The days are getting seriously cold now and it has been a rather grey Berlin recently but today is the first is sunny day in a while and I felt like making a warming and deliciously creamy rice porridge. As a psoriasis sufferer I am always on the look out for gluten free alternatives and only the other day I thought rice could be an option for breakfast. Many Asian cultures follow this tradition, so why not try it out myself. It’s another option to your regular oat and brings some nice new textures and flavours to the breakfast table.
There are more than 8000 different types of rice, but to keep it simple I chose brown rice as it is by far the most nutritious form of all of them. It’s a good source of a number of B vitamins including B1, B2, B3 and B6 which are all important for energy production, cognitive function and metabolism. Brown rice also offers a wide variety of minerals including manganese, iron, selenium, magnesium and phosphorous as well as digestive health promoting fibre.
In general the short grain varieties are more starchy and sticky when cooked and the longer grain varieties are less heavy and starchy, so they will not go as sticky. That’s why I helped with a bit of coconut oil and cashewnut butter as it gives the porridge a creamier texture. Black rice is also perfect of making rice porridge as it has a naturally sweet taste and sticky texture. Unfortunately I have not come across any in Berlin yet, but I will keep my eyes pierced and shall share if I get lucky.
Last but not least you will be surprised to know that brown rice actually contains protein as well. In fact it contains a number of essential amino acids and is often eaten in combination with beans by vegetarians and vegans. This way they can increase their proteins intake, which often is low in these forms of diets.
Autumn fruit and nuts add some additional crunch and freshness as well as vitamins, minerals good oils and fibre. How better to start into a cold autumn day ?
Here is what you need:
Creamy brown rice porridge with autumn fruit and nuts- serves 2-3
Ingredients: ideally organic
Rice porridge:
225g brown basmati rice ( soaked for 2-3 hours best over night)
350ml oat milk
1 tbsp of coconut oil
2-3 Medjool dates
1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon & 1 vanilla pod
2 cardamom pods and 1/2 tsp of grated tonka bean – optional
1 tbsp of cashew butter
Topping:
1 pomegranate
1 apple ( I like cox or Breaburn)- cut into bite size cubes
A handful or two of mixed plain nuts- roughly chopped
1 tbsp of linseed oil per serving- optional
Coconut yogurt to garnish – optional
Ground cinnamon to garnish
Method:
1. After soaking the rice, rinse well, place in a saucepan, add oat milk, coconut oil, cinnamon and dates and bring to the boil. Then turn down and cook at low heat for about 30-40 minutes or if stated otherwise on the packaging, cook according to the packaging, as the cooking times may vary. Please keep and eye on the rice and add more oat milk if needed.
2. Whilst the rice is cooking, prepare the fruit and nuts.
2. After 30-40 minutes take the rice off the heat, leave to sit for 5 minutes before stirring in the cashew butter, if you like a more creamy texture you can also add a little more coconut oil or a table spoon of coconut yogurt also works a treat.
3. Serve hot topped with coconut yogurt, fresh fruit and nuts, a drizzle of linseed oil and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Enjoy and keep warm!! x