Recipe: Apple Almond Wheat Berry Cereal and Green Chai, Plus Chai Spices for your dosha

This recipe takes its inspiration from a great recipe posting from Fran's House of Ayurveda, which you can find here. It was very tasty and very sustaining. I highly recommend cooking the wheat berries the day or eve before you intend to eat this for breakfast, as they take a while to cook which may not suit your morning schedule. The wheat berries are worth the extra effort though; they're chewy and great for summer on occasion. (like all things- good in moderation) 

The Chai recipe is one I make often, and should be taken in the utmost moderation in the summertime because the spices are very hot. The spices come from a blend you can buy from most any Indian grocery store. I feel like I'm going to confession (my roots are showing here) saying that I use spices that aren't freshly ground in my kitchen. But you know, life- it's busy. Someday I'll buy my coffee grinder that I dedicate to grinding my own organic spices, but it hasn't happened just yet. In the meantime, this spice mix does a great stand-in job; I know it's not freshly ground or organic, but it's easy for when you want to make your caffeinated drink less vata-aggravating. It is great for vata-type digestion (bloating, constipation, irregular appetite) because of the spices with the hot milk, but since it's caffeinated, don't drink it too often because stimulants de-stabilize vata. 

Cook, enjoy and remember to eat mindfully! 

RECIPE: APPLE ALMOND WHEAT BERRY CEREAL

Serves 2. 

1 sweet apple (not green), chopped

1 c cooked wheat berries* 

1/4 c almonds, chopped and lightly toasted

maple syrup & rice milk to top

Place the chopped apple in a medium pot and add water to fill 1/2 inch deep. Bring to boil, cover. Stir after 2 minutes then check after another 2 minutes to see if tender but not mushy. Add wheat berries, stir and keep warm over very low heat. Take almonds, chop roughly then in a hot pan, toast the almond pieces, stirring frequently. Once almonds become aromatic, remove from heat and pour almonds out of the hot pan and into a small bowl. Now, take the wheat berry-apple mixture and serve it in bowls then top with almonds, maple syrup and rice milk. Savor and chew well! 

*how to cook wheat berries: Take 1/2 c uncooked wheat berries and soak in water overnight. In the morning, rinse and cook in 1 1/2 cups water as you would rice (boil, simmer with cover). Cook the berries until tender but chewy, approximately 45 minutes - 1 hour as you like. Drain any remaining water. 

• V: Excellent! Can add a large pinch fresh grated ginger to apples while cooking for extra digestive boost. Could also substitute fresh dates with the apples instead of adding maple syrup. 
• P: Very good. Use less almonds- even better if you soak then peel your almonds! Or simply substitute shredded coconut for almonds. 
• K: Avoid generally as wheat, maple and nuts all aggravate kapha. Can make with amaranth instead (yum!), sweeten with raw honey, top with dried raisins and eliminate almonds. 

RECIPE: GREEN CHAI (sounds like it belongs in an Indian Dr Seuss book, no? ;) )

Serves 2-3. 

2 c water

1/2 c organic milk

1/4 tsp T-Plus Masala blend (by MDH, can be found in most Indian Groceries)

2 slices fresh ginger root

1 green tea bag

1 black tea bag (I used English Breakfast)

coconut sugar for sweetening (raw sugar works too)

In a small pot bring water, milk, spices and ginger to a boil then down to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool until almost desired drinking temperature. Add tea bags and let steep for 3 minutes (not too long to prevent the tea from growing too strong). Remove tea bags, strain and drink. (I use a french press)

• V: Good. You could omit the tea bags and this would make an excellent before bed drink for sweet dreams. 
• P: A special treat. These spices are very heating, best to make your own spice blend using the guide below. Increase milk to 1 cup and decrease water to 1 1/2 cups. Use only one tea bag. Drink slowly while tasting the sweetness of life. 
• K: Good. Reduce milk to 1/4 cup. Use date sugar instead of coconut, and use sparingly. Use this tea to get your day going and get moving! :) 

If you don't have T-Plus Masala and are wanting to make chai for your doshas, here are some ideas:

(T-Plus is most suited to Kapha types)

• V Chai Spices: anise, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger (especially fresh), nutmeg, vanilla
• P Chai Spices: cardamom, cinnamon (in small amounts!), fresh ginger, vanilla 
• K Chai Spices: anise, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger (especially dry), black pepper