Upma - a popular South Indian dish - is a delicious, healthy, and wholesome meal. Also known as Uppumavu or Uppittu, it is typically consumed as a breakfast item in the southern and western states of India - including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. It is a savoury porridge, typically made from roasted semolina flour, which is cooked in water until a thick paste-like consistency is achieved.
It is a versatile dish and one can use a whole range of veggies - including carrots, peas, and cauliflower - to cook with it. A lot of recipes add roasted peanuts or cashews as well to upma as it lends a bit of crunch and taste besides nutrition. The tempering of curry leaves, mustard seeds and urad, and chana dals over upma makes it a tantalising affair. While there are upma recipes made with vermicelli or seviya too, have you ever thought of giving a whole new healthy spin to your bowl of upma with oats? Yes, that is possible.
Oats is one healthy food grain, which is popular among health enthusiasts for being rich in fibre, protein, and complex carbs. According to data by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a 100-gram portion of oats contains about 11.6 grams of fibre, and 16.9 grams of protein. Besides, it also has a good amount of iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Oats have several health benefits including weight loss, lowering cholesterol levels, easing bowel movements, and keeping heart diseases at bay. It is also said to be great for regulating blood sugar levels. Packed with vitamins and minerals, oats are also known to be rich in antioxidants, and beta-glucan which is a lipid lowering agent.
While experts have repeatedly stressed the benefits of oats, you’ll be surprised at how versatile oats are. One can easily add it to a number of everyday recipes, including upma. Oats, when consumed as a part of your breakfast, can help you charge up for the day, as the carbs in them can energise the body. And we have just the right oats upma recipe that is perfect for a breakfast meal that is wholesome, nutritious, as well as delicious.
In this recipe, all you need to do is replace the semolina flour with rolled oats, which is then cooked and sauteed with turmeric. In another pan, mustard seeds are sauteed with urad dal, curry leaves, onion, red chillies and green chillies. Carrots and green peas are added to this and cooked until soft. After that, the oats mixture is added to the pan, and cooked with hot water for about two minutes. You can add in vegetables of your choice to this recipe, make sure to garnish with coriander leaves, and serve hot. Click here for the full recipe.
Isn’t this a super quick and easy upma recipe? Healthy, delicious, and simple - that’s exactly how your breakfast should be. Try this oats upma recipe at home, and share your experience with us.