Vegetarian Sojourn: Oats Masala

Oats and brown rice are the new fad these days. They say it’s healthy, fibrous and dull to be had in the conventional ways. I thought about it, yes the slimy oats porridge in the morning was a bit too much for me to have for a day, let alone making it a daily habit. So I thought of experimenting, and got heavily inspired by my maid’s quintessentially Marathi- ‘Kanda Poha’. And I was happy tucking it in, almost every morning!!

But then, I saw an advertisement of a certain foreign company, selling masala oats in India!!! !@#$@$! And imagine my dismay on looking at the slimy, salty oats porridge that they are selling under the name Oats Masala. Really, oats doesn’t need to be slimy all the time!! With the right amount of technique, we can make a super delicious breakfast in mins. And trust me, you will shell a quarter of the “@#@#er Oats Masala” price, too.

This recipe is a part of my Vegetarian Sojourn, as requested by so many of you lately. Do drop in an comment once you try it out!! Cheers!!

Ingredients: 

½ cup Oats

½ a medium onion chopped

½ a small tomato chopped

2 slit green chillies

A pinch of turmeric

Salt

2 tbsp of chopped cilantro

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tbsp oil

Few curry leaves (tear it for more flavour)

Couple of tbsp of Water

Method:

Dry roast the oats in a wok for 5 mins, on low heat; and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a wok, and add in the black mustard seeds. Let it splutter for 30 seconds.

Now put in the curry leaves and slit chillies, and fry till fragrant (approximately another 30 seconds).

Fry the onions in the now-so-fragrant wok, till they are translucent and tending towards browning. Add in the chopped tomatoes with a pinch of salt, and cover to let the water seep out.

After a minute or so, give it a good mix, and put in the oats.

Once the oat is thoroughly coated in the fresh masala mix, add in a couple of tbsp of water. Start with 2 tbsp, and if you think the oat is not cooked enough to your liking, add in a couple more. Because of dry roasting the oats in the beginning, it would cook down faster and would take in much less water. Make it the way you like your oats, runny or like me, not runny at all.

Hope you too enjoy your breakfast, the way I did!! This is enough to make a portion of Oats Masala. Increase the amounts in the proportion, to cater for a bigger crowd. 

Cheers!!