I love oats – in every form, shape, recipe and dish. If I could, I would eat it for all three meals a day.

What’s not to love about them? They are available in every supermarket or grocery store, you can store them for a long time, they cook easy and go with almost anything! Milk, fruits, nuts, seeds, toppings, cake, veggies and even meat!

 

But it all starts with the base method to prepare the oats. There are two ways I usually cook my oats:

1. the regular toast and boil
2. the overnight oats.

Ingredients to toast and boil, for two regular servings:

1 and a half cups of rolled oats

2 and a quarter cups of water

In a saucepan, toast the oats for a minute or two till they release a slight aroma. Add the water and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, till the oats and water have combined into a thick batter. Add some more water if you think the mix has become quite solid.

Remove from the heat and cover the saucepan to rest. The oats will thicken further and absorb the remaining liquid in the pan, but it will still be pourable. If they stick to the pan when you serve them, add some warm water to loosen it all up.

Serve the oats in two bowls and top each with a quarter cup of milk or as much as you like. You can add anything to make the oats more nutritious and healthy – like chia seeds, flax seeds, almonds, berries or any fruit you prefer. Adding honey is a must if you want your oats sweet without the sugar.

Alternately you can end up making masala oats as well. Add the cooked oats to pan and mix in any spices of your choice. I generally add garam masala, sabzi masala, coriander and cumin powders. Next, I use any leftover chicken or vegetables from the night before and add them to the oats. Combine a little water and cook for two minutes till the oats start to bubble. Season with salt & pepper and serve!

 

Ingredients to prepare overnight oats:

1 cup of any rolled oats

1 and a half cups of yoghurt or curd

Two tablespoons of honey

Raisins

A teaspoon of chocolate powder (Use Hershey’s or Cadbury’s)

In a glass jar, add the oats in first, followed by the chocolate powder and raisins. Top with the yoghurt till the brim. Using a kebab stick or thin knife, give the jar a few swirls till everything is mixed together. Store in the fridge overnight.

The oats would have gone soft in the morning. You can add some more honey before serving or any additional toppings you prefer.

There it is! Two simple recipes for a breakfast favourite. Happy cooking!