In short: An Ayurvedic breakfast is warm, cooked and spiced. Typical are a porridge of oats, millet or rice, stewed fruit such as apple or pear, and warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and fennel. Cold muesli with cold milk and raw food rarely appear on the Ayurvedic breakfast table.
What makes a breakfast Ayurvedic?
In Ayurveda the morning is seen as a calm time when the body gets going slowly. That's why the tradition recommends a warm, rather light breakfast instead of a lavish buffet. Three principles help you get started:
- Warm, not cold: porridge instead of cold muesli, warm water or tea instead of iced coffee.
- Cooked, not raw: stew fruit briefly, simmer the oats.
- Spiced: a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger or fennel adds flavour and depth.
It doesn't have to be complicated. With a ready-made blend like Madhura, a plain porridge becomes an Ayurvedic breakfast in two minutes.
Recipe 1: spiced porridge with apple
For 1 person: 40 g oats, 200 ml milk or oat drink, 1 small apple, 1 tsp ghee or butter, Madhura from the grinder, a handful of nuts.
- Dice the apple and sauté it in ghee for 3 minutes.
- Add the oats and milk and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Spoon into a bowl, grind Madhura over the top and sprinkle with chopped nuts.
For a version with carrot, see our carrot and apple porridge.
Recipe 2: warm spiced compote
Cut 2 pears or apples into wedges and stew them covered for 8 minutes with 3 tbsp water, a handful of raisins and a pinch of Madhura. Eat warm with yoghurt, porridge or on its own. Keeps in the fridge for three days.
In summer, roasted peaches work too: our recipe roasted peaches with vanilla cashew cream.
Recipe 3: savoury breakfast toast
Not everyone likes sweet in the morning. Toast a slice of wholegrain bread, spread with mashed avocado or hummus, top with a fried or scrambled egg and grind over Vyosha instead of pepper, or Lavana. Our seed bread goes perfectly with it.
What to drink with an Ayurvedic breakfast?
Many people who follow Ayurveda start the day with a glass of warm water. After that, an herbal tea like Vayu with cocoa husks and orange is a good fit. And if you don't want to give up coffee: a pinch of Tola in the grounds makes it rounder. Read how in our guide How to spice coffee.
Frequently asked questions
Is muesli Ayurvedic?
Cold muesli with cold milk isn't considered an ideal breakfast in Ayurveda. If you like muesli, soak it overnight and warm it briefly in the morning, or pour warm milk over it.
Do I have to cook Indian food?
No. An Ayurvedic breakfast can look entirely European: porridge, compote, toast. What matters are the principles: warm, cooked and spiced.
Which spices suit the morning?
For sweet dishes, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, anise and ginger – all in Madhura. For savoury dishes, cumin, coriander and pepper, for example in Lavana or Vyosha.
How long does an Ayurvedic breakfast take?
A porridge is ready in 10 minutes. If you're short on time in the morning, make the compote the evening before and just warm it up.
Want to try Ayurvedic cooking with us? Have a look at our Ayurvedic cooking class or the Ayurvedic brunch. More for your morning: morning ritual.
