This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Savory Oats Hash – Indian Oats Poha Upma. Savory Breakfast Oats with onions, veggies and nuts – Kanda Poha. Vegan Gluten-free Soy-free Yeast-free Recipe
We love savory breakfasts. Everyday breakfasts usually are a rotation among Chickpea flour pancake -Chilla, savory cream of wheat – Upma, savory french toasts – Bread Pakora (in the book), lentil rice crepes with chutneys or leftover veggie sides – Dosa, tofu scrambles, and Poha. No one in my house likes sweet or cold breakfast. we all want something hearty and savory. So savory and hot breakfast it is.
Kanda poha is usually made with thick rice flakes that are reconstituted with water to make a dry pasta-like dish. Rice flakes are not easily available in regular grocery stores, so I started making poha with oats. Old-fashioned oats are soaked and cooked just enough so they are tender but are separate grains. Soak the oats just enough time to rehydrate and not get soggy. The dish is somewhat like spiced stir fried rice with veggies and nuts, so you can use it as a side as well with curries, chana masala etc. The recipe works as-is using thick rice flakes as well. We often use half rice flakes and half Oats.
If you have never tried oats this way, you may be surprised by how good the texture and flavor is this way. Soak them longer if you like them cooked softer. The result will be more of a scramble than separate grains.
This recipe is from my cookbook Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen, which is available everywhere where books are sold.
Savory Oats Hash - Indian Oats Poha Upma
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, use certified gluten-free oats to make gf. (Or use a mix of rice flakes and oats. I usually use 1 cup rice flakes and 1/2 cup oats)
- 3 tablespoon raw peanuts or other nuts like cashews, omit to make nut-free
- 1 teaspoon safflower or other neutral oil
- 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 10 curry leaves, chopped **
- 1/8 teaspoon asafetida, omit to make gluten-free, or use certified gluten-free asafetida *
- 1 hot green chili, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne / red chili powder or to taste
- 3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup fresh or frozen green peas, thawed if frozen
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, for garnish
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, for garnish (not optional)
Instructions
- Wash the oats and soak in 2 cups of water for 4 minutes, then drain for 2 to 3 mins. (Steps 2 through 4 take about the same time, so the oats do not have to be soaked in advance. Depending on the brand or batch, the oats might get soggy sooner, then soak for just 2 to 3 minutes. I also prefer to use half thick rice flakes and half oats for better texture).
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the peanuts and dry roast until they change color slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds start to pop, 30 seconds. Add the asafetida and chili, then stir in the onions and cook until translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. After the onions are done, you can add other veggies if using and cook then until al-dente.
- Add the salt, turmeric, cayenne, peas, and sugar and mix well. Cook for 1 minute.
- Drain the oats well and add to the pan, then stir in the roasted nuts. Mix well. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the oats are tender, but not mushy like oatmeal. Stir to mix and fluff. Taste and adjust salt and spice. Cover and set aside for 2 minutes. Serve warm, garnished with cilantro and a generous drizzle of lemon juice.
Notes
To make this nut-free, omit the nuts. Nutritional values based on one serving
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
*Asafetida (Hing) is pungent smelling spice that adds a garlic onion kind of flavor profile to the food. Asafetida is often added to beans and dals to help with digestion. Asafetida itself is gluten-free, but it is usually ground along with a starch. Ground asafetida can contain wheat or other starches. Always check the label. Get the whole asafetida crystals to grind yourself or certified gluten-free ground asafetida to avoid gluten contamination.
** Fresh Curry Leaves can be bought from Indian stores locally or online on amazon. Freeze them in airtight container for months, use frozen directly from freezer.
I made this recipe today using rolled oats. From past experience with Poha, I decided not to soak the oats. Instead I just rinsed them and kept it aside for a few minutes to drain before cooking and it turned out just awesome! Thank you Richa 😊!
So glad it worked!
Poha is a traditional recipe here in Maharashtra and I often get the chance to eat it at home because of my Maharashtrian wife. I let my wife about this eand hope soon she would make it. Thanks for the lovely recipe. Looking forward for more recipes.
I”m glad that you discovered it. thanks!
I cant wait to make it. Can I make this with steel cut oats?
steel cut oats need 25 mins cooking time. you can use pre cooked steel cut oats
I love this recipe from your book! I have both your cookbooks and am in love with both of them!
<3 <3
I’ve made this dish several times from your book and I love it. It’s very forgiving if I leave out or add different ingredients. It’s a very different way of handling oats and I love it.
Richa: Have you ever tried Kasha? The whole grain (actually the stamen of the plant) can be boiled in 10 minutes and then used like any grain. The groats (ground chunky like grits) can be boiled but turn into something like hominy grits or oatmeal. If the groats are coated with egg first and then stir fried for a minute and then boiled, then the grains stay separate. So use the whole grain if you don’t eat eggs.
I make a pilaf out of Kasha, adding mushrooms, carrots, onions, celery and some sort of soy sauce or veggie broth. Takes 15 minutes from start to finish. Reheats great in the microwave. I use leftovers in recipes that need a bit of quinoa or rice or something, like your potato quinoa patties (can’t remember the name you gave them, sorry).
Look for Wolff’s Kasha in the Kosher aisle of the grocery store. There’s nothing Kosher about Kasha. It’s just a very eastern European food. I don’t know why it’s not more popular. It’s a complete protein. It’s very quick to make. And it tastes good. And it’s buckwheat, which is gluten free, because it’s got nothing to do with wheat. It seems like it would work great in a lot of Indian recipes, too.
i’ll try that, thanks! i have seen it before, but it wasnt very popular or easily available like oats.
Is this American Indian??? Mn
yay
I have to post again to give my 5 stars 😀
awesome!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I missed Poha so much. I loved it so much to eat Poha in the morning in India. Now I tried it first time to prepare it in Germany and koped so much it for a taste similar to my experiences… And: it turned out great 🙂 I had my first Poha in Germany this morning and it won´t be the last. 😉
mm oversoaked the oats which didnt help ! and ditn have cashews so used almonds !will know next time! needs more flavour i think , so next time more spices and i added cumin too. no way this serves 4 in my house i could eaten whole lot myself , even allowing for fact the oats were more like oatmeal!! will try again tho as has potential!!
hmm. over the years i have noticed that the oats from different brands behave differently, or the type. whole grain old fashioned, vs regular old fashioned. They probably get processed a bit differently. So you might need to soak for as little as 2-3 minutes or as much as 8-9. I usually mix in some rice flakes so that even if the oats get slightly oversoaked, they will still stay separate because of the rice flakes mixed in. Hope this helps.
We eat small portions 🙂 . the nutrition will get updated eventually, i am adding it to the new recipes slowly.
I absolutely love this recipe! How can I get the grains to cook separately? Is it because I’m omitting oil that my results are more mushy than the picture? I’ve tried decreasing the soaking time but it’s still mushy. (Though very tasty so I care less.) Thanks!
From making this for a while I know that some brand oats make it fluffier than others. Sometimes just a good rinse is enough to soak the oats. Try that. Rinse in cold water just before adding to the pan. No soak. And then let it steam covered. Fluff after a few.