Curd Rice – mmmm…ultimate comfort food for South Indians. But, can we ‘upgrade’ the white rice in the curd rice to something more ‘Whole Grainy’?
What about Oats? Well, nutritionally it is a winner. Check out the grain profile here (alternatives to white rice). But, once oats gets cooked, it is gooey and sticky in consistency. This makes it really hard to use oats in, say, a lemon rice, coconut rice etc – because you cannot get separate grains (In Tamil you say udhir, udhiraa..which means each grain should be standing one by one).
However, given the fact that Yogurt rice, also called Daddojanam or Bahala bath has a porridge-y consistency itself; Oats is a perfect fit for this dish!! Yay!!
Step by Step Pics
This is steel-cut oats. This has a thicker, grainier consistency compared to rolled oats. That gives the Bahala bath a bit of a chew.
Maybe, you only have rolled oats at home at this time and are groaning at the prospect of adding yet another item to your pantry. I hear ya!! Been there…done that.
My worry, if you use rolled oats is that, it might become more Kanji-like liquid than a solid. I personally love the chewy texture of steel cut oats. 
The only downside of steel cut oats is that it needs to be soaked overnight before cooking.
Get Tadka items ready
Tadka items + finely chopped veggies
Pressure cook the soaked oats
Saute the tadka items in oil and pour on the cooked oats
Add thinly shredded veggies and cut fruits of your choice
Add yogurt and mix
This is my personal touch. Add a squeeze of lemon to the rice. This adds a nice brightness to the yogurt rice.
Serve
Recipe
Healthy, whole grain vegetarian dish that is high in protein and fiber than the traditional version
- 1 cup Steel Cut Oats
- 1 cup Yogurt
- 2 Tbsp Oil
- 1/2 Juice of lemon
- Salt (per taste)
- 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Split Urad Dal
- 1 Pinch Asafoetida
- 1/2 Jalapeno (green chilli) chopped
- 1 inch Ginger, finely chopped
- Few Curry leaves
- 1 Apple (small- chopped)
- 1 Cucumber (Small Persian - peeled and chopped fine)
- 1 Carrot (peeled and grated fine)
- 1 Coriander leaves (small bunch - chopped fine)
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Soak oats overnight in water.
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Pressure cook the oats.
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Heat oil and add ingredients for tempering. After tadka, pour contents into the cooked oats.
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Add the finely chopped raw fruits and veggies, yogurt, lemon juice and mix well.
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Transfer to a serving bowl.
Conclusion
All the ingredients in this dish are good for you. From the protein, fiber rich oats to the probiotic, protein containing yogurt to the thinly sliced raw veggies, this makes a wholesome meal. Add a sundal, pickle or leftover sambar in the side and it makes a satisfying meal.
You will find the oats version keeps you satisfied for a longer time compared to the white rice version. They also make a great dinner idea, just remember to soak the grains before leaving for work in the morning.
Have you tried steel cut oats before? Are you a fan? Share your comments down below. As always, I love to hear from all of you!!
How to contact u
Hi Suma, you can email me at [email protected]. Thanks!!
You are so good in sharing your knowledge meticulously.
That looks like real comfort food.
Thank you!!
If you’re pressure cooking there is no need to soak it overnight. Maybe an hour will do.
Fair point. In fact, recently I got Bobs red mill steel cut oats which asked for only 7 minutes of pressure cooking and it works quite well.
Soaking Steel Cut Oats overnight and then pressure cooking is the best way to go in my opinion. I tried steel cut oats without presoak and has some digestive issues. Thank you for this post. I think steel cut oats is a fantastic replacement to refined carbs!
Another reason why presoaking oats is helpful – it removes the harmful phytic acid
Very true
Awesome, Jasmine!! Glad to hear that it is useful to you!!
Love your ideas, and love your way of writing!
For the last 15 years our weekday breakfast has been boiled kanji made with equal parts steelcut oats and quinoa, with a pinch of turmeric, crushed methi seeds and a pinch of salt, eaten with a dab of spicy pickle.
That sounds delicious and perfect!! Thanks for sharing Padmini!!