Nothing can get me out of bed faster than the smell of warm Homemade Upma.
The whiff of cooked curry leaves, spluttering mustard seeds and chana dal in any Indian household reminds me of my childhood days. Now all I need is a cup of filter coffee with these and I am ready to face the day!!
My healthy take on the evergreen South Indian Upma sans the gluten,the Vegetable Oats Upma.
They are a healthier version of Upma is made with Oats that taste like your favorite Upma – but they’re gluten-free and will keep you full for ages.
How is Oats Upma healthier?
Oil- In the spirit of keeping it healthy, we used ghee in making this Oats Upma.In case you are a Vegan switch to coconut oil. Try cooking in organic coconut oil if the whole idea of cooking in coconut oil intimidates you.
Vegetables -This Oats Upma has a generous serving of vegetables which means more fibre, fewer calories and more nutrition. Onion, carrot, french beans and peas are used in this recipe but feel free to increase or decrease the quantity of vegetable.
Rolled Oats– These are made with Rolled Oats which has a higher fibre and fat content as compared to instant oats. This is great for our body and health. The chewy texture is due to the way these oats are made which is why the upma is a lot chewier.
Proteins–Cashews, peas and lentils added in the Upma are a great source of proteins. (Yes,peas !!)
Curry leaves-These are packed with antioxidants which is great for overall health.
Bonus Trick-Cut the curry leaves into small pieces so that they cannot be separated from the Upma.
Meal Prep– Nothing compares to a freshly homemade Upma but there are times when meal preps take over and these play fantastic fillers on busy weekdays.
Oats Upma
My healthy take on the evergreen South Indian Upma sans the gluten, the Vegetable Oats Upma.
- 2 cups jumbo/rolled Oats
- 1 cup onion Chopped (2 big Onions)
- 1 cup Chopped carrot
- 1/2 cup chopped beans
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 dried red chilies
- 2 tbsp chopped cashews /chana dal/urad dal
- 1 teaspoon ginger chopped
- 2 green chili chopped (as per taste)
- 2-3 curry leaves chopped
- 2 cups of boiling Water
- Salt (Or to taste)
- Coriander & coconut to serve
- Lemon wedges to serve
Dry roast the oats for 5 -7 minutes. Remove from heat.
In the same pan add ghee, immediately add chilies, curry leaves, urad dal, cashews and allow it to release the flavor . (Add urad dal first as it should turn pink and then add other ingredients)
- Add chopped veg and onion and ginger, add salt and allow it to release flavor.
Add 2 cups of water of boiling water into the vegetable and put the heat to high and cover for a minutes
- Add that roasted oats and still well.
Turn off the heat and cover for a minute and allow the oats to cook .Remove from heat. Cover for 5 minutes
Serve upma topped with fresh coconut, coriander, lemon wedges
and filter coffee.
Rolled Oats provide texture to the Upma, in case using quick cooking oats, fry them for a little longer to make them really crispy.
Add vegetables like carrots, beans and peas .
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