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Cooked apple is tangy, sour, and sweet all at the same time, and the addition of whole cloves to this recipe brings a refreshing and warming element to this breakfast or snack.
Because there is no added sugar, the taste is like a burst of sweet and sour in the mouth with an underlying spicy clove heat.
The 5 minute cooking time ensures that the apple is soft, but not mushy, which means that you can really bite into the apple for a satisfying chew.
You also know that all that fiber will make is way down to your colon to feed your good gut bacteria.
I especially like drinking the cooking liquid, which tastes like hot apple cider, and the quarter cup or so is just enough to satisfy.
You could also save this liquid and use it for soup, oatmeal, another grain cereal, or as a natural sweetener for tea.
Why Would You Cook a Perfectly Good Apple?
Cooking the apple makes it a lot easier to digest, and we also peel the apple to make it even easier to digest.
Eating an apple right out of the fridge can be cold and shocking to the system. It can also be difficult to digest due to the abundant fiber and the hard skins.
Raw apples are more astringent and can be destabilizing for Vata types, provoking dry stools. Cooking reduces the astringency. In fact, cooked apples have the complete opposite effect.
Apples are loaded with pectin, which is a type of soluble fiber that binds to fat and aids in its elimination from the body.
It also helps to regulate blood sugar and cholesterol.
The sour taste of apple, along with the digestive support of the cloves, greatly supports digestion by increasing gastric secretions.
This can help to reduce gas, and stimulate movement of food through the digestive tract.
Perfect for Chilly Mornings
This dish is especially beneficial during the cold winter months. Let it be your friend on dark mornings.
Cloves open up your pores to induce sweating and they open up your blood vessels, which supports blood circulation to the extremities to help keep you warm.
Cloves are mildly pungent, and stimulate agni without aggravating Pitta dosha.
If you have any tooth pain you can chew on the clove after finishing your apple and it will help.
In summary, this dish is supportive for all doshas, however, Kaphas may like to add cinnamon for additional digestive support, and both Kaphas and Pittas could try this same recipe with pears.
Cooked Apple Breakfast
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 apple cored and peeled
- 2-3 whole cloves
Instructions
- Choose your smallest saucepan. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil on medium heat.
- Meanwhile, cut the apple into quarters. Remove the cores and peel the skins. Add peeled apples to hot water along with 2-3 cloves.
- After the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and set a timer for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy right away after the apples cool slightly. Drink the water with the apples, or reserve and use in cooked soup or cereal, or as a natural sweetener in herbal tea.
Should this recipe be consumed before or after dinner?
Hi Robert,
This dish is easy to digest. It is recommended as a pre-breakfast, so maybe 30 minutes or more before breakfast, in the sense that it is part of an extended breakfast. I like it as a snack also, or a pre-lunch or supper. That said. It can be had as dessert, but I would keep the portion small (such as 2 apple quarters) so that it doesn’t interfere with digestion. Thanks for the question, and enjoy! –Andrea