Step-wise picture recipe to make healthy & very delicious breakfast with oats – Vegetable Oats Upma! A South Indian twist to oats, to make it not just bearable but tasty for breakfast every morning.
For the next recipe for my breakfast series, I am sharing a very healthy, fully loaded and nutritious breakfast recipe – Vegetable Oats Upma. This is very similar to the traditional upma/khichdi recipe we usually make in South India, but with oats. I lived on oats for almost two years during my initial days in Bangalore, when I was staying as a paying guest. And I detested it, with a capital D. I just didn’t seem to get used to the slimy texture or the sweet porridge in the morning. But it was easy and that also meant I didn’t starve until lunch. So that was it, my quick stint with oats until I recently started making savory breakfasts with it, replacing other staples whenever possible.
When I had got a small pack of Quaker Oats, it came with a recipe book (Ok, I agree that I might have bought the brand for the little cookbook) and the first thing that caught my eye was this vegetable oats upma. I love loaded breakfasts and especially if it looks colorful, I am all sold. I gave the recipe I try almost immediately but couldn’t click pictures for posting here and the same story repeated few more times. So this time I made sure all pictures were clicked to my heart’s content and here I am sharing the recipe!
Few years ago, oats were the new super food, considered better than rice for it has fiber content. Honestly speaking, oats are carb too. And making it as porridge is worse than having a solid rice based breakfast. It gets converted into sugar faster (yes, despite the fiber content) and think what happens when it is loaded with sweetness (be it sugar/honey)? In the end, it is all marketing gimmick by the food MNCs. Ok then, are oats bad? No. Are they better than rice? Again No. Eat what you like, in moderation. Frankly, this recipe is a welcome change from the regular stuff I make in my kitchen and especially when it is loaded with veggies, not because it is better than other stuff. I just love this vegetable oats upma!
How to make Vegetable Oats Upma
Vegetable Oats Upma
MEASUREMENT
1 cup = 250ml, 1 tablespoon = 15ml, 1 teaspoon = 5ml
Ingredients
- 1 cup Instant Oats
- 1 ¼ cups Water
- 2 teaspoon Oil
- ¼ cup Finely Chopped Onions
- ¼ cup Finely Chopped Carrots
- ¼ cup Finely Chopped French Beans
- ¼ cup Fresh Green Peas
- 1 inch Ginger Piece Finely Chopped
- 1-2 Green Chillies Finely Chopped
- 8-10 Broken Cashews/Peanuts
- ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Urad Dal
- 1 teaspoon Chana Dal
- ⅛ teaspoon Asafoetida
- Salt as needed
- Few Curry Leaves
- 1-2 tablespoon Chopped Coriander Leaves to garnish
Instructions
- In a thick bottomed pan, dry roast oats for 4-5 mins on low flame until they are aromatic. Set it aside.
- In the same pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal and asafoetida.
- As everything turns golden brown, add curry leaves, finely chopped green chillies and ginger along with cashews. Fry for a few seconds.
- Add finely chopped onions and fry until translucent.
- Next add finely chopped carrots and beans. Add salt as needed for veggies and fry for 4-5 mins on low flame.
- Add water and green peas along with salt for the oats. Let this come to a boil.
- As the vegetables are half cooked, add roasted oats and quickly stir. It would absorb all/any water left out.
- On slow flame, cook it covered for 5-7 mins. Stir slowly and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve hot as it is or with any chutney or just with a cup of tea. I served it with my Adrak chai/Ginger tea.
Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Vegetable Oats Upma
1. In a thick bottomed pan, dry roast oats for 4-5 mins on low flame until they are aromatic. Set it aside.
2. In the same pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal and asafoetida.
3. As everything turns golden brown, add curry leaves, finely chopped green chillies and ginger along with cashews. Fry for a few seconds.
4. Add finely chopped onions and fry until translucent.
5. Next add finely chopped carrots and beans. Add salt as needed for veggies and fry for 4-5 mins on low flame.
6. Add water and green peas along with salt for the oats. Let this come to a boil.
7. As the vegetables are half cooked, add roasted oats.
8. Quickly stir in the oats. It would absorb all/any water left out.
9. On slow flame, cook it covered for 5-7 mins. Stir slowly and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
10. Serve hot as it is or with any chutney or just with a cup of tea. I served it with my Adrak chai/Ginger tea.
Recipe Notes
- It is important to slow roast oats so that the oats don’t become a slimy mess after cooking.
- Add any vegetable of choice but don’t overcook it. A little crunch on the vegetables adds to the texture.
- Adjust spices as per preference.
- Additionally, squeeze fresh lemon juice over it before serving.
I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂
[…] resisted the urge to try them out. Even with oats, I tend to go over the spicy, hot options like Oats Upma or Oats Rava Dosa or Oats Adai. Like many other recipes, it took me this covid lockdown to try out […]