GEOFF’s Chai Spiced Porridge…
⏱️ Enjoy with your favourite beverage | 4 min read
I first came across masala chai blends on work trips to India in the late 2000s – the smell of cardamom and star anise hitting a hot pan is something that stays with you. Back home in Adelaide, I started working those same spices into my winter porridge, and the result is this bowl: oats soaked overnight in full cream milk, then steamed until they go thick and creamy. The chai spice blend takes five minutes to make and keeps for weeks in a jar. Once it’s made, breakfast is 12 minutes from cold.
When its autumn or you need a hot winter’s breakfast or a lazy brunch is here to ward the cold off.
GEOFF’s Chai Spiced Porridge…
"A warmly spiced breakfast porridge built around chai flavours – comforting, considered, and a good reminder that grains deserve as much attention as anything else on the plate."
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Chai Spice Blend
- Lightly roast the spices on a medium heat or Induction setting 7 for one minute to bring out the aromatics. Grind in a spice grinder, alternately a motor and pestle until fine. Store in a glass jar until required.
Steam Oven Method (preferred)
- 1. The night before: combine the oats, milk, water, chai spice blend and salt in a small sealable container. Stir well, cover and refrigerate overnight. The spices bloom into the liquid as the oats soak – the flavour in the morning is noticeably deeper than cooking from dry.2. If steaming fruit alongside: slice one small pear or apple – skin on is fine – and lay in the non-perforated tray. No added liquid needed; the fruit releases enough on its own. A pinch of the chai spice blend before it goes in is good.3. Place your breakfast bowl into the steam oven to 100°C, 100% steam, 7 minutes. The oven takes 5-7 minutes to come up to temperature – this is counted in your total 12 minutes. The oats cook as the oven builds steam, which is what makes them so creamy.4. Remove and check consistency. The oats should be thick and pulling gently from the sides. For a looser texture, stir in a splash of hot milk before serving.
- Induction or Stovetop Method (Alternative)
- 1. Soak the oats, milk, water, spice blend and salt overnight as above.2. Transfer to a small heavy-based saucepan. Warm over low – medium heat – induction 4 (gas low-medium flame) – stirring regularly to prevent sticking.3. Cook for 5-7minutes until the oats reach your preferred consistency. Add a little extra milk if it tightens too quickly.
Nutrition
Notes
Suggested Servings
- Serve straight away and add steamed fruit or fresh berries first, then layer any remaining toppings.
- A drizzle of honey or maple syrup over the top finishes it well.
- Eat immediately this doesn’t wait.
Notes
- Overnight soaking is worth doing – it makes a real difference to both texture and flavour. If you’re short on time, a minimum 30-minute soak still improves the result over cooking from dry.
- Cardamom is the dominant note in this blend. If you’re cooking for someone unfamiliar with it, halve the amount and let them find it gradually.
- The spice batch scales easily – double or triple it and keep it in a labelled jar. It lasts well at room temperature for up to six weeks.
- This recipe scales up without changing the steam time. Double or quadruple the ingredients, use multiple serving plates, and steam for the same 7 minutes. The oven may take an extra minute or two to come up to temperature with more mass, but the cooking time itself doesn’t change.
- For a dairy-free version, oat milk or almond milk substitutes well for the full cream milk, though the texture will be slightly less creamy.
- Alternative grain: steel-cut oats work in the steam oven but need a longer soak (at least 4 hours) and an extra 2-3 minutes of steam time. The texture is chewier and more substantial.
- Cooked porridge keeps for up to 2 days in a sealed glass container in the fridge.
- To reheat in the steam oven: 100°C, 100% steam, 3-4 minutes from cold. Stir once through before serving.
- To reheat on the stovetop: add a splash of milk and warm over low heat (Induction 3 / gas low flame), stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes.
- To reheat in the microwave: add a splash of milk, cover loosely, and microwave for 90 seconds. Stir and check; add another 30 seconds if needed.
- The uncooked overnight soak (oats, milk, water, spices) keeps refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking.
