Breakfast of Buckwheat Groat Parfait
- Vata: Neutral
Pitta: Neutral
Kapha: Decreases
Season: Spring
This buckwheat groat parfait is a perfect way to start a late Spring day. Just soak buckwheat groats overnight and rinse and enjoy in the morning with whatever fruit is in season–grapes, berries, apples or pears. To make this most Kapha balancing, use a skim cottage cheese blended in the food processor with only a drizzle of honey. If you prefer a raw, vegan breakfast, use cashew cream. Any nut can be slightly Kapha increasing, so it’s a juggling act between dairy and nuts. Cashews can also be Pitta increasing. But since this is a chilled breakfast, I think the overall effect of increasing Pitta is minimized. Buckwheat can also be heating for Pitta. So this breakfast is best served at the tail end of spring, on a cold morning when the weather will warm up during the day. The buckwheat reduces Kapha, the cashew cream instead of dairy can be beneficial in the spring and the cardamon and cinnamon are warming spices for the room temperature parfait. This can also be served chilled as a non-dairy dessert. Raw apples or pears will reduce Vata, and are often very affordable in the Spring when growers are trying to sell the rest of their winter produce. Some people think the buckwheat groats can be soaked for as little as one hour before eating. So you can experiment and see what works best for your system. Topping this parfait with a thread of saffron will bring a smile to your face and build ojas throughout the day.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dry buckwheat groats
- 2/3 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 T honey
- 3 apples or pears, de-seeded and chopped finely (or 2 cups other fruit)
- Optional coconut flakes, dried cranberry or cherry or saffron thread for topping
- 1 t cinnamon
- 1 t cardamon
Directions:
1. Soak buckwheat groats overnight.
2. Drain and rinse in the morning.
3. Add warm water to cashews until they are covered and soak overnight or for at least 15 minutes. Blend nuts with sweetener and cardamon, adding soak water for desired consistency.
4. Pare and chop apple and sprinkle with cinnamon
5. Layer cashew cream, then greats, then fruit and repeat until you reach the top of the parfait glass.
6. Top with coconut flakes, a cherry or cranberry, and a thread of saffron and enjoy!
Serves: 4-5
Preparation time: 10 minutes after soaking
For Individual Doshas:
Vata: Replace honey with maple syrup.
Pitta: Try with coconut cream instead of cashew cream. Replace groats with granola. Top with sliced almonds.
Kapha: Replace cashew cream with 1 cup blended skim cottage cheese