Masala oats with vegetables

Masala oats is what happens when oats meet upma. Plain oats cooked in milk can feel bland and foreign, but the same oats tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves and vegetables taste like home. This version is ready in one kadhai in about 15 minutes, which makes it a genuine option on rushed weekday mornings.

Why it helps

Oats bring fibre, and the pile of vegetables adds even more. Fibre slows digestion, so your breakfast releases energy gradually instead of all at once. That means you stay full till lunch and are less likely to reach for biscuits with your 11 am chai. It is a simple low-GI swap for refined breakfasts like white bread or maida-heavy snacks.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 cup rolled oats (not instant flavoured packets)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• Handful of green peas or chopped beans
• 1 green chilli, slit (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• A few curry leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons oil
• About 2 cups water
• Fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon, to finish

Method

1. Dry roast the oats in a kadhai on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until they smell toasty. Remove and keep aside.
2. In the same kadhai, heat the oil. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter, then add curry leaves and green chilli.
3. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the carrot, peas or beans, and tomato. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add turmeric and salt, then pour in the water and bring it to a boil.
5. Stir in the roasted oats. Cook on low heat, stirring now and then, until the water is absorbed and the oats are soft, about 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Switch off, cover, and rest for 2 minutes. Finish with coriander and lemon juice. Serve hot.

Make it your own

• Push the protein by stirring in a katori of thick curd on the side, or topping with roasted peanuts.
• For a vegan bowl, keep it as is and add peanuts or a spoon of sprouts on top instead of curd.
• Use whatever vegetables the fridge offers, capsicum, cabbage or grated lauki all work well here.

Enjoy it as part of the CurviCare Plate, or explore more high-protein Indian breakfasts.