Oats Upma: A Beloved Indian Breakfast Staple Made Healthy & Easy

Upma is a delicious South Indian Breakfast staple that’s either made with Semolina, Crack Wheat, Poha (flattened rice) or Vermicelli. It has minimal ingredients, light on the stomach and literally takes no time to come together. This Oats Upma is simply a take on the traditional Poha Upma.

What is Poha?

Poha is nothing but parboiled rice that is flattened so that it can be consumed with very little to no cooking. There are many different ways of preparing Poha for consumption. People use them to make desserts, snacks, and the most popular way is breakfast.

Why Oats & Upma?

Today I am sharing with you a recipe similar to Poha Upma but instead of Poha I used Oats to make it. This recipe is quick to make and is loaded with all kind of good things to fuel your day and give you the much needed energy to go about your day. You can have this for breakfast, lunch or even dinner.

There are many different variations to this, but the basis of the recipe always remain the same. Quickly sauté some onions, curry leaves, peanuts, chilies and add the soaked flattened rice along with spices like turmeric, salt and top it off with Cilantro and Lime juice. Some people also add boiled potatoes to make it a more heartier dish.

This recipe includes Red Cabbage, Red Onions, Cumin, Mustard, Curry Leaves (almost no South Indian breakfast is complete without curry leaves), Dried Red Chilis, Lime, Cilantro & Oats of course. I chose Oats as they are healthier and a better replacement to Poha and they very closely resemble the shape and texture of Poha without overloading GI (glycemic index) levels.

Benefits of Oats:

Rolled oats are naturally gluten-free whole grains and are a great source of important vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. They are also the least processed type of oats. Just like Poha (Flattened Rice), they have a flat & flaky texture and take less than 5 minutes to cook which makes it a perfect alternative for Poha.

Oats are very healthy and are highly recommended to include into our everyday diet. They are especially beneficial for people suffering with diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol or heart disease. Read detailed benefits of oats and why they should be included into our everyday diet.

To make Oats Upma you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 tsp. Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. Mustard seeds
• 1 stalk of Curry Leaves (skip if you don’t have)
• 1 medium sized Red Onion chopped
• 200g of chopped Cabbage (I used purple, but feel free to use green)
• 2-3 Tbsp. Peanuts
• 2 dried Red Chilis
• 2 Cups of Rolled oats (I used One Degree Organic Sprouted Rolled Oats – I am all about additional nutrition and this is a great brand to consider, all their products are locally sourced and organic)
• salt to taste
• 2-3 Tbsp. of water
• 1 Juice of Lime
• 1/2 bunch of fresh Cilantro chopped for topping
• 2 Tbsp. Oil

Directions:

1. Heat a pan and add the oil. Add cumin & mustard seeds and let them sizzle.
2. Next add the red chilis and curry leaves. – make sure to maintain some distance as lot of times this leads to spluttering of the oil.
3. Next add the peanuts and sauté until they turn slightly brown – about 3-4 mins. on medium flame. Make sure to not burn them, just brown them 😉
4. Next add the onion and sauté for 3 mins or until translucent.
5. Once the onions are cooked, add the chopped cabbage and cook for another 2-3 minutes as they start to release the water. At this time add the turmeric powder & salt. Give it a stir and continue to cook for 2-3 mins.
6. Lastly add the Oats along with 2-3 Tbsp. of water. This will help the Oats to soften without turning them into a mush. Continue to cook for 2 more mins.
7. Squeeze the lime juice, mix and top off with Cilantro and Enjoy!