Oats idli

Idli mornings usually need two days of notice, soaking, grinding, fermenting. Oats idli needs 25 minutes. You grind oats into a coarse flour, mix with curd and vegetables, add a pinch of eno or baking soda, and steam. The result is soft, warm idlis on a Tuesday morning without any planning.

Why it helps

Oats keep their fibre, and the curd adds protein and a gentle tang. Steaming means no oil-heavy cooking, so this breakfast sits light while still keeping you full. It is a kinder swap for plain rava idli made from refined suji, in the same spirit as our other low-GI Indian swaps.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup thick curd
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon urad dal (optional, for the classic tempering taste)
• A few curry leaves, chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon eno fruit salt (or a pinch of baking soda)
• 2 teaspoons oil, plus a little for greasing
• Water, as needed

Method

1. Dry roast the oats in a kadhai for 2 to 3 minutes until aromatic. Cool, then grind into a coarse flour.
2. Heat the oil in the same kadhai. Splutter the mustard seeds, add urad dal, curry leaves and green chilli, and switch off once the dal turns golden.
3. In a bowl, mix the ground oats, curd, carrot, coriander, salt and the tempering. Add water little by little to make a thick, spoonable batter, like idli batter. Rest for 10 minutes.
4. Set your steamer or idli cooker to boil. Grease the idli plates.
5. Just before steaming, sprinkle the eno over the batter, add a spoon of water on top and mix gently. The batter will turn airy.
6. Spoon into the plates and steam for 10 to 12 minutes. A knife poked in should come out clean.
7. Rest for 2 minutes, then unmould. Serve warm with chutney or sambar.

Make it your own

• Serve with sambar to add dal protein and make it a fuller CurviCare-style plate.
• Add grated beetroot or finely chopped beans along with the carrot for colour and fibre.
• Steam mini idlis for tiffins, they stay soft till lunchtime.

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