Oats Mango Phirni

Phirni is a creamy based dessert from North India traditionally made with rice. Here I have made Phirni with Oats flavored with mango. Serve chilled.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup Quaker Oats - Old Fashioned
• ¾ cup Water
• Half pinch of salt
• 1 cup Half and Half Milk
• Sugar according to taste
• 2 big mangoes peeled and diced

Method:

• In a bowl take Oats and salt; cook in a microwave for about 2-3 minutes. Cool.
• Transfer the cooked Oats into an electric grinder. Add sugar, half of the mango chunks and Half and Half milk. Amount of sugar depends on the sweetness of the mango.
• Churn in pulse mode for 2-3 times so that Oats remain granular like phirni rice.
• Transfer in a serving bowl.
• Garnish with remaining mango chunks. Leave in refrigerator covered for about 1-2 hours.
• Serve Chilled

Do You Know?

Mango contains essential vitamins and dietary minerals. The antioxidant vitamins A, C and E; Vitamin B6, Vitamin K, essential nutrients, such as potassium, copper and 17 amino acids are at good levels in mango.

Rajma Oats Kebabs

Rajma Oats Kebabs serve the purpose both of the appetizers as well as snacks.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 cup boiled Rajma (Kidney Beans)
• 1 cup boiled and mashed Potato
• 1 small Onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
• 2 Green Chilies finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh Cilantro chopped fine
• ½ tsp dried ground ginger
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• ½ tsp Red Chili Powder
• ½ tsp ground Black Pepper
• Cooking oil to stir fry

Method:

• Soak Rajma beans overnight and then pressure cook until Rajma is tender. You can take canned Rajma instead.
• Take a non- stick pan and dry roast the oats (without oil) till they leave their whitishness and turn little brownish. Cool slightly and transfer to a food processor or blender and pulse it few times. Now add onion, ginger garlic paste, green chilies, cilantro and cooked Rajma. Pulse it for few times taking care not to mush up the beans.
• Remove the mixture onto a mixing bowl. Mix in boiled mashed potato, salt, lemon juice, vegetable oil, ground black pepper and red chili powder. Taste the mixture and add in additional seasonings if needed.
• Make small patties of desired size and shallow fry them on a griddle over medium heat for four to five minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
• Serve as an appetizer with Tomato Chutney or Green Chutney.

Do You Know?

The term ‘gluten’ is, in a sense, a generic term for the storage proteins that are found in grains, but in reality, each type of protein, for example, gliadin in wheat, secalin in rye, hordein in barley, avenin in oats, zein in corn and oryzenin in rice, is slightly different from the others. The ‘gluten’ in wheat, rye, barley, contains particular amino acid sequences that are harmful to persons with celiac disease.

Oats Ka Namkeen Dalia (Oats Porridge)

This is almost an instant food. The bland oatmeal is transformed into a spicy, great tasting, healthy breakfast.

I prefer ‘old fashioned’ oats because these are quick to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Quaker Oats (‘Old Fashioned’)
• 1 small Onion finely chopped
• 1 Green Chili finely chopped
• ¼ tsp Black Pepper powder
• ¼ tsp Mustard seeds
• 2-3 Curry Leaves
• 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves chopped
• 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice

Method:

• Heat Oil in a pan, add Mustard Seeds. Once the Mustard Seeds splutter, add chopped Onion, Curry Leaves and chopped Green Chilies; fry until the Onions start to look a little transparent.
• Add Oats to the pan and mix well all the ingredients with a spatula and fry for 2-3 minutes.

• Add 2 cups of water and lemon juice.
• Cook covered on very low heat for 4-5 minutes or till the Oats turn soft.
• Mix in half of the chopped Coriander Leaves.
• Spoon out in a serving dish and garnish with remaining Coriander Leaves.
• Serve hot.

Note: The amount of liquid needed for porridge depends on two things:

1. The oats that you use and the amount of liquid that they absorb.
2. Your preferred consistency for porridge i.e. runny or smooth

Do You Know?

In patients with celiac disease, gluten injures the lining of the small intestine. This injury can result in weight loss, bloating, diarrhea, gas, abdominal cramps, and/or vitamin and mineral deficiencies. When patients totally eliminate gluten from the diet, the lining of the intestine has a chance to heal.

Fruity Oats Porridge

It is inexpensive, healthy and quick to prepare. If you miss your chance for oats in the morning, don't worry, you can have in the evening, before you start evening chores, after a long day at work.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Quaker Oats – ‘Old Fashioned’
• 1½ cups water
• Pinch of salt
• 1½ cups milk
• Sugar according to taste
• ½ cups chopped fresh fruits (Banana, Apple, Strawberries etc)
• Few chopped Walnuts
• 2-3 mint leaves

Method:

• Cook the Oats with 1½ cups of water and a pinch of salt in a microwave for about 3-4 minutes or cook them in a vessel for about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the above cooked Oats into a serving bowl and add sugar and milk. Leave the mixture to cool for 5-10 minutes in refrigerator.
• Now add all the fresh fruits, and Walnuts to the serving bowl with cooked Oats and mix well.
• Garnish with mint leaves and serve chilled.

Do You Know?

Oatmeal is a rich source of dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Oats are proven to be effective in lowering blood cholesterol.

Oats Pineapple Ki Kheer

Canned pineapple, with its sweet and juicy flavor, provides great taste to the pudding.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 cup Water
• Pinch of salt
• sugar to taste
• 1 ½ cups Full cream milk boiled
• 1 Can of pineapple tidbits or chunks with juice (5 Oz)

Method:

• Cook the Oats with 1 cup of Water, 1 cup of milk and pinch of salt in a microwave for 3 minutes or cook them in a vessel for about 5-6 minutes.
• Transfer the above cooked Oats into a bowl. Add remaining Milk and mix well.
• Now add ½ cup of pineapple juice (present in the can) and ½ cup tidbits or chunks of canned pineapple. Mix in more sugar, if required.
• Garnish with more pineapple chunks. Leave in refrigerator covered for 2-3 hours.
• Serve Chilled

Do You Know?

Nutritive value of canned Pineapple differs from fresh Pineapple. During canning process, due to involvement of heat, a fair amount of the vitamin C and other heat-sensitive vitamins get lost in translation. According to Nutritiondata.com, pineapple canned in juice has only about 60% as much vitamin C as fresh raw pineapple.

Moreover Bromelain enzyme, which is an anti-inflammatory, present in raw pineapple, is destroyed in the canning process.

Vegetable Fried Oats

You won’t believe how good it tastes. Just by adding colorful crunchy vegetables, the bland oatmeal is transformed into a spicy, flavorful, feed me more kind of Fried Oats.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 cup Water
• ½ cup diced Bell Peppers (Green, Red and Yellow)
• ¼ cup Onions finely chopped
• ¼ cup Green Peas
• ¼ cup diced Tomato (fresh and hard)
• 2-3 Green Chilies finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Red Chili Sauce
• 4-5 tbsp Cooking Oil
• ¼ tsp Black Pepper powder

Method:

• Prepare Oats: Take a non- stick pan and dry roast the oats (without oil) till they leave their whitishness and turn little brownish. Take them out in a big bowl, add 1 cup of water, pinch of salt and 1 tbsp of cooking oil. Cook in Microwave for two minutes. Allow them to cool for 5-6 minutes. Fluff cooked Oats carefully with a fork so that flakes are separated to some extent.
• Prepare Vegetables: Heat oil in a wok or large pan, add chopped vegetables. Stir fry on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes. Take care that vegetables are not overdone, they should be crisp.
• Add the cooked Oats, salt and pepper powder; mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium high heat, stirring frequently, separating grains of Oats. Stir in Red Chili Sauce.
• Spoon out in a serving dish, garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Do You Know?

With a low glycemic index oatmeal is assimilated slowly, keeping sugar levels stable. The American Diabetes Association recommends a daily fiber intake of 20 - 35 grams. One cup of cooked oatmeal supplies 4 grams.

Oats Tuna Cutlets

These cutlets make an excellent appetizer.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 can of Tuna (Chunk Light Tuna in water 5 oz.)
• ¼ cup Corn meal
• 1 small onion chopped fine
• 2 green chilies chopped fine
• ¼ cup cilantro chopped fine
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup Oats flakes
• Cooking oil to stir fry

Method:

• Cook the Oats with 1 cup of Water, 1 tbsp cooking oil and a pinch of salt in a microwave for about 2 minutes.
• Open can of Tuna and drain out water from it.
• In a big mixing bowl take cooked oats, drained Tuna, chopped onion, chopped green chilies, chopped cilantro, pepper powder, salt and corn meal. Mix well. Add more corn meal if Oats Tuna mix is soft.
• Divide the mixture into equal portions and shape into flat round cutlets. Roll each cutlet in Oats flakes. Prepare all the cutlets and keep in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan and shallow fry these cutlets on medium heat until they are golden brown and crispy.
• Garnish with onion, cucumber and serve hot with ketchup or chutney.

Do You Know?

Tuna fish are truly a nutrient-dense food. An excellent source of high quality protein, tuna are rich in a variety of important nutrients including the minerals selenium, magnesium, and potassium; the B vitamins niacin, B1 and B6; and perhaps most important, the beneficial omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Oats Chicken Masala

It is a perfect ‘One Pot Meal’ for dinner. If cooked Chicken is ready in the refrigerator, it will take just 10 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Quaker Oats -‘Old Fashioned’
• ½ pound chicken with bones cut in small pieces
• 1 small Onion chopped finely
• 2 Green Chilies chopped finely
• ½ tsp ginger garlic paste
• ¼ cup tomato chopped fine
• ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
• ½ tsp Red Chili Powder
• 2-3 tbsp Coriander Leaves chopped fine
• 3-4 tbsp Cooking Oil
• ¼ cup fried Onion
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice

Method:

• Heat Oil in a pan; add chopped Onion, and chopped Green Chilies; fry until the Onions start to look transparent. Add Ginger Garlic paste and fry till rawness has gone. Now add chopped Tomato, Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder and Salt; fry till Tomatoes become soft and mushy, and Oil is separated out.
• Add Chicken pieces and cook on medium heat until Chicken is tender.
• Now add fried Onions and Oats to the pan and mix well all the ingredients with a spatula. Just fry for 2-3 minutes and then add 3 cups of water. Add little more water if you like soft Oats.
• Cook covered on very low heat for 4-5 minutes or till the Oats turn soft.
• Mix in Lemon Juice and half of the chopped Coriander Leaves.
• Spoon out in a serving dish, garnish with Coriander Leaves and few fried onions.
• Serve hot.

Do You Know?

Oats (naturally gluten free) can be contaminated with gluten in the fields itself, when oats are grown side-by-side with fields of wheat. And contamination can vary widely between batches of processed oats i.e. even oats grown and processed in the same place. So one box of conventional oats may be safe for one gluten-intolerant person, but then the next box might give them a terrible reaction. It's best to completely avoid conventionally grown and processed oats when cooking for a gluten-free individual.

Oats Upma

Oatmeal is a big challenge to Indian palate mostly because of its blandness. The flavor and spiciness of Curry Leaves, Coriander Leaves and Green Chilies helped me to overcome this hurdle.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Quaker Oats - Old Fashioned
• ¼ cup Green Peas
• 1 small Onion finely chopped
• 2 Green Chilies finely chopped
• ½ tsp Black Pepper powder
• ½ tsp Mustard seeds
• ½ tsp Dhuli Urad Dal (Split Skinned Black Gram)
• 4-5 Curry Leaves
• 2-3 tbsp Coriander Leaves chopped
• 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice

Method:

• Wash and soak Oats for 4-5 minutes in water. After that just squeeze out the water from oats and mix with very little salt and keep aside for later use.
• Heat Oil in a pan, add Mustard Seeds, once the Mustard Seeds splutter, add Urad Dal and fry until they turn golden brown.
• Now add chopped Onion, Curry Leaves and chopped Green Chilies and fry until the Onions start to look a little transparent. Add Green Peas and black pepper powder; fry until Peas are tender.
• Add moist Oats to the pan and mix well all the ingredients with a spatula and fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Sprinkle about 1-2 tbsp of water to the above fried Oats mixture in the pan and cook covered on very low heat for 4-5 minutes or till the Oats turn soft. Make sure to not add excess water to the Oats Upma as the whole mixture can become soggy and Oats Upma may not taste as good as it should.
• Stir it carefully with a fork so that Oats can be separated to some extent. Mix in Lemon Juice and half of the chopped coriander leaves..
• Spoon out in a serving dish. Garnish with Coriander Leaves.

Do You Know?

The main problem with oats in gluten-free eating is contamination. Most commercial oats are processed in facilities that also process wheat, barley, and rye. The gluten in these ingredients can contaminate oats, and the nature of most gluten intolerances is that even a trace amount of gluten can cause severe discomfort. Therefore, only certified gluten free oats should be consumed by those with celiacs.

Oats Ki Kheer (Oats Pudding)

It is fairly easy and quick to prepare. Boil oats with milk, add Saffron and Cardamom Powder and get a taste of creamy delicious Oats ki Kheer.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Quaker Oats - Old Fashioned
• 2 cups Water
• Pinch of salt
• 1 ½ cups Full cream milk boiled
• ¼ cup Sugar (modify according to taste)
• ¼ tsp Green Cardamom Powder
• Few strands of Saffron
• Pinch of Nutmeg powder
• ¼ cup chopped dry fruits (Almonds, Cashews etc)

Method:

• Cook the Oats with 2 cups of Water and pinch of salt in a microwave for about 4 minutes or cook them in a vessel for about 5-6 minutes.
• Transfer the above cooked Oats into a bowl and stir in warm Milk. Keep on stirring for some time so that lumps are not formed and kheer becomes smooth and creamy.
• Add all the Dry fruits, cardamom powder, half of the Saffron, pinch of Nutmeg powder and Sugar.
• Mix all the ingredients well. Transfer in a serving bowl.
• Garnish with little cardamom powder and few strings of Saffron. Keep covered in refrigerator for 4-5 hours.
• Serve Chilled

Do You Know?

Wheat, rye, and barley have proteins that collectively are called 'Gluten'. Some people cannot tolerate gluten when it comes in contact with the small intestine. This condition in ‘Gluten- Sensitive’ individuals is known as coeliac disease.

Oats naturally contain a type of protein called 'Avenin' that is different to the type of gluten you find in wheat, rye, barley and triticale. Avenin can also be toxic to the intestinal mucosa of Avenin-Sensitive individuals, and can trigger a reaction in these coeliacs.

Garbanzo Oats Pulao

Today first time my recipe using Oats has come up, since I started blogging. The inspiration I got from my elder son Piyush, who wanted me to introduce this wonderful food in our diet.

Garbanzo oats Pulao is a simple healthy and delicious dish. In this recipe Garbanzo is cooked with Oats like a pulao. It can be served for dinner, brunch or evening snack.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Quaker Oats (‘Old Fashioned’ Oats)
• ½ cup Garbanzo (Kabuli Chana) boiled or Canned
• 1 small Onion finely chopped
• 2 Green Chilies finely chopped
• ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
• ½ tsp Red Chili Powder
• ¼ tsp Cumin seeds
• 2-3 tbsp Coriander Leaves chopped fine
• 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice

Method:

• Take a non- stick pan and dry roast the oats (without oil) till they leave their whitishness and turn little brownish. Take them out in a bowl.
• Heat Oil in a pan, add Cumin Seeds. Once the Cumin Seeds splutter, add chopped onion, and chopped Green Chilies; fry until the Onions start to look little transparent. Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder and roasted Oats. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

• Add boiled Garbanzo to the pan and mix well all the ingredients with a spatula.
• Add 2 cups of water to the above Garbanzo Oats mixture in the pan and cook covered on low heat for 4-5 minutes or till the Oats turn soft. Stir Occasionally. Make sure to not add excess water to the Oats as the whole mixture can become soggy.
• Mix in Lemon Juice and half of the chopped coriander leaves. Keep covered for five minutes.
• Spoon out in a serving dish, garnish with the remaining Coriander Leaves and serve.

Do You Know?

• Oats are available in several forms.

• Oat groats are the whole seed with only the outer hull removed.

• ‘Old fashioned’ Oats are the Oat groats that are steamed, pressed with a roller and flaked without further processing. They contain all parts of the oat grain including the bran, endosperm and germ portion.

• Quick Oats are steel cut oat groats that are flaked to .014 to .018 inches thick. They require minimal cooking but, as a result, sacrifice some of the nutty flavor and texture; they are most often used in baking.

• Steel Cut Oats are whole oats that have not been rolled into flakes. Instead, they are cut approximately into thirds. These oats are chewy and often used for oatmeal and muesli. Steel Cut Oats are also known as Scotch Oats, Pinhead Oats (in Great Britain because they resemble the size and shape of the head of a large pin) and Irish Oats.

• Oat Bran is the outer coating of the oat grain which is even higher in fiber. It is usually available at health food stores.

• Oat Flour comes from ground oat groats and contains no gluten (gluten-free). Oat flour contains natural antioxidants that can actually prolong the shelf-life of baked goods. It is usually available at health food stores.