CARAVAN
While living in London, Deeva became a devotee of Bircher Müesli, a dish of Swiss origin comprised of rolled oats soaked in milk and fruit. Muesli—which means “little mush”—was invented by a visionary doctor and nutritionist who believed in the curative powers of fruit and vegetables. When the three of us began recipe testing breakfast items for Caravan, Deeva came forward with her own version of Bircher Müesli, considerably less sweet than the usual variety. We were all immediately taken with it.
Early on in the life of Caravan, we had a lot of customers requesting a dairy-free breakfast option, so we set to work on a version that used coconut milk instead of milk. A hint of rose seemed like a natural compliment to the nuttiness of the coconut and pushed the dish slightly in the direction of the Middle East. A tablespoon or so of tahini completes that thought and adds a touch of extra richness. In the end, even the dairy eaters preferred the coconut version, which became a mainstay of our breakfast offerings.
Notes: The trick is getting the sweetness right—you want only enough to give a little shape to the flavor of the oats.
Here's our recipe for vegan, gluten free, Coconut-Rose Muesli (4 servings/cups):
Ingredients:
- 2.5 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 banana (ripe)
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 + tablespoon maple syrup (start with 1 tablespoon and add more to taste)
- 1/4 green apple, matchsticked
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins
- 1/4 tsp rose water (or more to taste)
- 1 tbsp of tahini
- pinch cinnamon
- pinch sea salt
Instructions:
- Combine above ingredients. Mash banana thoroughly.
- Taste and adjust maple syrup and rose, if desired.
- Leave for at least 1 hour or best if left overnight.
- Check consistency in the morning. You may need to add some water to rehydrate the oats.
- Serve garnished with seasonal fruit (we like sliced peaches or berries), crushed pistachios, coconut flakes, edible rose petals, a pinch of cinnamon.