reduced if you soak the amaranth overnight.
Amaranth is a pseudograin and glutenfree.
It's very good for Pitta and Kapha types, but can aggravate Vata's.
Experiment by topping your fluffy Amaranth with stewed or cooked fruit such a blueberries, apples and pears.

Ingredients

  • 1 x cup soaked Amaranth (best soaked overnight)
  • 2 and a half cups of water
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon date or maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon coconut aminos (leave out if doing a cleanse)
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Bring one part amaranth to two and a half parts water to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for around 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the grain is fluffy.
  2. Turn off the heat, then add the remaining ingredients.
  3. Ready!
  4. Top your Amaranth bowl with cooked berries or stewed fruits, or have it on its own with a bit of olive or coconut oil (No oils if you're doing a cleanse).
    Oher topping ideas could be superfoods such as gooji-berries, organic chocolate powder, roasted nuts and seeds, etc.

herbs help balance your dosha in ayurveda

The quick and easy guide to Ayurveda

Ayurveda is an ancient healing system that orginated in India. It can be traced back to pre-historic healing scripts (the Vedas) to somwhere between 3,000 – 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda talks about how to care and look after your body and how to maintain balance and great health. Ayurveda is still very widely practised and used today, with an ever growing popularity. Ayurveda is also the medical branch of yoga. It offers profound diet, herb, and lifestyle recommendations based on your individual constitution also called the ‘doshic-type’. 

The beauty of Ayurveda is that it is not difficult to understand. I’m always baffled again and again as to how easily Ayurveda can help us understand most health conditions that modern medicine still struggles to find the answers to most of today. I am amazed how wise men and women clearly understood the energies of food and our bodies so clearly back then, and with so much ease and clarity. And to put it simply: with a good dollop of pure common sense. A common sense that is clearly lacking from our computerized & ‘one pill for every need’ society that we are living in today.

So I hear you, you ask, but how does it work then?

To put it simply: Ayurveda doesn’t look at us humans as one and the same, but recognizes that we are all individuals that have different body types, different needs, different metabolisms, and to put it simply: different kind of energies.

Ayurveda is based on the principles of the three doshas: Vata, Pitta & Kapha. Doshas are the energies that make up every one of us human beings, and are derived from the elements (air, ether, fire, water, earth).

To give you an example:

Imagine a very skinny, slightly bony looking man. Let’s say he has an erratic kind of temperament and a very creative mind. His hair is bolding and he is prone to dry and flaky skin conditions. Let’s call him our ‘mad professor’ type.

Then imagine a sweet middle-aged lady, she looks gorgeous with voluptious hair and full lips. She has nice rounded hips and a very ‘curvy’ body type. She has beautiful thick dark hair, her skin is slightly on the oily side, and she complaints often that she puts on weight so easily but struggles to loose it. We wouldn’t call her overweight but she’s definitely a well rounded, beautiful lady. Let’s call her our ‘earth mama’.

So simply by looking at these two very different body types, I guess you would agree that it seems obvious that both people would need a very different appoach to their diet, with foods to suits their differing body types, right?

Our skinny professor would probably be suited more to a heavier kind of diet, consisting of grounding root vegetables and potatoes, plus some oily foods would be ok here. As the poor guy is complaining about dry skin conditions (think of dry, what do you need: something oily to lubricate), healthy fats and oils such as avocados could be a winner here. We would probably also tell him to eat bigger meals at regular times in the day, as lets face it: he’s a mad professor with his head in the clouds and he probably forgets to eat most days (as he’s so busy coming up with the next ‘big thing’).

This light and airy energy that can get scattered sometimes and that is manifesting here in our ‘mad-professor’, is described in Ayurveda as the ‘Vata’ energy.

Now, to our earth mama, we would probably prescribe foods that are more ‘light’ in nature, slightly drying (opposite to oily), and some more ‘fiery’ foods and warming spices such as cayenne, cinnamon, ginger. The lighter foods will help her balance some of that heaviness, the dry foods will balance out the oily skin, and the spicy foods will help to kick start the digestive fire and get that slightly sluggish metabolism going for longer.

This loving, grounded, earthly mothering nature would be described by Ayurveda as the ‘Kapha’ energy.

Last but not least, there’s the ‘Pitta’ energy. Let’s describe our typical Pitta person like this: do you know that guy from the office that needs to have his lunch at 12 o’clock on the dot every day or they get cranky? The boss that often gets red-headed when he talks himself into a rage? The girl next to you that drinks three coffees in a row and talks really, really fast? Probably a ‘Pitta Person’. Pittas are fast thinkers, born communicators and often work in busy career jobs such as in sales.

Pittas are prone to inflammation, red skin conditions, and often have a fast (sometimes too fast) metabolism. We balance Pitta’s hot, fiery energy with cooling drinks such as Aloe Vera Juice and bitter foods such as lots of leafy greens and legumes.

So this was a VERY SIMPLE introduction to how Ayurveda & the doshas work .

Of course there’s more depths to it, once you start studying Ayurveda further, but the basic pricinple works indeed around looking at the energy of a food (hot, cold,dry, light, etc.) and matching these up with your predominant body type (dosha).

Its important to know that we all carry all three doshas in us, and that we are always a mix of all three, with one or two dosha’s being the most prominent ones. Therefor most people would be classsified as a Vata-Pitta, Pitta-Vata, or Pitta-Kapha etc. type, with the third dosha being the least dominant one.
Note: there’s always an exception to the rule! Some people have all three dosha’s in them in more or less equal proportions, rather than having one dosha as their predominant type. This is called being ‘tri-doshic’.

Here is a short summary of the three doshas and what you can do to balance them.
Can you recognise your type?

Vata is the ether energy in Ayurveda

VATA:

The Vata energy is that of the Air and the Ether (something that permeates space). Qualities of Vata are therefor: dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, mobile, clear. These energies express themselves in the physical, mental and health sphere of a Vata person as follows.

Physical: Usually people with a slender frame, thin build, and often find it difficult to put on weight. They are often prone to dry skin and scalp conditions. Vata’s often have problem sleeping and are ‘light sleepers’. They have energy and like to be energetic, however this energy often comes in bursts and if not managed properly, Vata’s can fluctuate from lots of to very little energy. Overall they are athelctic and enjoy speed, motion and aerobic activity.

Mental: Vata’s types are quick to the mark, but their minds tend to wander.
Fear and anxiety are emotions that can come to often and too easily to Vata and thus they can be often prone to worry and anxiety. They often like to think of themselves as rebels.

Health Concerns: The light and windy energy of Vata tends to express itself in the digestive tract. If out of balance, constipation and bloating can manifest, such as are general aches, pains and inflammation.

General diet guidelines: To combat the cold, dry and airy nature of Vata, stick to freshly prepared cooked and warmed foods, rather than raw, unripe or cold foods. Avoid foods that are too spicy, bitter and astringent tastes, as these tastes can aggravate the light Vata nature even further. Instead favour sweet, sour and salty foods. Opt for hot beverages such as herbal tea rather than cold or aerated drinks.

Tastes to pacify Vata: sweet, sour, salty.

Optimal Balance: wonderfully creative and balanced enthusiasm is a great sign of the Vata dosha being in balance.

Pitta is the fire energy

PITTA:

The Pitta energy is that of the Fire and Water. Qualities of Pitta are therefor: hot, sharp,light, liquid,spreading, and oily. These energies express themselves like this in the physical, mental and health sphere of a Pitta person as follows.

Physical: Pitta types have a strong constitution with an average height and build and develop muscles easily. Their weak spot is their skin, being prone to rashes, sensitive skin, reddening skin, or sometimes also acne, freckles or moles. More senstive to sunlight and heat, these types often grey or bald early. Pittas have very strong appetites, and get easily cranky when missing a meal. They usually don’t have troubles with weight gain but are prone to hyperacidity and heartburn. They sweat easily.

Mental: Pittas are intelligent, perceptive and like to communicate fast, yet they may often end up opinionated and judgmental. Competition is in their nature, and they are usually very goal oriented. Pittas are often found in managerial positions, and can have a tendency to be aggressive and dominating.

Health Concerns: Pittas are often prone to acidity, hypertension, inflammations, skin conditions and hormonal imbalances.

General diet guidelines: To cool down the hot, fiery nature of Pitta, use the sweet, bitter and astringent tastes, and cooling and refreshing foods (such as leafy greens, aloe vera juice, etc.). Avoid spicy and hot foods if possible.

Tastes to pacify Pitta: sweet, bitter, astringent

Optimal State: A self-confident personality without arrogance and an entrepreneurial spirit are a great sign of a balanced Pitta.

KAPHA:

The Kapha energy is that of Water and Earth. Qualities of Kapha are therefor: Heavy, slow, cool, oily, smooth, dense, soft, stable, cloudy (sticky). These energies express themselves in the physical, mental and health sphere of a Kapha person as follows:

Physical: Kapha types are usually strong builds with well-developed muscle and usually normal to short in stature. Kapha types hold onto energy better out of all the dosha’s and therefor usually have a larger, stronger frame and can often struggle with excess weight. Loosing weight is not as easy for Kapha’s as it is for Vata or Pitta and types. Complexion is fair and bright, usually great, radiant skin, small pores and lucious, thick hair that can be abundant and wavy. They sometimes have a slow but constant appetite.

Mental: Kapha’s are usually grounded, with a great capacity for love, devotion and loyalty, sometimes with a little emotional temperament. New things and subjects often stick better after a lot of repetition, but great mastery when they do.
Better at completing things but sometimes slow to start off. Kapha’s can be romantic and sentimental and are slow to change.

Health concerns: Kapha’s are prone to diseases that relate to excess weight and water retention including obesity, asthma, edema and congestive disorders.

General diet guidelines: To combat the heavy, slow and dense nature of Kapha types, favour foods and energies that are pungent, bitter and astringent. Warm freshly prepared foods are best, gently cooked, and a predominantly vegetarian or vegan diet is best suited for Kapah’s. Kapha’s should avoid the sweet, sour and salty tastes as much as possible.

Tastes to pacify Kapha: bitter, pungent, astringent.

Optimal State: A calm and caring nature, being sweet, loving and grounded, are great signs of a balanced Kapha.