Masala Oats is a savory oatmeal breakfast porridge cooked with lots of vegetables and aromatic Indian spices. A healthy & delicious vegan breakfast recipe.
Savory Oatmeal with Spices and Veggies
Often, the sweeter oatmeal variant is preferred by most, but this Indian spiced masala oats are amazing and everyone including the kids loved them. You can also call this recipe - oats upma, curry oatmeal or spicy oats!
This healthy oatmeal recipe is made with wholesome veggies, so it is a great breakfast option and an excellent way to start the day. You can also try to have Indian masala oats as your lunch or dinner.
If you have tried and are a fan of the popular Indian superfood, Khichdi, then you are sure to fall in love with this savory vegetable oats porridge aka masala oats. My kids love this oatmeal with plain yogurt.
Looking for more ideas? Check out 15+ Indian Breakfast Recipes Collection.
How to make Masala Oats in the Instant Pot?
I have used steel-cut oats to make this masala oatmeal in the Instant Pot. Steel-cut oats take longer to cook on the stovetop, but are great to cook in a pressure cooker.
I have used onions, tomatoes along with a frozen mix of carrots, green beans, peas, corn for this savory masala oatmeal recipe. You can use fresh or frozen veggies. Both will cook well in the suggested cooking time.
This masala oatmeal recipe does not use any milk. It is cooked in water or you can use vegetable broth.
So let's get started-
- Set the instant pot in sauté mode and let it heat. Then add ghee/oil, along with some cumin seeds, and let them sizzle.
- Then add the green chili, onions, ginger, and garlic. Sauté them well for a few minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add tomato and spices. Mix well. If you like, you can also add cashews to the masala oats.
- Now, add the mixed vegetables along with steel-cut oats and water. Stir and mix them well. In case any veggie or oats is stuck at the bottom, deglaze it and close the Instant pot lid.
- Now pressure cook mode for 8 minutes at high pressure. (5 minutes for quick cooking steel-cut oats)
- When the Instant pot beeps, wait for 10 minutes, then release the pressure and open the lid. It is okay to do a natural pressure release too.
- Add a bit of lime juice to the cooked masala oats and mix well.
- Garnish them with fresh cilantro leaves and enjoy with a dollop of yogurt.
How to make Masala Oats on the Stovetop?
When making this Indian masala oats on a stovetop, I suggest using rolled oats as they cook quickly on the stovetop. For every cup of rolled oats, add 2 cups of water.
Follow the above steps for cooking the masala oats on the stove. But, after adding the oats and water, cook them covered for 10-15 minutes on medium-low heat or till they have cooked completely and reached the desired consistency.
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy these spicy oats just as it is or add a dollop of fresh yogurt on the side and enjoy them.
Garnish with some cilantro and roasted nuts.
Give these delicious Masala Oatmeal a try and I would love to hear how they turn out!
Here are other breakfast recipes you might enjoy:
- Avocado Chutney Sandwich
- Banana Bread Pudding
- Sweetened Oatmeal with Cardamom and Nuts
- Banana Chocolate Chip Overnight Oats
Indian Masala Oats (Savory Oatmeal)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Ghee or Oil use oil for vegan
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 Green Chili Pepper diced, optional
- 1 cup Onion diced
- 1 teaspoon Ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon Garlic minced
- ½ cup Tomato chopped
- 1.5 cup Steel-cut Oats
- 3.5 cup Water
- 2 cup Mixed vegetables Carrots, Green Beans, Peas, Corn, Edmame, frozen or fresh
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- Cilantro leaves to garnish
Spices
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika, adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
Instructions
- Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat it. Add ghee/oil, then add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
- Now add the green chili, onion, ginger and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until onion are translucent.
- Add tomato and spices. Mix well.
- Add the mixed vegetables, oats and water. Mix well. If anything is stuck to the bottom of the pot, deglaze it. Press Cancel and close the lid with vent in sealing position.
- Change the instant pot setting to pressure cook (manual) mode for 8 minutes at high pressure.
- When the instant pot beeps, do a 10 minute NPR. This means let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the pressure manually.
- Open the lid and add the lime juice. Mix well.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves and enjoy with a dollop of yogurt.
Stovetop Method
- To make this recipe on stovetop, I recommend to use rolled oats. For every cup of rolled oats, add 2 cups of water.
- Follow the above steps for cooking the masala oats on the stovetop in a large pan. But, after adding the oats and water, cook them covered for 10-15 minutes on medium-low heat or till they have cooked completely and reached the desired consistency.
Notes
- Oats Upma - To make this more like Upma, add curry leaves and mustard seeds along with cumin seeds at the start.
- Adding nuts - Cashews are a great addition to these savory masala oats. You can add cashews along with the cumin seeds, so they are sautéed in oil before being cooked. If you have roasted cashews or other nuts, you can add them at the end as garnish.
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Marilyn says
I dislike sweets for breakfast, so this was a wonderful change! It is great to have breakfast made for the week. It is flavorful, a little spicy, and full of delicious veggies. Love it!!
Piping Pot Curry says
Hi Marilyn. - so happy to hear that 🙂
Abha says
This sounds delicious. If I made a batch for the week, what is the best way to reheat?
Meeta Arora says
Hi Abha - I would suggest to reheat these masala oats in the microwave. You can store in small portions in air tight containers in the refrigerator, so it is easier to reheat each day.
Priya Mason says
Excellent and fast recipe. I will be making this very often now. Thank you for sharing!
Meeta Arora says
Hi Priya - Happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Brandon says
I would definitely either double the seasonings/spices or use half the oats next time. Very bland.
Abby Brady says
Love love love this recipe! I cook this for breakfast and it lasts us almost the entire week. I alternate garnishing with roasted pepitas / pumpkin seeds, yogurt, cilantro and avocado. It tastes so good! Thanks for this great recipe!
Meeta Arora says
Hi Abby - Happy to hear you enjoy the masala oats. Thanks for sharing the topping ideas!
Phania says
I tried it and it tastes great! Thanks for sharing all these IP recipes. You are my go to IP recipes blog.
Meeta Arora says
Thank you, Phania!
Liv says
I will never stop making this. Thanks for the phenomenal recipe!
Meeta Arora says
Hi Liv - So glad to hear you enjoyed the masala oats.
jelly says
first time i've liked any kind of oats, added chaat masala since i had some
Meeta Arora says
Hi Jelly - so glad to hear you enjoyed the masala oats.