Colorblast Oats

What an incredibly suitable name for the most scrumptious and refreshingly healthy oats. Oats are considered a super food but having it regularly the “regular” way makes it more like an unpleasant task rather than something that you enjoy. For people who feel the same way like me, there is colorblast oats - Super easy, super healthy and delectably mouth watering. It looks so vibrant that it almost makes me feel warm from inside. This is definitely a feel good recipe.

Few things to note: you can always adjust the amount of heat. Just don’t include the green chilies if you don’t like your food spicy. Also, you can use frozen veggies but do include fresh bell peppers. Trust me, addition of the peppers make the oats delightful.

This does look like an extensive ingredient list but everything is thrown in together into the pot and if you are using frozen veggies, your work is reduced by more than half.

I do emphasize the importance of adding the fresh coriander at the end – there is a subtlety that comes only after adding this fragrant green.

Everything that is being used in this is extremely healthy for you. And for people who wants to be a little unhealthy can add a tbsp of butter to increase the richness making it more velvet like ! ;-)

I have been using this as a breakfast as well as dinner so yes you can eat this anytime for any meal. 

For the recipe:

½ cup instant oats

1 large carrot diced

2 medium potatoes diced

1 red bell pepper diced

1 yellow bell pepper diced

1 cup broccoli florets

½ cup green peas

2 onions chopped

½ tsp minced garlic

2 chopped green chilies

3 ripe tomatoes chopped

1/4^th cup tomato puree

2 tbsp mild olive oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1-1.5 cups of chicken/veggie stock

½ cup fresh coriander chopped

Salt to taste

Heat a big pot with oil. Pop the mustard seeds in it. By popping I mean, just throw them into the oil and cover, they will spit and splatter around in the pan releasing its entire flavor. Then add the onions, garlic and green chilies, sauté until they are lightly browned.

Chuck in all the veggies except broccoli and tomato. Sprinkle the turmeric and stir them suitably to coat them in the oil, season and add about half a cup of the stock. Cover and let it come to a boil.

The potatoes should be cooked in about 5 minutes. Once they are done add the tomatoes and the puree. On high heat, stir the contents and add the oats. Toss for sometime before adding the rest of the stock. Cover and cook until the oats are done.

Toss in the broccoli and switch off the heat before adding the chopped coriander.  

It looks quite gloopy in the beginning but as soon as you take it off the heat, it should have a beautifully smooth consistency.

Serve warm! Happy cooking folks .. !