Masala Oats? Yep. Spicy oatmeal recipe? Yep. You heard that right. There is such a thing. Especially in India. Actually, it is the rage in India where big brands are churning out oats in all kinds of savory versions, even Chinese Oats. And celebrity chefs are creating these popular recipes.
So. Savory Oats. If you are like me, you pour on the brown sugar, dunk the raisins, sprinkle the cinnamon, maybe chop a banana and dig into your morning porridge. Actually, Apple Cinnamon and Peach continue to be my favorite fruit based oatmeal and I loved those tiny brown paper packets you could carry anywhere. I actually did, and very frequently nuked it in a cup for breakfast at work. But that was the past.
And then Quaker Oats came to India. It is funny how foreign markets drive product design, even with a tried and tested decades old product. So KFC actually changed the spices it used for its chicken to please the Indian palate. And after an initial round of ads showing people eating white porridge made with milk and topped with strawberries (very rare and often expensive in India), oats appeared in savory flavors. So now Quaker makes Lemony Veggie and Homestyle Masala Oats in addition to the strawberry flavor.
Even a Cinna-Nana loving person like me has eventually succumbed to the spicy versus sweet battle.
So, these Masala Oats. They can also be called Curry Oats because they are made with my favorite curry powder. For Maggi fans, beware. These oats are going to taste so much like the Masala flavor you love, you may never eat Maggi again ( I saw that eye roll!).
These oats are spicy and lemony and loaded with veggies. You can add any vegetables of choice, and any herbs to mix up the taste. I use the 3 min Oats we get here in India, but they are more like 1 min oats. You can also use steel cut or slower cooking oats for this recipe by just increasing the cooking time.
The best part of these Masala Oats? They are fat free, oil free, preservative free, and vegan. But don’t worry. They are 100% tasty and flavorful. Plus they are ready in about 5-10 minutes.
Spicy Oatmeal or Lemony Masala Oats Recipe
I am using a generous heap of curry powder – you can adjust the amount to suit your taste or use half first, taste, and then add more.
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 cups oats
- 4 cups water
- ¼ cup onions chopped
- ¼ cups carrots chopped
- ¼ cups sweet corn
- ¼ cups green peas
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp mint or cilantro chopped (optional)
- Salt to taste
Method
- Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan.
- When water boils, add all the veggies. You can use fresh or frozen. Boil for a couple of minutes.
- Add the dry oats to the pot and whisk in to avoid lumps.
- Add the curry powder and the seasonings.
- Simmer until cooked to your liking.
- Add more water, half cup at a time, to get the consistency you like.
- Ladle into a bowl, garnish with herbs and serve with a lemon wedge on the side.
- Makes 2 giant bowls, can be stretched to 3.
These Masala Oats or Spicy Oatmeal make a quick lunch or dinner too when you want to eat light, or don’t have much time to cook. Use any vegetables you like, mix it up with the herbs and you will end up with unlimited flavor combinations.
So try making these super easy savory oats or spicy oatmeal in your kitchen. And let me know how you like it.
Yum. I will try this. I am not fond of oats and but this way I should be able to consume it 😉
Hello veena..wish you the best..they can be an acquired taste.
I just have to try this. I love oatmeal and have been experimenting with a savoury flavoured one too which isn’t quite working out how I’d like. I might just skip mine and eat yours instead!
Hello Mel, Hope this works better for you..this is more of a curry flavor…I also do others like Tomato cumin, tomato basil oregano, chili etc. Even Mrs. Dash seasoning tastes good with some veggies.
I don’t think I’ve ever had savory oats before but now I’m scratching my head as to why not. It’s such a great idea. I love that you added lemon juice to it too. Delicious!
Hi vanessa..most of my family cringes at a sweet breakfast…and that is how these oats evolved 🙂
Savory oats!!! My goodness yes! I am so trying them!!! I love it!
Hey Rebecca, how are you? thanks for the visit 🙂
I make savoury oats too with nutritional yeast and it is so nice! Great lazy dinner too 🙂
Never tried nutritional yeast but I hear it has a cheesy flavor..so yes, it should taste good…I have tried adding cheese to oats :O
Great idea! I’ve only had savory oats once before, but I loved them. I don’t know why I don’t think of doing it more often. Love that you made them spicy!
Hello Jenn…yeah, these are a bit high on spice..but halving the curry powder will take care of that..I went with the slightly higher amount to get the deep yellow color 🙂
I had savory oats for the first time at a Healthy Lifestyle expo this past year. This one had kale and nutritional yeast. It was super yummy. Oats are so nice and hearty and filling, I don’t know why this type of savory option never occurred to me! My mom especially is not a sweets person, so this is right up her alley. Nice flavor profile too!
Oh yeah…that is what got us here too..we make a lot of savory oats preparations like savory pancakes, and I almost always add them to my burger patties now instead of bread crumbs.
One of my favorite breakfast! I will post my version of masala oats soon! Yours looks delicious Pragati 🙂 I like the color of it 🙂
Hi Uma..Can’t wait to see your version..
i made something similar with steel cut oats and mung bean together and the result was heavenly. i will have to try this version with lemons.
Oh yeah…steel cut oats will work here too…and if you are using moong beans, I guess that will be a really nice khichdi type stew. I make it bulgur but the oats here are not that robust.
I prefer savory oats over sweet. I love the idea of curried oats in the morning. Looks delicious!
I have never tried savory oats before but this looks fantastic! The flavors sound incredible! I love the bright color as well!
Wonderful! I’ve been on the lookout for savoury oat recipes and this sounds like something I would love to try!
Yum!!! I’m a huge fan of oats so this is right up my alley. I love that you went savory and so flavorful with these, now I have an excuse to eat oatmeal for dinner too ;D
I never tried savoury oats, but I have to admit this looks and sounds pretty good! Thanks for the great idea, Pragati! 😀