Savoury Oats Porridge in Buttermilk

I came upon oats very very late in life (in my early 30s) and honestly, thank god for that because I am not too fond of oats even now! It was a time when I had joined a Gym and sought a dietician’s advice to knock of the weight I had put on after my mother’s passing.

As is wont with dieticians in India (or at least in Mumbai), the first thing the dietician told me to do was switch to oats for breakfast. Switch I did, but having oats cooked in milk first thing in the morning was not something I looked forward. I think it stemmed from the fact that I like savoury breakfasts and prefer not to have any sweet element early in the morning.

I soon started experimenting with different oats recipes (oats upma, oats dosa etc etc.). However, the unintentional side-effect of that was that the rest of my family had to eat these too and they protested; much too loudly, me thinks. 😛

Then I hit upon the idea of having oats with buttermilk and the the porridge became palatable. Then one day, as I was having Veppilakatti (a spicy, dry chutney with lemon Leaf) with some Curd Rice, inspiration struck!  If the combination tasted so good, could I not somehow use Veppilakatti with Oats and Buttermilk and so was born this recipe. 🙂

Serves: 1

Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients

1. Oats – 2 tbsp
2. Veppilakatti – 1 Large Pinch
3. Dahi or Yogurt – 1/2 Cup
4. Water – 1 Cup
5. Salt to Taste

Method

1. Beat the yogurt till it is smooth.
2. Cook the oats in 1/2 cup water with Veppilakatti and salt.
3. Turn off the heat.
4. Let the oats cool slightly and add the yogurt and mix well.
5. Add enough water to bring it a porridge consistency.
6. Enjoy savoury oats porridge while it is warm.