Oatmeal is just one of those healthy breakfasts that’s easy, quick, and will fill you up with good nutrients to start off the day. But unless treated right, oats can also be a bit boring. I mean, who wants to eat a bowl of beige mush on it’s own, right? The key to an exciting oatmeal breakfast lies in flavourings and toppings.
While a splash of milk and a dab of honey on overnight oats is a classic you can’t go wrong with, it’s time for savoury oatmeal to take the limelight. I mean, why limit yourself to bananas, berries, and nut butter, specially when savoury flavours work so well with oats. If you find it weird to put salt in your oatmeal, think of this as a grain bowl with egg, or a variation on a traditional Indian breakfast like poha and upma. It’s great for breakfast but can just as well work round the clock, for an easy weeknight dinner — especially when you don’t want sweet toppings, and you’re tired of quinoa and rice.
Oatmeal is easy to cook, just keep a few things in mind:
— You want your oats to be creamy, not gluey and clumping together. The key to getting the consistency right is to use enough water and keep stirring it without overcooking.
— Cook the oats on medium-high heat as extremely high temperatures will cause the bottom of the oats to stick to the pan and burn.
— Cooking time depends on the kind of oats you use: old fashioned rolled oats typically cook faster than steel cut oats (the latter may also require more water).
Here, I sautéed some chopped scallions in a bit of ghee (for all the good fats), and then added the oats to get some toastiness on them. Once warmed up, I add water and bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the oats are creamy. Season and that’s it!
I topped my oatmeal with a jammy soft boiled egg, scallion greens, and some hot sauce (sriracha / sambal olek etc). You can use the basic oats recipe from this one and then get creative with the toppings and flavourings. Customise it with stuff that you like — add spices or diced veggies when cooking; or keep the core simple and jazz it up with toppings instead. Diced avocado and a fried egg, browned mushrooms and spinach with goat cheese, roasted cherry tomatoes and pesto are all wonderful. That’s what’s great about oatmeal, it’s a wonderfully neutral base for a variety of different flavours!
So the next time you’re craving brinner — that’s breakfast for dinner (and no, I didn’t just make up the word, it’s an actual trend!), make this savoury oatmeal to get in on the trend and satisfy your cravings all at once.
- 2 teaspoons ghee
- 3-4 stalks scallions, white and green parts separately chopped
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1-2 cups water
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- For topping:
- 1 egg, green scallions, hot sauce of your choice, cracked pepper
- In a saucepan, heat ghee until melted. Add the white parts of the chopped scallions and cook until softened but not browned, 5 minutes. Stir in the oats and cook for another 2 minutes until coated.
- Add the water to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until oats are creamy — about 10-12 minutes.
- Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper and remove from the heat.
- In a saucepan, take enough water to cover the egg. Bring the water to a boil. Once it comes to a rolling boil, reduce the heat and gently lower a room-temperature egg into the water. Bring back the heat.
- While the egg is cooking, prepare an ice-water bath with cold water and a few cubes of ice. Let the egg cook for exactly 6 minutes using a timer, and using a spider or ladle, scoop it out and plunge it into the ready ice-bath. The ice water stops it from cooking further in the shell and also makes it easier to peel.
- Once cooled down, peel the egg. When sliced, the whites should be properly set and the yolk should be jammy and slightly runny.
