Oats Vegetable Upma: Healthy Breakfast in a bowl

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food, quoted by Hippocrates, the father of Medicine. How true it is. Keeping it in mind, try this healthy and simple breakfast in a bowl kinda recipe. 

Having a bowl of oatmeal in the morning is a good way to start the day. Oats are whole grain cereal. They are rich in fiber, Iron, protein and antioxidants hence considered heart healthy. Oats are known to lower blood sugar levels and cholesterol. And they are simple to prepare. My favorite way of having oats is to heat em with water and adding lil bit salt.If you like em sweet, top em with your favorite fruits and honey or maple syrup. 

But having it the same way would be definitely boring. So once in a while I make this Upma. It satisfies my spicy palette as well as my hungry tummy. It is also kids friendly recipe. You can make it in 20 minutes using either Quick oats or Old fashioned oats. I have used Quick oats since it's supposed to be a quick recipe. These gets cooked in a minute while old fashioned oats take  more time. If you are looking for quick breakfast recipes try my Bread Upma ,Uggani (borugulu upma) or Dadpe Poha.

Servings:
Two (2)
Total Time:
20 minutes

Ingredients (I use US standard measuring; 1cup=8oz=250ml)

• 1 Cup Quick Oats
• 2 tbsp.  Corn fresh or frozen
• 2 tbsp. Green peas
• 2 tbsp. Chopped carrots
• 2 green chilli or adjust
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp lemon juice optionally
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 th onion
• 1 inch ginger

Oats Vegetable Upma step wise Recipe

1. Chop 1/4 th onion into small pieces.
2. Chop 2 green chillies finely or adjust according to your taste.
3. Chop carrot into small pieces so they cook faster.
4. Grate 1 inch ginger.
5. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds. Let em splutter.
6. Add 1 tsp grated ginger. 
7. Add green chillies and fry .
8. Add onions and sautee till transparent.
9. Add carrots and cook for a minute, if using fresh ones. They take longer to cook. 
10. Add rest of the veggies. Add turmeric. Stir. Cook for a minute or till veggies are soft. 
11. Add 2-2.5 cups water. Add salt to taste.
12. Bring water to boil. Add 1 cup Oats. Cook for a minute.
13. Turn off the stove. Squeeze lemon juice on top optionally. Stir. Cover the pan.
14. Let Oats sit 5 minutes to soak up all flavors.
15. If using old fashioned oats cook em covered for 5 minutes or follow directions on the box.
16. Serve with lemon pickle on the side or as it is.

Tips: 

• Adjust spice accordingly.
• You can use mixed frozen veggies. Also add other veggies of your choice like Beans, spinach, bell pepper etc.
• You can also use old fashioned oats with the same recipe. They require longer cooking.