I’ve been experimenting with cooking with Indian spices lately, so I’ve developed a love for cardamom. To me, it makes every sweet dish a little more decadent and interesting. That’s why I created this Cardamom Stewed Banana Porridge!
I get so bored with regular old oatmeal, which is probably why the only other oatmeal recipe I’ve posted is a Carrot Cake Oatmeal — also a dessert-like breakfast (can you tell I have a sweet tooth?). This cardamom stewed banana porridge is anything but boring, however. The bananas get so soft that they dissolve into the oatmeal and cream of buckwheat to sweeten the porridge, while the cardamom pods add richness without adding calories. If I were running a restaurant, this banana porridge would definitely be on the breakfast menu!
If you haven’t tried much Indian food, you may not have developed a taste for cardamom. If you decide you don’t like cardamom, you could always use cinnamon or vanilla to add extra flavor instead. I absolutely love the cardamom flavor in this banana porridge though, so don’t knock it ’til you try it!
This kid loved it so much, she asked for seconds and thirds!
As I said earlier, I’ve been getting into Indian cooking and trying new things. I purchased an interesting cookbook, My Two Souths, written by Asha Gomez, a woman who was born in India but grew up in Atlanta. Her recipes utilize traditional Indian spices and cooking methods, yet contain a familiar Southern comfort twist. I highly recommend this book if you love cooking and want to try something new!
In this cookbook, Gomez makes a stewed plantain dish, which is what inspired this post. I decided to use bananas because they’re sweeter and more accessible, and added the grains and nuts to create a hearty breakfast. The result was a breakfast I wish I could have every morning, or, you know, for a nutritious snack!
- 4-5 green cardamom pods, slightly crushed
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 3 T. maple syrup or coconut sugar
- 2 cups water
- 2 ripe bananas (some brown spots), sliced
- ½ cup rolled oats (GF)
- ¼ cup cream of buckwheat (or more oats)
- 1 cup canned coconut milk, regular or light
- 1 T. chopped nuts
- Optional: sliced bananas for topping
- In a medium saucepan, bring the cardamom, salt, sweetener, and water to a boil. Add the bananas and cook 7-10 mins.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the oats and cream of buckwheat.
- Continue to cook, stirring regularly, until your porridge starts to thicken, 7-10 more mins. Pour in the coconut milk and stir until completely combined.
- When porridge has reached desired thickness, remove from heat and serve, topped with nuts and more banana slices.
This porridge keeps in the fridge up to 4 days, and can be eaten hot or cold.
Abby saw me working on this post and said, “YUM! I want that!” So I guess I’ll be making this again tomorrow morning! No complaints here though. 😉
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