A sweet and simple stovetop bread recipe with aromatic and warming holiday spices!
Recently I had the pleasure of visiting New Zealand’s beautiful North Island with a friend. When I travel, I do my best to stay in places that allow me to cook for myself. When possible I’ll bring along ghee, a handful of spices and fresh dates (my favourite!). This way I can feel my best while on the move in a new environment.
You never know how a kitchen will come equipped. Sometimes you don’t have all of the tools you’re used to using, but this makes for an opportunity to get creative. As they say - necessity is the mother of invention.
When we arrived in the Bay of Islands area, my friend and I were keen to make bread because it’s a great thing to help ground your energy after travel. Typically I bake my bread in the oven, but we found ourselves with only a stovetop to work with. I remembered how my mother would bake soda bread on the stove, and so we decided to give it a shot with my standard Ayurvedic bread recipe. It turned out great!
Ayurvedic stovetop bread
Serves 4
Augmenting
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
1.5 cups whole wheat flour (freshly ground is best)
2 tbsp ghee
½ tsp mineral salt
½ tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp cardamom powder
¼ tsp chopped vanilla bean (optional)
¼ cup maple syrup or jaggery (optional)
Pinch of clove powder
½ cup chopped pecans or almonds
4 or 5 dates
about ¾ cup water
Method
Mix all dry ingredients with your hand then add the ghee and nuts. Add water slowly to collect all of the ingredients into a ball of firm moist dough. Spread a layer of ghee over the inside of a stainless steel or cast iron pot or pan. Be sure it has a lid. Press the dough into the pan, cover and cook on a medium low heat until firm and a toothpick comes out clean. The cook time may be less than the oven. There will be a bit of crust on the bottom and sides.
Enjoy it with honey on top or just a little more ghee.
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