Recipe | Matcha Porridge

Originating as a meditation tea, drunk by Zen Buddhist monks, matcha is known as a calming stimulant. It contains caffeine, but as opposed to the nervous jittery effects produced by coffee, gives a sense of mental alertness with deep calm. Samurai warriors cottoned on to this pretty early on, and would drink matcha before battles to mentally prepare themselves.

This warming morning porridge will equally set you up for the day. The matcha boosts immunity and is full of antioxidants- more than in a cup of regular green tea. Our version is creamy with cardamom and nuts, but experiment with banana, jam and nut toppings and substituting the milk for water. Portion-wise, the quantities are just enough for a pair of greedy buggers like us.

INGREDIENTS

100g porridge oats

A pint of milk

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp crushed cardamom

1 tsp matcha powder

Drizzle of honey

Handful of crushed pecans or walnuts

METHOD

In a saucepan, mix the oats, milk, cinnamon and cardamom.

Bring to the boil then turn down the heat to simmer gently for 5-6 minutes until the oats are soft and fully cooked. Stir from time to time so that the porridge doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Separately, mix the matcha powder with a few tablespoons of cold water until very smooth. This stops it losing its nutritional value and flavour.

Mix the liquid matcha into the porridge away from the stove top.

Serve drizzled with honey and sprinkled with the nuts. Dust with extra matcha or cinnamon if desired.

Nom nom nom nom.