Oats Upma Breakfast Bowl: Your New Morning Power Meal
Start your day on the right note with this Oats Upma Breakfast Bowl recipe. Combining the comforting texture of fluffy oats with savory Indian flavors, this bowl is a delightful departure from traditional breakfast options.
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Take your meal prep routine on a flavorful journey with Oats Upma Breakfast Bowls. These bowls offer a savory twist on oatmeal, combining fluffy oats cooked with fragrant Indian spices and vegetables.
What is Upma?
Upma is a traditional South Indian dish made from dry roasted semolina, typically cooked with vegetables, spices, and sometimes nuts. It is commonly served as a breakfast or snack item but can also be enjoyed as a light meal.
The dish has a porridge-like consistency and is flavored with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies, onions, and turmeric. In this recipe, I am replacing semolina with oats, making it a flavorful, gluten-free variation of the traditional upma.
The main element of these bowls is savory oats upma. Topped with crunchy fried peanuts and refreshing mung bean sprouts, this recipe offers a delicious and satisfying breakfast or lunch option.
You can prepare them at home in advance for a quick and easy meal throughout the week. Pair them with yogurt for a complete and flavorful breakfast or lunch.
Ingredients
Rolled Oats: For the best texture, use old-fashioned rolled oats rather than quick-cooking or instant oats. Old-fashioned oats have a chewier texture that holds up well in the upma.
Veggies and Herbs in Upma: Incorporate aromatic elements such as onion, curry leaves, chili pepper, and cilantro to enhance the flavor profile. This recipe provides a base suggestion for vegetables. Feel free to customize with your favorites! Here are some additional options: chopped mushrooms, grated zucchini, chopped spinach, or chopped broccoli.
Raw Peanuts: Toast them lightly before adding them to the bowls to intensify their nutty flavor and provide a satisfying contrast to the soft oats and vegetables.
Bowl Assembly: Yogurt, mung bean sprouts, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes are my favorite accompaniments for the Oats Upma Breakfast Bowls. Feel free to customize it and add other chopped vegetables like shredded carrots, sliced bell peppers, or even a dollop of your favorite chutney for an extra layer of flavor!
See the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1: Heat oil and add the raw peanuts. Fry the peanuts for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn golden brown. Remove the peanuts from the pan and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle salt and toss them well.
Step 2: In the same pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add onion, curry leaves, and green chili pepper. Cook until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add the chopped vegetables, ground turmeric, chili powder, salt, and sugar. Saute the vegetables for 3-4 minutes. Add ¼ cup of water and bring it to a boil. Cover and let the vegetables cook until they are crisp-tender.
Step 4: Stir in the rolled oats and mix gently. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of water. Cover and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Adding the water in two steps helps oats stay fluffy.
Step 5: Divide the cooked oats upma between serving bowls. Next, add the fried peanuts to the bowl. Arrange the mixed sprouts, sliced cucumber, and halved cherry tomatoes in the bowl. Place yogurt in a small bowl or along with upma and serve.
Expert Tips
- The key to achieving fluffy oats upma lies in water control. Adding the water in two steps helps oats stay fluffy. As the oats cook, they will absorb the water and soften. Add additional water only if absolutely necessary to achieve the desired consistency.
- Fry peanuts on medium heat and keep stirring them to prevent them from burning.
- Don’t overcook the vegetables. Aim for slightly crisp-tender vegetables.
- As an optional step, toast the rolled oats in a dry pan for a few minutes to enhance their nutty flavor.
Storage Tips
To store these oats upma breakfast bowls for meal prep, cook the oats upma and peanuts, and chop the veggies. Store them all separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, reheat the upma in the microwave or on the stovetop. Assemble the bowl with fresh yogurt, sprouts, and your favorite toppings!
Recipe FAQs
While old-fashioned rolled oats give the upma the perfect texture, you can substitute quick-cooking oats in a pinch. However, the final dish might be slightly mushier. I do not recommend using instant oats as they tend to become very soft.
Here are some additional options: chopped mushrooms, grated zucchini, chopped spinach, chopped broccoli, or even grated cauliflower.
No, peanuts are optional. You can omit them entirely or substitute them with other chopped nuts like almonds or cashews for a textural variation. Seeds like sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds can also be used.
Absolutely! Simply omit the yogurt and serve the bowls with chutney or coconut yogurt.
More Delicious Bowls
- Looking for more plant-based goodness? Try Lentil Buddha Bowl for a hearty and earthy option.
- Savor the wholesome flavors of this Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Buddha Bowl. Tossed with fragrant herbs and a tangy yogurt dressing, it’s a nourishing bowl of goodness that will satisfy and energize you.
- Experience the goodness of this Vegetarian Green Goddess Power Bowl. Simple to prepare and loaded with vibrant greens, it’s an easy and delicious choice for a satisfying meal.
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Oats Upma:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ small onion finely chopped
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 green chili pepper chopped (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder adjust as per taste
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust as per taste
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup water divided
- 1 cup chopped vegetables carrots, peas, green beans, etc.
- 2 tablespoons cilantro optional
For the Fried Peanuts:
- ½ cup raw peanuts
- Salt to taste
For Assembling the bowls:
- 1 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
- ½ cup sprouts
- ½ cucumber sliced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes
Instructions
Fry the Peanuts:
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and add the raw peanuts. Fry the peanuts for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn golden brown. Be careful not to burn them.
- Remove the peanuts from the pan and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle salt and toss them well.
Make the Oats Upma:
- In the same pan, heat one teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add onion, curry leaves, and green chili pepper. Cook until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped vegetables, ground turmeric, chili powder, salt, and sugar. Saute the vegetables for 3-4 minutes.
- Add ¼ cup of water and bring it to a boil. Cover and let the vegetables cook until they are crisp-tender.
- Stir in the rolled oats and mix gently. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of water. Cover and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Adding the water in two steps helps oats stay fluffy.
- Once cooked, remove from heat and stir in chopped cilantro.
Assemble the Bowls:
- Divide the cooked oats upma between serving bowls. Next, add the fried peanuts to the bowl.
- Arrange the mixed sprouts, sliced cucumber, and cherry tomatoes in the bowl. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro. Place the yogurt in a separate bowl or on top of upma and serve.
Notes
- The key to achieving fluffy oats upma lies in water control. Adding the water in two steps helps oats stay fluffy. As the oats cook, they will absorb the water and soften. Add additional water only if absolutely necessary to achieve the desired consistency.
- Don’t overcook the vegetables. Aim for slightly crisp-tender vegetables.
- As an optional step, toast the rolled oats in a dry pan for a few minutes to enhance their nutty flavor.
