After getting my husband to have broccoli (soup) last week,
I decided to try my luck with a breakfast dish. Even though my experiment was
successful, he ate only a spoonful!!! I don’t blame him though; he is not a fan
of oats. Anyway, my mother makes this awesome tamarind upma with
aval/poha/flattened rice flakes. I was making sambar a couple of days ago and
had some extra tamarind pulp. That’s when a brain wave hit and I was like, “Why
not try making the upma with oats; after all it has a similar texture.”
Since this was an experiment, I made it with a small
quantity. Next time, I am definitely making more of this spicy, tangy, Chatpata oats. :-)
Ingredients (Serves 1)
Oats – ½ cup
Tamarind pulp – 2 tbsps.
Sambar powder – 1-1 ½ tsps.
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp.
Asafoetida – a pinch
Chili powder (optional)
Water – 1-2 tbsps.
Salt to taste
Oil – 1 tbsp.
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp.
Red chili - 1
Peanuts (optional) – 1 tbsp.
Curry leaves – Few
Method
In a bowl, mix together the oats, tamarind pulp, sambar
powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida, chili powder (only if sambar powder is not
spicy), and salt.
Keep aside for 4-5 hours or over night.
When you are ready to make it, heat oil in a pan. Add the
mustard seeds and once they splutter, add the curry leaves and red chili. Sauté
for a minute and add the peanuts. Sauté for another minute and add the oats
mixture.
Sprinkle one tablespoon of water, cover and allow it to cook
for a couple of minutes. If the oats looks uncooked, sprinkle the remaining
water, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from the pan and serve hot
as breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack.
Note: The oats
becomes soft by the end of the soaking period and does not need a lot of water
to cook. Excess water might make it mushy, so do not pour water…sprinkle only.
