Oats upma is a simple and delicious breakfast recipe from Indian cuisine. It is made with steel-cut oats, onion, and mustard seeds. Popping the mustard seeds in hot oil and tossing the oats effortlessly brings the classic Indian flavor.
This Oats Upma recipe is easy to make and does not consume much of your busy morning timings.
Why You’ll All Love This Oats Upma Recipe
Few ingredients: With just under five ingredients, you can create an authentic, Indian-flavored-satisfying breakfast dish in the comfort of your home(like this quinoa upma or this moong dal dosa).
Customizable: This oats upma is the basic recipe, and it is easy to transform into a new dish with the simple addition of a vegetable. Just toss in your favorite vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, potatoes, or any other seasonal vegetables, and experience the extra flavors that shine.
Just under 10 minutes: As we have already discussed, this is a quick recipe from many other Indian dishes and is still loaded with the classic spicy and savory tone. Serve with mango chutney, and check this starter's collection when planning for a party.
The ingredients
Oats: In this oats upma recipe, I have used and highly recommend rolled/old-fashioned oats. They hold their chewy, dense texture well and are moist enough to absorb all the flavors of the added spices. On the other hand, quick oats or steel-cut oats can make this dish mushy.
Keeping it on a low flame and occasionally stirring gives the best result for the surface and the taste.
Mustard seeds add a nutty and earthy flavor to this oats upma. You can find them in the international aisle of the leading grocery stores or online. If you have difficulty locating them, you may skip using them.
Onion: I have used red onion for this recipe, but yellow and white onions also work fine. Yellow onion provides a mild sweetness that works fine, too.
Ginger: Freshly grated ginger is responsible for the rich and robust flavors.
Red pepper flakes: Originally, Indian green chilies or dried cayenne peppers were used for this recipe. However, we are slightly modifying it to use red pepper flakes, but believe me; this twist preserves the same Indian flavors.
Other Classic Indian Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Upma?
Upma is a savory dish from South Indian cuisine. It is usually made with dry-roasted semolina, broken rice, or wheat. This basic recipe has infinite variations achieved by adding vegetables, spices, and more.
What type of oats is best for upma?
I recommend using rolled/old-fashioned oats rather than steel-cut or quicker oats for the best texture.
Can I make this dish ahead of time?
Yes, this oats upma is an excellent refrigerator—and freezer-friendly dish. You can make it ahead and store it in the fridge for 2 to 3 days or up to two months in the freezer. When reheating, splash it with water to retain its soft texture.
What vegetables can I add?
To this oats upma, you can try various vegetables, such as carrots, peas, bell peppers, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, tomatoes, and so on, which will become delicious additions. You can add your favorite vegetable or a combination of vegetables.
Can I add a protein?
For added protein, you can toss nuts like peanuts, cashews, Indian cottage cheese(paneer), or scrambled eggs, which is also a perfect addition.
Printable recipe card
Oats Upma recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup oats old fashioned
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon onion finley chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger finley chopped
- 2 red pepper flakes / serrano pepper-slited
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt or as required
Instructions
- Over medium heat, place a pan. Add rolled oats and dry roast for a minute. And set aside.
- In the same pan, add vegetable oil and black mustard seeds. Wait until mustard seeds splutter.
- Then add chopped onion and saute till it becomes soft.
- Next, add chopped ginger and continue to saute for a minute.
- Now add water and salt. Bring the water to a boil. Once you start seeing the bubbles in the water, add the roasted oats.
- Turn to low heat, cover with a lid, and cook it for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Finally, sprinkle red pepper flakes and serve hot with pickles.
Nutrition
Do not miss the latest recipes. Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
preethi Prasad
i prepare in the same way bit i add vegetables too
Selkiema
Delicious!!!
Sujatha Muralidhar
Thank you and glad you liked this recipe.
Selkiema
This is Selkiema again- I still absolutely LOVE this dish, and prepare it several times a month. (I am in fact eating some as I write this!)
I have made a couple of small changes which you and others might like to hear about. I, as a long-time low-fat, low-salt vegan cook, use the dry saute method on the mustard seeds for a couple of minutes on medium heat in my stainless steel wok. I then add a minced half onion, a small minced raw hot pepper (of whatever variety I have on hand), grated ginger root, and 1/2 tsp salt PLUS a few tablespoons of hot water, stirring constantly and adding more tablespoons of water as needed to water-saute the onion to light golden colour.
So, here's another small change: I always have on hand some unsalted steel-cut oats which I've cooked ahead of time in my Instant Pot. I always have precooked lentils or chickpeas, and (almost) always have some lightly pre-steamed vegetables such as zucchini squash on hand as well. I add a cup or two of the precooked steel-cut oats, a half cup or so of whatever precooked legumes I have on hand, stirring until warmed up. I then throw in veggies if I have them, and the remainder of the seasonings called for above, and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with generous cilantro and perhaps a bit more hot pepper, serve with a bit of chutney, and it's a very quick, low-fat version of your delicious recipe!! Love it!!!
Karlie
I much prefer savory oats to sweet ones. The chili and ginger in this is delicious.
Sara Welch
Enjoyed this for breakfast this morning and started my day off right! Easy and hearty, and incredibly flavorful; definitely, a new favorite recipe!
Elisa
Wow, never tried this Oats Upma recipe before, but definitely will make it. Looks delicious. thanks for sharing 🙂
Kushigalu
Love this simple and delicious upma recipe for breakfast. Thanks for sharing.
Andrea
This healthy, nutritious and fabulous oats Upma sounds like the perfect breakfast to start your day with.