Upma made with oats.. Oat-Ma...!!

A healthy twist on the otherwise family favorite. It is usually made with sooji (rava/semolina). You can load it with veggies and always skip the potato that is normally added. You can eat it for breakfast or as an evening snack. It is quite filling and will keep you full till the next meal. The curry plant leaves in this recipe came from our very own plant.

What I needed:

• 4-5 Curry Plant Leaves
• 1 tsp of  mustard seeds
• 2 slit green chillies (you can use more or less depending on the level of heat you want)
• 1 tbs of oil 
• 1/2 cup each of chopped carrots and green beans
• 1 cup of quick cooking oats 
• 1 cup of chopped onions
• 1 tsp of grated ginger
• 1 tsp each of cumin powder and coriander powder
• A handful of cilantro (coriander leaves) chopped finely
• A cup of water
• Salt to taste

I added oil to the hot wok/kadai and tempered it with the mustard seeds, curry plant leaves and the green

chillies. Once the the mustard seed started spluttering, in went the chopped onions. I sauteed the onions and then added the grated ginger and the cumin and coriander powder and cooked for a while. To this, I added the chopped vegetables and fried them well. At this stage, if required you can add a little water and cook covered if you like your veggies a little mushy.
 As soon as the veggie mix was ready, I added the oats and salt and about 5-6 tablespoons of water and stirred well. The oats will take just a few minutes to reach the desired consistency. You may or may not need to add a little more water. Last goes in the chopped cilantro. Give it one final stir and you are ready to serve.

"This recipe has high fiber and contains good amount of vitamin B and cryptoxanthin . I recommend it for diabetic and cardiac patients , those who are on a weight watch and also for renal patients who have their potassium levels under control." - Dr Ranjini Datta, HOD, Dietetics, KPC Medical College.