Vegetarian Recipes
5 Savory Oatmeal Recipes for Breakfast when you don’t like it sweet
Have you ever tried savory oatmeal before? Skip the sweet stuff and try these delicious recipes – mexican oatmeal, oat pancakes, garlic oats with egg, masala oats khichdi (porridge) and mushroom oats. These recipes are ready in fifteen
- Serves 1 portions
- Prep 5 minutes
- Cook 10 minutes
- Total 15 minutes
Come January and my eggs and toast turn into oatmeal for breakfast. Because there is nothing like warm, creamy oats to make you feel like you can take on the world!
I’ve never been a big fan of eating a sweet breakfast and so I usually end up making savory oatmeal for breakfast. And over the years, I’ve come up with many variations so that breakfast is never boring.
Don’t think oats mean just porridge, because you can do so much more with them and I’m going to show you how. I usually start my day with Horlicks Oats because their instant oats are fast to cook, really easy to make and taste delicious no matter how you cook them. Oats also make you feel fuller for longer so that you don’t reach for a bag of chips mid-morning.
I’ve put together five incredibly easy savory oatmeal recipes for you that are sure to up your breakfast game! These recipes are a favorite and you will be amazed at how versatile a bag of instant oats can be. These recipes take under 15 minutes to make and each one of them is completely different in taste so that breakfast is never boring again.
Mexican Oatmeal Bowl
This Mexican oatmeal bowl is the healthier version of a Mexican breakfast bowl. The oatmeal is seasoned with all the spices that go into your favorite taco, and then topped with salsa, corn, avocado, jalapenos and cheddar. Super simple to make but you’ll feel like a king when you dig into this!
Oats Dosa or Oats Pancakes
Oats are the easiest thing to make dosas with. The simple batter is made with instant oats and rice flour which is flavored with chilies and ginger. The next time you crave dosas at home and want something healthier, these oats dosas or pancakes will make your day.
Garlic Oats with Eggs
This is definitely our favorite go to breakfast when we don’t have the time to make something elaborate. Cook the instant oats with garlic and olive oil and top it with a fried egg and you have a breakfast that’s high in fiber and protein. Plus, that runny yolk mixes with oats and creates the creamiest breakfast combination.
Oats Khichdi
This healthy khichdi loaded with vegetables tastes just like the real deal, and is a take on the South Indian Pongal which is a nutritious, hearty breakfast option. Leftovers also make for a great lunch or dinner which is why a big pot of this savory oatmeal will keep you happy all day!
Mushroom Oats
Mushroom oats is a creamy breakfast oatmeal that has the earthiness of mushrooms combined with delicious Asian flavors. Top it with a poached egg, a dash of soy sauce and green onions and take this simple mushroom savory oatmeal to the next level!
FAQs
So are you a savory oatmeal fan now? I hope you try some of these recipes and tell me what you think!
Thanks to Horlicks Oats for sponsoring this post and making breakfast more awesome!
The recipe
Mexican Oatmeal Bowl
A power packed healthy oatmeal bowl upgraded with Mexican flavours. Added flavours from garlic, lemon and paprika make this meal truly scrumptious.
- Serves 1 portions
- Prep 5 minutes
- Cook 10 minutes
- Total 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- 2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- ¾ cup Quick cooking Oats
- ½ teaspoon Taco Seasoning (refer to Notes)
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika Powder
- ½ teaspoon Lime Juice
- 2 cups Water
- Salt to taste
- Corn Salsa (for topping)
- grated Cheddar (for topping)
- Avocado (for topping)
- Jalapeno (for topping)
Method
- 1
Pressure cook oats along with garlic, salt, and water for about 2 whistles on high heat. Turn off the flame allow the pressure to release naturally.
- 2
Transfer to a bowl and taco seasoning, paprika powder, and lime juice.
- 3
Top with corn, salsa, grated cheddar, avocado and jalapeno. Serve hot.
Notes
You can substitute Taco seasoning with any Mexican flavoured seasoning readily available at supermarkets. I have topped my meal with my favourites like corn salsa and avocado. You can top it with any condiments like salsa verde, proteins like – grilled chicken or prawns, chipotle dressing, guacamole etc., This is a very quick recipe. Do not prepare it and store it for later as oatmeal can very easily become dry and gluggy.
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
Nutrition
- Calories 263 kcal
- Carbohydrates 42 g
- Protein 8 g
- Fat 8 g
- Saturated Fat 1 g
- Sodium 30 mg
- Potassium 215 mg
- Fiber 6 g
- Sugar 1 g
- Vitamin A 246 IU
- Calcium 42 mg
- Iron 3 mg
The recipe
Oats Dosa/ Oats Pancakes
- Serves 4 portions
- Prep 5 minutes
- Cook 10 minutes
- Total 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup Beetroot (cooked)
- 1 Onion (roughly chopped (medium))
- 1 Green Chilli (chopped)
- ½ inch Fresh Ginger (peeled and chopped)
- ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
- ½ tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 pinch Asafetida
- ½ cup Yogurt
- ½ cup Oats
- ¼ cup Rice Flour
- ¼ cup Chickpea Flour
- 1 tablespoon Oil (+ extra for cooking)
- Salt to taste
Method
- 1
Blend all the ingredients in a blender till smooth. The mixture should be the consistency of a crepe batter so add a splash of water if necessary. Let the batter rest for 15-20 minutes. This helps the oats absorb some of the liquid.
- 2
Heat a pan or griddle, and spray or brush with a little oil. Pour half a cup of batter with ladle in the center and spread it with the back of the ladle. Sprinkle a teaspoon of oil around the edges of the dosa and cook till golden brown and crisp. Repeat for the remaining batter. Serve with your favorite chutney.
Notes
Use a non-stick pan or tawa for the best results. You can also use a well seasoned cast iron pan as well. Do not skip any of the ingredients as it will vastly affect the taste and texture of the batter. Consistency is key to get soft and crispy dosas.
Nutrition
- Calories 371 kcal
- Carbohydrates 56 g
- Protein 11 g
- Fat 12 g
- Saturated Fat 2 g
- Cholesterol 8 mg
- Sodium 171 mg
- Potassium 596 mg
- Fiber 8 g
- Sugar 12 g
- Vitamin A 61 IU
- Vitamin C 10 mg
- Calcium 115 mg
- Iron 3 mg
The recipe
Garlic Oats with Fried Egg
This is definitely our favorite go to breakfast when we don’t have the time to make something elaborate. Cook the instant oats with garlic and olive oil and top it with a fried egg and you have a breakfast that’s high in fiber and protein. Plus, that runny yolk mixes with oats and creates the creamiest breakfast combination.
- Serves 1 Portions
- Cook 10 minutes
- Total 10 minutes
Ingredients
For the Oats:
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- 2-3 Garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 cup Quick cooking Oats
- 2 cups Water
- ¼ cup Mild Cheddar (grated)
- 2 teaspoons Basil (chopped)
For the eggs:
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 2 Eggs
- ½ teaspoon Paprika / Chili Powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Method
- 1
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add minced garlic. Sauté the garlic for 15 seconds and add oats. Stir the oats for a few seconds and add all the water, salt and pepper.
- 2
Bring this to a quick boil, and simmer for 3-4 minutes, by which time, the mixture would have thickened up into a porridge like consistency and the oats will be cooked. Adjust the consistency by adding more water if required. Just before taking oats off the stove, add cheese and basil and mix.
- 3
In a non-stick pan, add olive oil and fry the eggs one by one. Top each egg with salt and paprika or chilli powder.
- 4
To serve, divide the oats equally into two bowls. Top each bowl with a fried egg, sprinkle with more paprika and chopped coriander.
Notes
This is a very quick recipe. Do not prepare it and store it for later as oatmeal can very easily become dry and gluggy. I’ve topped mine with fried eggs, you can top it with eggs the way you like it – scrambled, poached or serve it alongside a simple omelette.
Nutrition
- Calories 613 kcal
- Carbohydrates 57 g
- Protein 29 g
- Fat 31 g
- Saturated Fat 10 g
- Cholesterol 357 mg
- Sodium 328 mg
- Potassium 408 mg
- Fiber 8 g
- Sugar 2 g
- Vitamin A 1251 IU
- Calcium 305 mg
- Iron 6 mg
The recipe
Oats Khichdi
This healthy khichdi loaded with vegetables tastes just like the real deal, and is a take on the South Indian Pongal which is a nutritious, hearty breakfast option. Leftovers also make for a great lunch or dinner which is why a big pot of this savory oatmeal will keep you happy all day
- Serves 2 Portions
- Prep 10 minutes
- Cook 10 minutes
- Total 20 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup Moong Dal
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 1/2 inch Ginger (grated)
- 1 Green Chilli (chopped finely)
- 1 cup Chopped Vegetables (I used carrots, cauliflower, green peas)
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 cup Oats
- 3 cup Water
- Salt to taste
Method
- 1
Soak the moong dal in some water till you are ready to add it to the recipe.
- 2
Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds. Once the seeds start spluttering add ginger and green chilies. Cook for a minute till the ginger is fragrant.
- 3
Add the chopped vegetables,turmeric, oats. Drain the moong dal and add it to the cooker along with 3 ½ cups water and salt.
- 4
Bring this to pressure and cook for two whistles. Let the pressure release naturally. Serve hot topped with more ghee.
Notes
I’ve used moong dal in this recipe, it can easily be substituted with toor dal, arhar dal or masoor dal. Feel free to add any vegetables you like. I’ve used chopped carrot, cauliflower and green peas. Remember to chop the vegetables in one uniform size to ensure they cook properly. The cook time can range from 2-3 whistles – this will depend on your pressure cooker. In the Instant Pot this would be 20 minutes on High followed by Natural Pressure Release.
Nutrition
- Calories 435 kcal
- Carbohydrates 67 g
- Protein 19 g
- Fat 11 g
- Saturated Fat 5 g
- Cholesterol 19 mg
- Sodium 155 mg
- Potassium 351 mg
- Fiber 12 g
- Sugar 5 g
- Vitamin A 10792 IU
- Vitamin C 6 mg
- Calcium 73 mg
- Iron 4 mg
The recipe
Mushroom Oats
- Serves 1 Portions
- Prep 5 minutes
- Cook 10 minutes
- Total 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the Oats:
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Ginger (grated)
- 1 cup Oats (quick cooking)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 cups Water
For the Mushrooms:
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 cup Mushrooms (sliced)
- A pinch of salt
Method
- 1
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add grated ginger. Sauté the ginger for 30 seconds and add oats. Stir the oats for a few seconds and add all the water, salt and pepper.
- 2
Bring this to a quick boil, and simmer for 3-4 minutes, by which time, the mixture would have thickened up into a porridge like consistency and the oats will be cooked. Adjust the consistency by adding more water if required.
- 3
In a non-stick pan, heat olive oil and add the mushrooms. Cook on high heat for a few minutes till mushrooms are golden brown. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- 4
To serve, top with oats with mushrooms, poached egg, a dash of soy sauce and green onions.
Notes
This is a very quick recipe. Do not prepare it and store it for later as oatmeal can very easil y become dry and gluggy. You can substitute mushrooms for any other vegetable such as zucchini, broccoli etc., You can also use different varieties of mushrooms such as button mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms or oyster mushrooms.
Nutrition
- Calories 488 kcal
- Carbohydrates 58 g
- Protein 14 g
- Fat 24 g
- Saturated Fat 3 g
- Sodium 34 mg
- Potassium 599 mg
- Fiber 9 g
- Sugar 3 g
- Vitamin C 2 mg
- Calcium 56 mg
- Iron 4 mg
Common questions
1. Can I make savory oatmeal ahead?
Definitely! Oatmeal is a very meal-prep friendly recipe, and refrigerates quite well. In fact, you can easily double or triple the quantity of your favourite oats recipe from this post, and your breakfast for the week will be sorted! I often make a big batch and store it in a airtight container for 3-4 days. When I’m ready to eat, I simply reheat it on the stove or in the microwave for a few minutes and my delicious breakfast is ready in no time.
