A creamy, pitta-friendly porridge for cool weather nourishment.
Jump to RecipeYou may know already that I consider myself to be something of a porridge aficionado, and that one of my goals in life is to turn others into the kinds of folx who know, love and appreciate oatmeal for the delicious meal that it is (or at least, can be!) In that same vein, there are so many ways to make a baller porridge; so many different grains, ways to mix in nutritious, delicious components that make a bowl of what looks like mush into a much anticipated, truly delicious, fortifying meal and this Creamy Vanilla Millet Porridge with Cherry-Almond Quick Jam is one of them. Consider this new twist to be oatmeal’s very cool, whole grain cousin, who comes with a whole suitcase of incredible therapeutic benefits (in addition to being a very perfect canvas for all sorts of delicious porridge toppings.) Keep reading to learn more about this incredible gluten-free grain, and how to make it work for you this winter!
Millet is a gluten-free ancient grain, commonly cultivated and originating from grasses in India and Africa, which is one of the ways that it wove itself into ancient Ayurvedic texts. Like other grains, millet is rich in complex carbohydrates, but also high in fiber and very high in protein compared to other grains. Millet also contains exceptional levels of magnesium, folate and iron, making it a powerhouse food for athletes, as well as helping to lower cholesterol, moderate blood sugar levels, and boost antioxidants in the system. But macro- and micro- nutrients aren’t where it’s superpowers stop.
Like all foods, millet has not only a nutritional imprint but an energetic one. Millet is actually an astringent grain that cools the body and has more drying properties than other whole grains, such as oatmeal (which acts as a tool to plump the cells.) If you’ve been studying your flavors, you know that astringent foods tonify the system, drying up additional moisture. This astringent nature means that millet, and millet porridge, are MOST appropriate for late winter and early spring when we want to help the body dry up extra Kapha moisture that has served its purpose to keep the body warm and supple all winter long. (Oatmeal, on the other hand, PROMOTES Kapha in the system, helping to warm and deeply nourish the system, making it ideal for deep winter months.) If we eat this porridge in the deep winter without using grounding substances that bolster the recipe against the cold, we’ll end up with a super That said, it’s entirely possible to cook millet in such a way that it deeply nourishes the system while tonifying the body.
The recipe below uses millet soaked overnight and blends it up with full-fat A2 dairy milk, warming spices, and sweet maple syrup, and THEN dollops warming, digestively stimulating cherries on top. Why are all of these ingredients important?
Because on its own, or cooked in water, millet will be (firstly,) very bland but also VERY drying. In the body, this will look like constipation, dry skin, and a cold digestive system which you’re learning is NOT GREAT for athletes and active folx in the winter!
But, when we cook the grains in full-fat dairy milk and warming spices, they absorb all of the sweet, warming, and grounding qualities of these foods. This boosts the protein of the grains even further and makes for a bowl that’s balanced – both nutritionally AND energetically.
The addition of cherry-almond jam on top is also pretty magical. Cherries are a warming fruit and they stimulate metabolism and digestion. When combined with cherries, and stirred into your porridge, they provide an additional hit of healthy fats and protein, that grounds the bowl and your body.
Yes, that’s right, I am telling you that the secret ingredient here is REAL MILK. Not just any milk – full fat, A2 dairy milk. You could also use goat milk or sheep milk if you like, but ultimately real milk (and not an alternative,) is what I recommend here.
Why? Because this food has more protein, healthy fats, and probiotics than its plant-based peers. I know that we’ve all been led to believe that dairy milk is undigestible by humans…but that’s not actually true. And, big news for those with lactose intolerance….you probably can drink milk, eat cheese and other dairy products made with A2 milk! Ayurvedically, dairy milk has a beautiful, ojas-building nutritional profile, and for it’s used to reduce both vata and pitta, and bolster Kapha during these cold winter months. (Curious how reducing these two doshas might be good for you? Take the dosha quiz here or book an Ayurvedic consultation with me!)
I know you’re going to ask: “could I substitute a milk like oat, almond of soy?” Sure you can. But these kinds of milk are not the same even if they are called “milk.” While malks made with oats, almonds, seeds or other nuts don’t contain lactose (which of course is important if you have an allergy,) they also contain far less protein and often include added sweetener, gums or oils to make them creamy.
If you ARE going to use plant-based milk, almond milk will be the closest in its energetic benefit to dairy milk; building ojas, and strength, boosting immunity, and helping to reduce vata and pitta (though to a lesser degree than dairy milk.)
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