Steel Cut Oats Indian Recipe : Lentils and Chana Masala Oats

This savory steel cut oats Indian recipe with curry lentils and chana masala oats is the perfect way to start your cold winter morning. This blend of spices, served in hot, comforting bowl of curry lentils and steel cut oats, will warm you up from head to toe.

Made with steel cut oats that have been seasoned with a chana masala Indian spice blend and a splash of coconut milk, topped with two-ingredient Kashmiri curry lentils, fresh coriander leaves and mint.

This healthy breakfast recipe is incredibly easy to make, is absolutely perfect for meal prep, and will fuel your body while bringing an exciting dose of flavor to the table.

Although this recipe takes around 40 minutes to initially prep, if you prepare your steel cut oats in advance, you can throw this recipe together in under 5 minutes! Making it the perfect easy breakfast recipe for even a busy morning.

Steel cut oats for Indian Recipe

What are steel cut oats

Steel cut oats are simply the most unprocessed version of oats. The oats are left whole and then cut into pieces with a steel mill…hence STEEL CUT oats!

These oats are thick and chewy with a fantastic texture. Steel cut oats have a slight nutty flavor, but are fairly neutral in flavor making them the perfect candidate for sweet OR savory meals! Steel cut oats are incredibly nutritious and leave you feeling warm and fuzzy and deeply satisfied. Steel cut oats are hands down, one of my favorite healthy breakfasts throughout the winter months…and this steel cut oats Indian recipe with curry lentils is a whole new level!

Benefits of Steel Cut Oats

This steel cut oats Indian recipe is soooo good for you! Steel cut oats are an absolute powerhouse! They are loaded with health benefits and are an excellent choice for your most important meal of the day.

Steel cut are rich in fiber and protein, making this the perfect breakfast choice to fuel your body and keep you full for hours. Their abundance of iron and B vitamins will also improve your energy levels.

Steel cut oats are extremely beneficial for your heart health. They help lower your bad cholesterol and blood pressure. Steel cut oats are also excellent for blood sugar control, which can help with diabetes management and is extremely important for your overall healthy.

The moral of the story…say yes to steel cut oats as often as possible! Your body will thank you!

How to cook steel cut oats for Indian Recipe

Steel cut oats might seem a bit intimidating to prepare…but I assure you it’s not! You’ve got this!

I know it can be tempting to grab the more processed, easier and quicker to prepare version of oats…quick oats. But unless you are truly in a pinch, skip those and go for the real deal.

Steel cut oats are waaaay more nutritious and have a much better texture. They are worth the time and effort! Plus, you can prepare them in large batches ahead of time and can quickly and easily reheat them!

Steel cut oats are the perfect candidate to make sweet OR savory and pair well with many variations of flavor. Taking simple steel cut oats and giving them an Indian influenced flavor is super simple! For this recipe, you will add a touch of coconut milk and scoop of Chana Masala seasoning creating a super simple steel cut oats Indian recipe.

How to cook steel cut oats for Indian Recipe with a Rice cooker

Using a rice cooker is my favorite way to cook steel cut oats! If your spoiled like I am, your rice cooker will have a timer on it and you can set up your oats the night before and wake up too a fresh batch of these delicious babies.

To cook oats using a rice cooker simply add 1 cup of steel cut oats, 2 1/2 cups of water. Note: water will vary depending on rice cooker settings. Read instructions for your particular rice cooker! Set your pressure cooker to the steel cut oat setting (or for 1 hour) and press start!

Once cooking process is complete add 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1/2 tsp Chana Masala seasoning, and a pinch of salt. Top with curry lentils and herbs, and serve!

How to cook steel cut oats for Indian Recipe on your Stove Top

Using the stove top to cook your steel cut oats takes time and is a bit more hands on than other cooking methods. But don’t worry, the stove top method also takes little effort.

STEP 1: Simply combine oats, water and coconut milk, and a pinch of salt in a sauce pan.

The ratio for oats on the stovetop is 1 cup steel cut oats to 3 cups water + 1/2 cup of coconut milk (or oat milk). The amount of liquid will vary depending on how liquidy you would like the end result.

Note: be sure to use a pan big enough to allow the oats to expand a bit!

STEP 2: Place on stove and bring your oats to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let oats simmer on medium-low heat for about 25-30 minutes. Stir the oats occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Note: Check the texture of the oats around 25 minutes. For some, this will be the desired texture. If you like a bit of a softer texture, allow the oats to simmer for 5 or 10 minutes longer, until desired texture is reached. Add a touch more liquid of desired as well.

STEP 3: When desired texture is reached, remove oats from heat, add Chana Masala seasoning, top with curry lentils and herbs, and serve!

How to cook steel cut oats for Indian Recipe using a pressure cooker

Using a pressure cooker to prepare your steel cut oats for this Indian breakfast recipe is also an excellent and easy choice! It will take about 35-40 minutes, but takes very little effort.

Simply combine 1 cup of steel cut oats with 1/2 cup coconut milk and 2 1/2 cups of water. Cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes. Once oats have completed their cooking cycle, allow pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes.

When oats are complete, add Chana Masala seasoning and salt. Top with curry lentils and herbs and serve!

Prep steel cut oats ahead of time

Unless you have a rice cooker with a timer on it and can prepare your oats the night before, taking the time to make a fresh batch of steel cut oats is not always idle for your busy mornings. Luckily steel cut oats are perfect for preparing in large batches ahead of time!

Simply prepare your oats and store in an airtight container. Steel cut oats can be refrigerated for up to one week and can be stored frozen for up to 3 months!

If you freeze your oats, simply let them thaw out overnight in the fridge so you can easily reheat them in the morning.

How to reheat steel cut oats

Reheating steel cut oats is simple! Place them in a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl and add a splash of water or milk. Then reheat to desired temperature!

Chana Masala Spice for steel cut oats Indian recipe

To give these steel cut oats an Indian inspired flavor, you will be adding coconut milk and Chana Masala spice. For this recipe I went with MDH’s boxed Chana Masala. This is a delicious, complex blend of spices, including coriander seeds, red chillies, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek leaves, mustard, dried ginger, and more.

Of course you can make this blend from scratch…but given its abundance of varied spices, I find it much easier to simply have a box in my spice cabinet. I found this spice blend to be the perfect addition to flavor this steel cut oats Indian recipe!

This spice blend does have some heat to it! So if you are sensitive to spice, start with less…if you love spice, add more!

2 INGREDIENT KASHMIRI CURRY LENTILS

This Kashmiri curry recipe is soooo simple and absolutely delicious! They make the perfect companion for your Indian inspired steel cut oats. Simply combine canned lentils with jarred Kashmiri Curry, heat and serve on top of oats!

Jarred Kashmiri Curry

For this recipe I used Maya Kaimal’s jarred Kashmiri Curry. This brand of jarred curry is DELICIOUS! It is vegan, GMO free, and gluten free. The ingredients are simple and clean. Maya Kaimal’s jarred Kashmiri Curry has excellent consistency and flavor and I highly recommend it. It makes creating a delicious, Indian inspired meal incredibly simple!

Canned Lentils

For this recipe I went with Delallo’s canned lentils. These lentils are very good for a canned lentil! They have a decent texture and most importantly are super simple to prepare, just open the can, heat, season, and serve!

If you have the time, obviously fresh made lentils would be an even better choice. But often times for breakfast we just need to keep it fast and simple, so this time I went with the easy, canned option.

Ways to serve steel cut oats Indian recipe

This recipe is super flavorful and nutritious as is, but there’s of course, always room for more! Here’s a couple of ways to jazz up this recipe:

• Add sautéed greens
  • adding sautéed spinach or kale to this recipe is a fantastic way to get even more nutrients out of this Indian inspired breakfast recipe. You can sauté your greens separately or add them to the curry lentils for more flavor!
• Add texture with toasted nuts
  • toasting almonds, peanut, or walnuts on the stove top for a minute or two would be a perfect addition for this steel cut oats Indian recipe. This would give the dish a bit more texture and flavor. Plus all of the health benefits that comes along with a handful of nuts! Simply cook nuts of choice on a skillet over medium heat for 1-3 minutes, or until toasted. Remove from heat and serve!
• Add vegan yogurt
  • With the combination of Chana Masala spice and Kashmiri curry, this steel cut oats Indian recipe has a bit of a spicy kick to it. You can cool this down with a scoop of yogurt! The addition of yogurt will add a bit more creaminess to the dish as well! I would recommend going with a plain vegan yogurt made from coconut milk.
• Make it spicier
  • You can easily add more heat to this dish by adding more Chana Masala spice to your steel cut oats. You can also add cayenne pepper or crushed chili flakes!
• Eggs
  • If you are not strictly plant-based, adding a poached or fried egg to this steel cut oats Indian recipe would be a delicious choice as well!