New clients land in my practice for all kinds of reasons—funky digestion, low energy, plateaued athletic performance, sleep struggles, hormone chaos, the whole spectrum. On paper, their symptoms look wildly different. But through an Ayurvedic lens, the root is usually the same: digestion. And not the “I take a probiotic and sip kombucha” kind. I mean the deeper digestive intelligence that comes alive when we stop chasing “clean eating” and start aligning with agni—the fire that actually runs the whole system.
Agni—your digestive fire, as it’s referred to in Ayurveda—works just like the flame in a fireplace. When it’s blazing, it can handle big, dense logs. When it’s fading, it needs gentle kindling. Stress, overtraining, cold weather, and mismatched foods all dim that flame. And when we ignore agni and eat by trends instead of need, things unravel fast: weak digestion can’t break down or absorb what we take in.
Catching this early lets us shift to lighter, easier foods so the system can rekindle. Eating with agni in mind helps us actually assimilate, metabolize, and thrive. When the body’s running overtime, we want to cool the system and choose foods that bring balance back.
This recipe has just four primary ingredients (six if we’re counting maple syrup and salt—obviously), and every one of them pulls its weight.
- Quinoa
Light, nourishing, and ridiculously easy to digest. Its bitter–astringent profile helps soak up excess pitta “heat and moisture,” while its light, dry, gently heating qualities help dial down kapha. Peak spring ingredient. Quinoa sharpens the mind (bye, brain fog), alkalizes the body, delivers minerals + B vitamins, and its high protein content makes it clutch for high-energy humans. - Almond milk + coconut milk
Both malks have their own perks, but they share the same vibe: soothing to vata and pitta. Warm them, spice them, and they become ojas-building, digestive-cooling magic—especially when paired with the spices below. - Turmeric
Yes, it’s anti-inflammatory—but only when you warm it and pair it with fat. Cooking it into almond + coconut milk unlocks its bioenergetic superpowers. Turmeric cools pitta, steadies kapha, supports the liver, steadies blood sugar, boosts immunity, fires up digestion, promotes circulation… the list goes on—a top-tier spring ally for active bodies. - Cardamom
The undercover MVP. Gently warming but still tridoshic, cardamom earns its “Queen of Spices” status by balancing all three doshas. It enhances digestion, reduces bloating, detoxifies the liver, and keeps the whole GI tract clean and humming.
Enjoy this beautiful breakfast all winter long, and keep your inner fire stoked!
Ingredients:
For the porridge
- 2 cups filtered water
- 2 cups almond milk (or coconut milk, or a mixture of both, plus more for topping)
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp kosher sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
To top your porridge
- Chyawanprash - Ayurvedic herbal jam
- hemp seeds
- ghee
- chopped toasted almonds
- Poached pears or other poached fruit
Directions:
- Rinse your quinoa
Place the quinoa in a medium-sized bowl and rinse under cool water, swirling with your hand. Strain the water out and set the quinoa aside. This process seems like an extra step, but the rinse removes the phytic acid from the grains and makes them digestible and bio-available. (If you’re cooking your porridge in a rice cooker, you can do this in the bowl of the cooker.)
To make your porridge on a stovetop
In a medium pot over medium heat, bring the almond milk and salt to a boil. Once boiling, add spices and quinoa, stir, reduce heat to medium low and cover with lid ajar.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until quinoa is tender. Take care, as this one has a tendency to bubble over if the heat is too high.
- Once cooked, remove from heat and add vanilla and maple syrup. To add creaminess to the porridge, bust out an immersion blender. Blend about ⅓ – ½ of the quinoa to give it a creamy, porridge-like texture.
- Divide between bowls, top with your favorite adornments, and enjoy!
To make in the rice cooker
Place the rinsed quinoa in the bowl of the rice cooker along with the almond milk, spices, and salt. Close the lid and press the “cook” button on the cooker. When the porridge is done, add the vanilla and salt. If you want to boost the creaminess of the porridge, use an immersion blender to blend about ⅓ – ½ of the quinoa to give it a creamy, porridge-like texture.
Divide between bowls, top with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!