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Indian Masala Oats (Savory Oatmeal)
4.9 from 147 votes

Indian Masala Oats (Savory Oatmeal)

Indian Masala Oats is a savory oatmeal dish where steel-cut oats are pressure-cooked with spices, vegetables, and aromatics like cumin seeds, green chili, ginger, and garlic. The recipe layers bold flavors such as turmeric and garam masala, balanced by lime juice and garnished with cilantro. The result is a hearty, spiced, textured dish that can be enjoyed beyond breakfast, suitable for lunch or dinner, with a warming, mildly spicy taste.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 198 kcal
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon ghee use oil for vegan, or oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds aka Jeera
  • 1 green chili pepper diced, optional
  • 1 cup onion diced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger grated
  • 1 teaspoon garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup tomato chopped
  • 1.5 cup steel-cut oats
  • 3.5 cup water
  • 2 cup mixed vegetables Carrots, Green Beans, Peas, Corn, Edmame, frozen or fresh
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • cilantro to garnish, leaves
Spices
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder ground, aka Haldi powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika, adjust to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat it. Add ghee/oil, then add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
  2. Now add the green chili, onion, ginger and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until onion are translucent.
  3. Add tomato and spices. Mix well.
  4. Add the mixed vegetables, oats and water. Mix well. If anything is stuck to the bottom of the pot, deglaze it. Press Cancel and close the lid with vent in sealing position.
  5. Change the instant pot setting to pressure cook (manual) mode for 8 minutes at high pressure.
  6. When the instant pot beeps, do a 10 minute NPR. This means let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the pressure manually.
  7. Open the lid and add the lime juice. Mix well.
  8. Garnish with cilantro leaves and enjoy with a dollop of yogurt.
Stovetop Method
  1. To make this recipe on stovetop, I recommend to use rolled oats.  For every cup of rolled oats, add 2 cups of water.
  2. Follow the above steps for cooking the masala oats on the stovetop in a large pan. But, after adding the oats and water, cook them covered for 10-15 minutes on medium-low heat or till they have cooked completely and reached the desired consistency.

Notes

  • Use quick-cooking oats for a shorter pressure cooking time of 5 minutes.
  • To mimic Upma, sauté curry leaves and mustard seeds at the start with cumin seeds.
  • Add cashews by frying them with cumin seeds before adding other ingredients for extra texture.
  • Stovetop method uses rolled oats with a water ratio of 1:2, cooking until oats are tender.

Nutrition Information

Calories 198kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 32g (11%) Protein 7g (14%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Cholesterol 10mg (3%) Sodium 674mg (28%) Potassium 305mg (6%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 4850IU (97%) Vitamin C 18mg (20%) Calcium 50mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 198

% Daily Value*

Calories 198kcal 10%
Carbohydrates 32g 11%
Protein 7g 14%
Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 674mg 28%
Potassium 305mg 6%
Fiber 7g 28%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 4850IU 97%
Vitamin C 18mg 20%
Calcium 50mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.