Oats upma is a tastier oats version made by dry roasting oats and then cooking it with tempered vegetables, spices & masala powders. Oats upma is healthy with the goodness of oats and delectable with the blend of masala and spices. How to make oats upma is featured in this recipe with step by step pictures and video.
Oats upma is soo filling and wholesome with the addition of vegetables. You can serve oats upma for breakfast or dinner or even as a snack.
About this Oats Upma
This oats upma is very easy to prepare and takes just 15 mins of cooking time and takes 30 mins on the whole which includes preparation time also. You can prepare oats upma with just onion and spices but the addition of vegetables gives it a nice crunch while eating and of course wholesome too.
Oats Upma is my favourite. I have tried oats upma few times but it ended up sticky most of the time…but finally got the trick to get this flaky version after few trials and now am hooked onto this recipe either for breakfast or even as a snack.
The key rule to make flaky oats upma is first roast oats then sprinkle water and cook oats. You can add oats to boiling water but add water very very little and cook to get flaky upma.
Oats Upma Ingredients
- Oats : I have used regular quick cooking oats, you can use rolled oats too. If using rolled oats it takes a bit more time to cook so sprinkle water atleast 3-4 times cover and cook.
- Vegetables : I used onion, carrot, peas but you can add any of your favourite vegetable as per the availability.
- Tempering : A basic tadka is made using mustard seeds, cumin seeds and green chilli.
- Others : You can add any nuts of your choice to enhance the taste of the upma. I roasted and added peanuts, you can even add fried cashews. Make sure to roast it first remove and add it only at the final stage else the nuts will become soggy while the upma is getting cooked. Adding ginger gives a nice flavour to the upma.
Oats Upma 2 Methods
Oats upma can be cooked in 2 ways
- The first method is to use more water but sprinkle and add in intervals as I have shared in the first version. This method works perfectly if you are looking for a flaky oats upma.
- The second method is adding water fully, boiling it then adding oats and cooking as I have shared in my lemon oats upma below. Though this method yields a tasty upma it is slighlty sticky as you can see.
I prefer the first method which works perfeclty everytime no worries for oats to stick or become mushy as you can have an eye while sprinkling water. But basically it is your preference of taste and texture.
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📖 Recipe Card
Oats Upma
Ingredients
- 1 cup oats quick cooking variety
- 1 medium sized onion chopped finely
- 1/2 cup mixed vegetables finely chopped(I used carrot, peas)
- 3 tablespoon peanuts
- salt to taste
- 3/4 cup water + 1/4 cup water to cook veggies
To Temper:
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium sized green chilli
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger finely chopped
Instructions
- Dry roast oats until nice aroma comes, do not let the color change. Just roast it for 3 mins make sure to stir often else it will easily get burnt at the bottom.
- Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool down.
- Add oil and roast peanuts until crisp and browned a bit. Transfer to a palte and set aside.
- Heat oil add mustard seeds let it crackle then add cumin seeds let it crackle, Add green chilli and ginger chopped.
- Add onion along with salt to get it brown quicker.
- Saute until onions turn transparent and slightly golden.
- Add carrot and peas.
- Saute the veggies for 2 mins.
- Add 1/4 cup water.
- Cook covered until veggies are cooked.
- Open and check if veggies are soft but not mushy. Make sure if all the water is absorbed. if water is still there then cook in high heat for 2 misn for water to evaporate.
- Now add roasted oats.
- Saute for 2 mins.
- This is a very important step. Take 3/4 cup water sprinkle very little.
- Do not add water fully, sprinkle only very little water.
- Cook covered for 2 mins.
- Open give a quick mix.
- Again sprinkle remaining water.
- Cook covered. Cook until oats is soft and flaky not sticky.
- Open fluff the upma. Check if oats is fully cooked and finally add fried peanuts. You can evena dd coriander leaves if you like.
- Mix it well. Oats upma ready.
Video
Notes
- Do not add the water fully, just add little by little and cook covered that’s the trick here to get flaky upma.
- You can dry roast oats and store it so that its easier to make during the morning hours.
- As I used quick cooking oats, just little water was enough for it to get cooked. If you are using rolled oats, you need to add more water accordingly.
- Add vegetables of your choice.
How to make Oats Upma
Roasting Oats
- Dry roast oats until nice aroma comes, do not let the color change. Just roast it for 3 mins make sure to stir often else it will easily get burnt at the bottom.
2.Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool down.
Fry Nuts
3.Add oil and roast peanuts until crisp and browned a bit. Transfer to a palte and set aside.
Temper the spices
4.Heat oil add mustard seeds let it crackle then add cumin seeds let it crackle, Add green chilli and ginger chopped.
Add veggies
5. Add onion along with salt to get it brown quicker.
6.Saute until onions turn transparent and slightly golden.
6.Add carrot and peas.
7. Saute the veggies for 2 mins.
Cook veggies
8.Add 1/4 cup water.
9.Cook covered until veggies are cooked.
10. Open and check if veggies are soft but not mushy. Make sure if all the water is absorbed. if water is still there then cook in high heat for 2 misn for water to evaporate.
Add Oats
11.Now add roasted oats.
12.Saute for 2 mins.
Cook oats
13.This is a very important step. Take 3/4 cup water sprinkle very little.
14.Do not add water fully, sprinkle only very little water.
15.Cook covered for 2 mins.
16.Open give a quick mix.
17.Again sprinkle remaining water.
18.Cook covered. Cook until oats is soft and flaky not sticky.
Garnish
19.Open fluff the upma. Check if oats is fully cooked and finally add fried peanuts. You can even add coriander leaves if you like.
20.Mix it well
11.Oats upma ready.
Expert Tips
- Do not add the water fully, just add little by little and cook covered that’s the trick here to get flaky upma.
- You can dry roast oats and store it so that its easier to make during the morning hours.
- As I used quick cooking oats, just little water was enough for it to get cooked. If you are using rolled oats, you need to add more water accordingly.
- Add vegetables of your choice.
Variations
- You can add coriander leaves and lemon juice at the end for a different flavour.
- You can replace peanuts with cashewnuts.
- Adding vegetables is purely your choice, you can add any vegetable of your choice.
- I used quick cooking oatsm you can use rolled oats too.
- I used regular cooking oil but you can use coconut oil for more flavour add grated coconut as garnish.
Serving & Storage Suggestion
You can serve oats upma as such or with any chutney like tomato chutney, onion chutney etc.
This upma keeps well for a day and it tastes great when had hot so incase if you want to serve later, reheat it and then serve. You can either steam it in a steamer or use microwave to heat it. If you want to extend shelf life then you can refrigerate it and it stays well for another day too.
FAQs
1.What kind of oats should I use for oats upma?
It is best to use quick cooking oats but you can use rolled oats too but make sure to add water accordingly. Rolled oats may need 1(oats) : 1(water) ratio.
2.Does oats upma reduce weight?
Oats is a gluten free healthy grain, low in cholestrol and fat and high in fibre which is essential for weight loss. So with regular diet and exercise if you include oats in your diet then it will surely help in weight loss.
3.How can I make easy oats upma?
You can make oats upma quickly : First dry roast oats for few minuttes until nice aroma comes. Just temper spices in oil along with onion,green chilli and ginger then add turmeric powder, sambar powder give a quick mix. Then add roasted oats and cook covered by sprinkling water little by little.
Lemon Oats Upma
Lemon Oats is a quick alternate to our usual oats upma. Lemon oats is just oats upma with lemon flavour. I made it just like how we make lemon rice and it turned out super tasty. The texture is purely your choice if you want it more separate then follow the technique I have mentioned in oats upma recipe.This is very quick to make so handy for breakfast, do try this easy oats upma with lemon.
Lemon Oats Upma Ingredients
1/2 cup oats
1/2 lemon
1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 cup water
salt to taste
To temper:
2 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon urad dal
1/2 tablespoon chana dal
1 tablespoon peanuts
few curry leaves
a tiny pinch hing
2 nos red chillies
How to make Lemon Oats Upma
1.Soak chana dal in water for 15mins,set aside.In a pan heat oil – add the items listed under ‘to temper’ along with turmeric powder and chana dal fry till the dals turn slightly browned.Then add peanuts and fry for a minute.
2.Then add water,salt and being it to boil.Once it starts boiling add the oats in spreaded manner and keep mixing.
3.Cook covered for 3 mins.Once it gets cooked and is fluffy switch off and then add lemon juice and give a quick stir.
Lemon oats upma ready.
Divya @ http://dishingwithdivya.blogspot.com/
Flaky texture is a tough deal with oats…u made it…got to try 🙂
APARNARAJESHKUMAR
i love the last picture how true ? 🙂
Suja Manoj
Never tied oats upma,sounds yum..healthy breakfast
Subhashini
I have never tried this at all. But after seeing this pic I ll surely try this.
ramya anand
Love your pictures esp the last one!!
Vimitha Anand
Bookmarking this healthy n simple recipe
Coral Crue
Yes!!!! thank you, love it!
Hamaree Rasoi
Oats recipe looks so delicious and healthy. Kudos to you.
Deepa
Meena Selvakumaran
Nice and flaky ,love to try them
divya
wow..they look so good & delicious!!
Priya
My kind of upma,love to eat once a week atleast.
Sangeetha
Healthy and tasty upma…love this easy version, great presentation n pics as always!
Gauri
Its something that I have started to add to my list of quick breakfast these days!
Arthy Suman
wow I have never tried oats upma…would love to try this…
M D
Wow Sharmi! That oats upma looks delicious. Love that texture and your second click is beautiful as I am admiring it all over!
Divya Kudua
Oats upma looks delicious and so is the plate in which you've served it:)
Saraswathy Balakrishnan
We had oats uppma for bf today..urs looks great and tasty too:)
Amrita Vishal
Loved the idea of dry roasting the oats beforehand.
Bharathy
pakkave nallairukku! sapida innum super a irukkum sure!
Peggy G.
Definitely a unique take on oats!
Latha R
I tired this it came out very nice my daughter liked a lot …Thanks for this recipe sharmi.
Sindhu Sharma
wow…i love oats…n m gonna try this for sure….really an awesome breakfast option…..
Raji
It came out so good. Added coconut at the end. Hubby said it is kind of a premium food 🙂 thanks for the trick!
Rashida Begum
One great recipe, I tried this, but somehow not ending up with the beautiful flaky portion as showed in pic…. Can you pls help me rectify, where I might be going wrong???
Sharmilee! :)
I have mentioned the trick in the method and my notes too…other than that I didnt do anything…
Chitra Iyer
Hi Sharmilee,
Love your site and all the innovative recipes! I was looking for a different oats recipe and thanks to you, I think I finally found it! Will try this and let you know!
Teenu Tom
thnx..its a gud recepe
ur idea f sprinking water did work…….
vijayalakshmi deepan
love your recipes and all are superb
Pavithra
Sharmi,
Tried this. It was good.
Dedicated Docent
Yummy looking!
sri
thank u sharmilee i planning for a good diet and all ur oats recipes are really yummy…
dey r making me 2 say yes to oats…which brand(quaker oats r else) of oats are u using?
SHARMILEE J
I always use quaker oats…
Vaishnavi
What is the chutney in new pics Sharmi?luks yummy
SHARMILEE J
It is coriander chutney which is already posted 🙂
Shweta S
hi thanks 4 recipie…will quaker multigrain oats work too?
SHARMILEE J
Yes it will work
Jeetu Melwani
Wow such an awesome and healthy breakfast recipe! Thanks for sharing it and keep sharing..