Savoury Oats

Savoury Oats 

While an idea of the ideal breakfast conjures images of eggs fried sunny side up with soft white bread which is buttered , grilled tomatoes , baked potato cakes ,  sausages and two rashers  or small golden brown kachoris with a potato curry made with hing , all these food items would contribute in the tyres around one's waist fit for a truck and so the healthy breakfast. Now most people would probably think of something tasteless non-filling when they think of healthy breakfasts or the same old boring muesli or wholewheat cornflakes.

Now here is the thing about oats , even though it is one of the healthiest food items, good for the heart, filling yet doesn't make one pile on the kilos, but eaten regularly with milk topped with fruit and nuts it can be a nightmare , at least for people who pay special tribute to their taste buds. Besides I find many a people preferring something salted for breakfast hence the idea of a salted oatmeal. There is something about the perfect yellow of a boiled egg which makes my mornings seem special and makes me happy.

The ingredients are simple (serves 2)


Oatmeal 1 cup
Vegetable stock or chicken stock 3 cups
Garlic cloves
1.5 Onion
Red wine vinegar/ Balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
chili flakes
Steamed vegetables chopped julienne style (optional)

So one takes 1 tsp oil and fries the finely chopped garlic. I learnt a trick of adding the garlic to cold oil and letting it get cooked along with the rising temperature which prevents browning and burning of the garlic. When the aroma fills the kitchen, one puts in the thinly sliced onions and lets it become golden and adds the vegetables, adds the oats and slowly adds the stock stirring the pan constantly making sure the oats get cooked and do not stick together and then add enough stock and bring everything to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes making sure to add a bit of stock if it becomes too dry so that the final consistency is of a creamy one. If serving to someone who is all green add pre boiled soya chunks otherwise the boiled egg would be the best accompaniment. This is a low calorie , highly nutritious breakfast. With a fruit for pre-lunch snacking one is set for the day as a healthy person.

P.S. I recently I ran out of chicken stock but had a good amount of whey left-over after making homemade cottage cheese and boy did it make a creamy affair for breakfast . Just use 2 onions instead of one and the usual garlic, freshly crushed pepper and ah I did use balsamic vinegar for its awesome taste .Ah yes did add a bit of dried dill leaves, if used fresh then more power to you :)