Oats Upma Recipe (Indian Savory Oats)

oats upma with lemon wedge and a spoon on white plate on a brown board.

4.71 from 34 votes

Oats Upma Recipe (Indian Savory Oats)

Oats Upma is a quick and healthy savory Indian breakfast dish made with oats, vegetables, and simple spices & herbs. It’s light, filling, and comes together in under 30 minutes. Perfect for busy mornings. You can customize it with your choice of veggies and cook it in coconut oil or ghee for more flavor. Serve it hot with lemon wedges or coconut chutney for a wholesome meal.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: South Indian

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Servings:

Calories: 264kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

For roasting oats

1 cup (100 grams) quick cooking oats
½ teaspoon oil - any neutral oil

Other ingredients

¼ cup onions - tightly packed, finely chopped
¼ cup carrots - finely chopped
¼ cup french beans - finely chopped
¼ cup green peas - fresh or frozen
7 to 8 curry leaves - large or 10 to 12 medium to small curry leaves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon chana dal - optional
1 teaspoon urad dal - optional
8 to 10 cashews or roasted peanuts
½ teaspoon ginger - finely chopped
1 or 2 green chillies - chopped
1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves - chopped (cilantro)
1.25 cups water or add as required
2 tablespoons oil - any neutral oil or coconut oil
salt as required

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Roasting oats

Heat ½ teaspoon oil in a pan. Add 1 cup quick cooking oats.
Stir and roast on a low heat until the oats become crisp.
Keep stirring continuously so that the oats do not get browned from the bottom. No need to brown the oats. You really just want a bit of crispyness.
Remove oats in a plate or tray and set aside.

Sautéing onions and veggies

In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add mustard seeds. Stir and fry until the mustard seeds crackle.
Then add cumin seeds, chana dal & urad dal (optional) and, cashews.
Stir and fry until the chana dal gets browned.
Add finely chopped onions. Stir and sauté until the onions soften and turn translucent.
Next add finely chopped ginger, chopped green chillies and curry leaves. Stir and sauté for half a minute.

Making oats upma

Next add finely chopped carrots, finely chopped french beans and green peas, fresh or frozen. Stir and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add water. Cover the pan with its lid.
On a medium heat simmer and cook this mixture until the veggies are almost done. About 8 to 9 minutes.
Add the roasted oats. Stir and mix lightly.
Add salt as required. Mix very well.
Cover the pan again with its lid and on a low to medium-low heat, steam for 7 to 8 minutes.
Once done, add chopped coriander leaves.
Stir and serve oats upma drizzled with some lemon or lime juice.

Serving suggestions

Oats upma is best served hot or warm. Drizzle it with a bit of lemon juice and enjoy with your morning cup of tea. You can also serve it with a side of coconut chutney.
You can also garnish with some chopped coriander leaves and fresh grated coconut while serving.
You can also enjoy oats upma as a brunch or an evening snack.

Storage

Oats upma is best had hot or warm. If you have any leftovers, store in an airtight container or jar, in the refrigerator for a day only.
Reheat in a microwave oven with a drizzle of water, or steam in a pan or in the Instant pot for a few minutes.

Notes

Use any type of oats, but adjust water and cooking time accordingly.
Add your choice of vegetables for better taste and nutrition.
Skip cashews or use roasted peanuts instead.
Omit green chilies and add black pepper, or red chili flakes instead.
Cook in coconut oil, ghee, or any neutral oil.
Lightly roast oats before cooking to prevent stickiness.
For slightly more softer texture, cover and rest the oats upma for 5 minutes after cooking.
Recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.

Nutrition