Monday, April 26, 2010

Oatmeal Upma/Savoury Oatmeal Porridge


Upma is an Indian breakfast dish prepared using semolina, cooked along with vegetables and other spices, so today to make this savoury dish a bit more healthier I have prepared it using Quaker Rolled Oats instead of regular semolina. This humble porridge has many plus points like it a quick one pot meal which can be served for a very filling breakfast or lunch or dinner, has lots of veggies in it, is rich in fiber and other goodies, low in calories and above all its every doctor's favorite. :)

So I started by dry roasting 1 cup Quaker Rolled Oats/any other brand Oatmeal. Roasted for just 90 seconds or so till it looses its white tint, on medium flame and set it aside.

Then take 2 tbs of vegetable oil/any light oil, I used Sunflower oil, put that on medium heat and add in
1 tsp of Urad dal/Split black lentils
1 tsp Channa dal/Split chickpea lentils
1/2 tsp Rai/Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Jeera/Cumin seeds

Once they start to crackle add

1/4 tsp Hing/Asafoetida
1 sprig curry leaves
2 dry red chillies
1 tbs green chili-ginger paste
1 Cup of chopped veggies like onion, tomato, capsicum, green beans, carrots, zucchini etc (I just added 1 medium sized onion and 1 medium sized tomato)

let it simmer on low heat till the veggies are tender to touch, then add in

2 1/2 cups of water, let it come to a boil and then add in roasted oatmeal. Add in  
salt to taste and 3 tbs of yogurt/dahi.
You will notice that within 90 seconds the oats will start to absorb all water and will giveout nice fragrance. Mix well and let the porridge simmer for another 4-5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and garnish it with handful of  chopped coriander/cilantro. 
Serve warm along with tea or coffee.


Tips:
Me and P both prefer our porridge not too thick nor too thin so have added 2 1/2 cups of water for 1 cup of oats. Adjust the water according to your preference.

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