I think the Ayurveda police are going to have my head for this one.
Granola is definitely not listed in Ayurvedic texts. I’ve never attended a class on the merits of toasted oats. In fact, I’ve attended a few lectures talking about how dry, crunchy granola is a terrible food for our vata-aggravated culture.
But I am a dedicated student of both Ayurveda and granola. I have made enough batches of granola and studied my body for enough years that I can confidently declare myself an expert in alchemizing the perfect mix of season, environment, and state of dosha balance for this breakfast treat.
It’s springtime in the north, and all signs point to granola.
Granola for Kapha Season
Spring is the time of kapha. Melting ice. Flowing water. The cold has reduced, but not yet receded; you’ll find it hanging out in the damp earth with the grubs that are waking up from a winter’s nap.
Kapha’s nature is cold, heavy, wet, stable, dense, and soft. When we are in kapha season, we might notice more of these attributes in our bodies. This is the time of wet noses, cold hands, and heavy heads.
This is the time to apply kapha’s opposite qualities: warm, light, dry, moving, and rough.
OMG, granola has all of these.
Get Crunchy
I’ve been making granola since I turned, well, crunchy, 25ish years ago. It is insanely easy to make and ridiculously cheaper than store-bought. The olive oil in this granola recipe adds a richness of flavor that is missing in the boxed stuff. Don’t be afraid to use the best Spanish extra virgin olive oil – you won’t regret it!
Ayurvedic Tips for Balanced Eating
In case the Ayurveda police have made it this far, I will tip my hat to them with the caveats that are necessary to share because everyone’s body has different needs. Remember that there’s no judgment in any of these – just observations of what is and reflections on what can be.
If you are feeling balanced, enjoy this olive oil granola with yogurt (warmed to room temperature), warm milk, or February’s pumpkin pudding. If you’re feeling stuffy, groggy, heavy, or dull-minded, try it with warmed almond mylk to counteract kapha season’s effects that dairy can exacerbate.
Though you might be used to dried fruit in your granola, I don’t include it in this (un)recipe. The combination of fruit, dairy, and nuts can often cause gas. But I trust you to play around, make a mess, and decide what works for you (I find raisins and currants to be fine for my body, but stone or tropical fruit is a disaster). If you want to add fruit, just don’t bake it – stir it in right after you take the fully baked granola out of the oven.
And if you’re feeling a surge of vata symptoms (overwhelm, anxiety, dryness, constipation, forgetfulness, etc.), you’ll do better by just having some warm, spiced oatmeal.
Ayurvedic(ish) Olive oil granola
4 cups rolled oats
1/2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. cardamom
½ tsp. Nutmeg
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped or whole nuts
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir very well until the oats are entirely coated.
Spread the granola in a thin layer (thick = steamed granola, yuck) on one large or two medium-sized cookie sheets.
Bake in a 350 F/190 C degree oven for about 30-40 minutes until fragrant and toasted.
