FENNEL AND ROSE BUCK-RICE PORRIDGE WITH TOASTED SUNFLOWER SEEDS

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As the nights draw in, I’ve gone back to porridge. This lightly sweetened and oh-so-fragrant porridge uses one of my favourite combos: rose and fennel. Excellent at taming Vata in autumn — the Vata time of year!!! Using a hearty, grounding base of buckwheat and rice offers a whole new nutty flavour profile. At this time of year when digestion may be as erratic as the weather, I make it with white basmati, which is much easier to digest, but as the cold of winter creeps in I switch to well soaked and well cooked brown basmati with my buckwheat, which offers a welcome change in texture and taste. If you want to further enhance the flavours of the grains, try toasting them first until aromatic and lightly golden before continuing to cook.

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INGREDIENTS

Serves 2

¼ cup buckwheat* (soaked overnight, rinsed and drained)
¼ cup white basmati rice** (soaked overnight, rinsed and drained)
Pinch of sea salt
¼ tsp ginger powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
1 tbsp ghee, or your favorite cooking oil
2 cups water
3 tbsp raisins

For the topping

¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp jaggery
Drop of rose extract

To serve

Hot plant milk or simmered dairy milk to serve (optional)

METHOD

1. The night before, soak the buckwheat.

2. The next day, heat the ghee in a pot and add the spices. Sauté until fragrant, then add the buckwheat, rice and salt. Stir and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes on a medium-low heat.

3. Add the water, stir again and cover. Bring to the boil then simmer, lid on, for about 20-30 minutes until soft and tender, adding the raisins for the last 5 minutes of cooking and more freshly boiled water if needed.

4. For the topping, sauté the sunflower seeds in a dry pan, tossing often, until lightly toasted. Sprinkle with the grated jaggery and remove from the heat. Add a drop of rose extract and mix well.

5. Serve the porridge between two bowls, adding a splash of hot plant milk or simmered dairy milk if you like, and top with the toasted sunflower seeds.

East by West tip:

For guests: sprinkle the final dish with extra cinnamon, toasted fennel seeds and a pinch of dried rose petals.

*During winter-spring — Kapha season when our digestive fire is stronger and we are looking for heartier meals, sub in ¼ cup brown basmati (soaked overnight, rinsed and drained) for the white basmati and cook for 20 minutes longer, i.e. 30 to 40 minutes until the brown rice is “overcooked” and completely tender.

**If you’re not always hot on remembering to pre-soak before making porridge, then look for Kasha (roasted buckwheat) and team this with white basmati which you can use straight away. Always best to rinse if possible.

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