Most porridge apologises for itself. This one does not. Black sesame turns the whole bowl the colour of a moonless sky, the flavour lands somewhere between toasted nuts and dark honey, and the entire thing takes fifteen unhurried minutes — most of which you spend stirring, which is the point. This is breakfast as a small morning ritual: one pot, one spoon, no rush.
Feed yourself like someone you are quietly fond of.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp black sesame seeds, plus a pinch for finishing
- 80 g rolled oats
- 400 ml oat milk, plus more to loosen
- 200 ml water
- 1 tbsp maple syrup, or to taste
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- A generous pinch of sea salt
- To serve: a spoonful of tahini, dark berries, or nothing at all
Method
- Toast the black sesame seeds in a dry pan over low heat until fragrant — two or three minutes, shaking often. They are already dark, so trust your nose rather than your eyes.
- Grind the toasted seeds to a coarse powder in a spice grinder, or with a pestle and mortar if the morning deserves it. A little texture is welcome.
- Combine the oats, oat milk, water, and salt in a small pot over medium-low heat. Bring to the barest simmer.
- Stir in the ground sesame and cook gently for six to eight minutes, stirring slowly, until the porridge is thick, glossy, and the colour of slate. Loosen with more milk if it tightens past your liking.
- Off the heat, stir through the maple syrup and vanilla. Taste. Adjust. Taste again — this step is not optional.
- Serve in your favourite bowl, finished with the reserved seeds and whatever you have chosen. Eat it warm, sitting down, without a screen.
Notes: pre-ground black sesame (often sold as black sesame powder) works and saves a step, though freshly toasted is noticeably better. For a richer bowl, swap the water for more oat milk. The porridge keeps for two days in the fridge and revives well with a splash of milk over low heat — it does not, however, survive the microwave with its dignity intact.