Saffron Porridge With Jaggery
Steaming milky porridge, with a drizzle of honey, was our staple breakfast before school. And it is still one of my favourite indulgences, only now I mix it up, using less oats and adding chia seeds, berries, nuts and often some quinoa. My mother also recently started adding saffron and cardamom, sweetening the porridge with the mineral-rich earthy jaggery. It is so decadent, yet actually only enhanced with spiced goodness and that much needed crunch from a helping of nuts. Lastly, a squeeze of fresh orange, entirely optional, adds a lovely, tangy zest, which I absolutely adore!
Place all the ingredients for the porridge except for the orange into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat. Boil on a low heat for 5–8 minutes, stirring well, until a thick consistency and the porridge is cooked.
I prefer my porridge to be quite runny, but if you want a thicker consistency either add more oats or leave the porridge to cook for a little longer.
If you want to add orange juice, cut the orange in half and simply squeeze the juice directly into the saucepan. Stir well.
Pour the porridge into a bowl, sprinkle with the blueberries,chopped raspberries, pistachios and coconut chips, and enjoy while hot.
Note: I often add 2 tablespoons of cooked quinoa to my porridge and therefore slightly less oats, so that the porridge is less heavy and has a good balance of carbohydrates and protein.
