Ayurvedic Vata Apple Breakfast Bowl

When I was in high school, I was obsessed with personality quizzes.  You know the kind, they came every month in Seventeen magazine (or Cosmo, if you wanted to be more risqué).  There were entire websites dedicated to helping visitors learn what kind of friends they were, which Jane Austen characters they most closely resembled, and, of course, whether or not their crushes liked them back.  I remember losing hours immersed in these quizzes…talk about wasted youth.

Apparently, I still have a penchant for that kind of entertainment because when I stumbled on a site offering an Ayurvedic dosha quiz, I just couldn’t resist.  Basically, in Ayurveda (an ancient system of medicine originating in India) there are 3 basic body types, or doshas: Vata, Kapha, and Pitta.  I have to admit to knowing very little else and so I encourage you to do a web search if you want to learn more.  HeyMonicaB is a fun site for that.  From my quiz (ok, I took a few) I learned that I am a Vata type, which is wonderful news because Vatas are encouraged to eat plenty of butter or ghee and sweet things.  Woohoo!  On the flip side, a lot of raw produce is discouraged.  :(

This is the breakfast I devised based on what I learned about Vata diet recommendations. I can’t guarantee that it is faithful to Ayurvedic principles, but I can assure you that it is absolutely delicious!

Vata Apple Breakfast Bowl
serves 1

Ingredients:
– 3/4-1 cup water
– 1 apple, cubed
– 1/4 oats or 1/2 cup leftover cooked rice
– 1/2 tsp turmeric
– 1/2 tsp cardamom
– several dashes cinnamon
– a dash each of ground nutmeg and cloves
– 1/2 inch fresh ginger, grated
– 1 Tbsp blackstrap molasses
– a generous pat of butter

Heat water over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Add apples and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.  While the apples are cooking, add remaining ingredients to the skillet and stir occasionally.  The liquid that is not soaked up will form a delicious, flavorful syrup. Serve hot.

* I shared this post on this week’s Simple Lives Thursday, Real Food Wednesday, Whole Food Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.