Eggless Pumpkin Oats Cookies ( Diwali Collaboration )

Along with delectable desserts that are the highlight of every Diwali celebration, savory snacks like Namak para, mathri, khara boondi, sev and murukku also form an unavoidable part of the festive menu. Unfortunately, most of these call for deep frying or at least kneading with copious amounts of fat to make them crispy and flaky.

While the desserts can be prepared with a Sugar substitute or even replaced to some extent with fruit based desserts, the savory goodies were my primary concern. I was wondering what could be done to introduce some health and nutrition in this part of the menu when I stumbled upon the 'OatoberFest' series being run in the TOI by Quaker Oats and my culinary God Vikas Khanna. That gave me the idea to try something with oats. However I did not want to proceed with any of the usual flavor combinations.

I wanted the cookies to take on some traditional flavor and yet make them seem exotic at the same time. Going though my own blog for inspiration, I stumbled upon this 'Sri Lankan Pumpkin Curry' that I had prepared sometime back. With a large pumpkin siting on my kitchen counter, it seemed a wonderful option. Since I make this curry quite often (whenever I am faced with a deluge of fresh pumpkin), I already had the curry powder in my fridge.

Deciding against the use of wheat flour or maida, I decided to make the cookies with oats, grated pumpkin, freshly grated coconut, a touch of the curry powder, brown sugar and just a little bit of grease. Even as the first batch was taking on a light brown hue in the oven, exquisite aromas enveloped the entire house. As expected the cookies turned out to be moist, chewy and mind-blowing good. Enough to get the compliments flowing.

But that is not all ! This being a part of a blogger collaboration with my talented friends Parinaaz and Saswati , there are more savory goodies to be discovered at the end of this post.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 50 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 cups Quaker Oats
• 1 cup grated pumpkin (tightly packed)
• 1 cup freshly grated coconut ( lightly packed )
• 2-3 tsp brown sugar (or Demerara sugar )
• 1/4 cup Rice bran oil
• 1 tsp Sri Lankan Curry powder (recipe HERE)
• 1/2 tsp coarsed ground peppercorns
• salt to taste

Preparation - Take all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix everything thoroughly into a tight dough.

Take a baking tray and line it with parchment paper. Pinch small portions of the dough and shape into flat discs or squares. Put them on the baking tray.

Cooking - Preheat the oven at 180 degrees for 10 mins. 

Pop in the tray and let it cook for 10 mins on the middle rack. 

Remove the tray and flip them over. Put back into the oven and bake for another 6-7 mins. The cookies will have become firm and browned on both sides.

Remove from oven and let them cool down. Store in airtight jars.

Do check out these fabulous snacks by my fellow bloggers -

Parinaaz's Chegodilu or Ring Snacks

and 

Saswati's Nimki !!

Kadali Bhanda Bara (Plantain Flower Fritters with Oats)

'Ek muthi ka poshan' says my culinary God. And it sticks in my head. Jut like every other day, I go around like clockwork making breakfast and lunch for the family even as his words ricochet inside my skull. Without missing a beat, I pick up that packet of oats even as I take out the lentil jar from the cupboard. A small wok is put on the burner while I chop the vegetables. Two fistful of oats get slow roasted for 3 minutes as I carry on with my cooking. The vegetables are now being cooked and I am getting ready to knead the flour for making rotis. The roasted oats have cooled down and I give it a quick buzz to make a fine powder out of it.Three fourths of it go into my 'atta' while the rest is kept aside for lack of inspiration.

The lunch is almost ready and as I gather the ingredients for the final dish, a bulb suddenly lights up in my head. A teaspoon and half of the powdered oats make their way into the mix for my plantain flower fritters. I continue to make them the usual way, that is pan-fried with very less oil. And as every time they turn out to be delicious. Lesson learnt. Moral of the story is that it does not need to be path breaking all the time. As long as it gets the job done, it is perfectly fine.

So, here is the recipe inspired by Vikas Khanna and Quaker's #OatoberFest, a week long celebration of health and nutrition -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients - 

• 2 cups cleaned and chopped plantain flowers
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoon besan
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• a pinch of garam masala
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp oil for pan frying

Preparation - Add the chopped plantain flowers to a saucepan of boiling water for 5 mins. Drain and wash under running water to remove all bitterness.

Squeeze out all water before transferring to a mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients along with very little water to get everything together.

Cooking - Drizzle a few drops of oil on a ceramic pan. Once it is hot, add small portions of the mixture to the pan and pat gently to spread into a layer which is about 2-3 mm thick.

Cook till done on one side. then flip it over and add some more oil.

Once cooked on both sides, remove from the pan.

Serve hot.

ChatPati Oats Locho ( Monsoon Mania Collaboration )

Ever tried to guess the reason behind those hunger pangs that crop up everytime there is a down ? Well, it could be sudden fall in outside temperature that makes one feel chilled and hence the craving to eat something hot along with one's favorite beverage. Or it might even be the limited mobility that makes one explore other avenues before finally settling down on snacking . After all good food has a relaxing effect on us.

Or maybe, it is that primal desire to bite into the forbidden fruit...er..food. With most doctors and elders putting a blanket ban on street-side fare during the rains, they suddenly start to look even more inviting. Wading though the murky waters, the aromas of bhajjis and samosas wafting up from the street vendors assail our senses and send our normally logical brain into a tailspin. And we end up eating stuff that we would otherwise not even touch with a barge-pole. 

But given that gastrointestinal disorders are very common during monsoons, it is best to steer away from street-foods. Some advance preparation can actually go a long way in avoiding such blunders. This 'Surti Locho' recipe is one such example to an easy to prepare and very healthy steamed snack. I have added a healthy twist to this recipe by substituting the 'poha' with oats and serving it up with a tangy 'Puli-inji' relish.

But hang on !! There are more recipes to be discovered as I am back with a collaboration with my bloggers friends Saswati who blogs @ Delish Potpourri and Parinaaz of A Dollop of That fame. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to check what these gals are dishing out !

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 45 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup channa dal
• 1/3 cup urad dal
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 tsp crushed ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 2 tsp oil
• 2 pinch turmeric
• 1 tsp baking powder
• salt to taste

For garnishing -

• puli inji relish
• coriander leaves

Preparation - Wash and soak the channa dal and the urad dal separately for 6-7 hours.

Take the oats in a bowl. Cover with just enough hot water to moisten it.

Grind the channa dal into a slightly coarse paste.

Grind the urad dal separately into a fine paste. Add the moistened oats to the same jar and blend together.

Transfer all the ingredients ( except baking powder) into a big mixing bowl . Bring everything together.

Cooking - Take sufficient water in a steamer. Bring it to a boil.

Grease a round/square dish which is about 2 inches deep. 

Finally add the baking powder to the batter, mix evenly and pour into the baking dish.

Put it in the steamer and let it cook for 30 mins. Insert a toothpick into the center to check if it is done.

Remove it from the steamer. 

Scoop out some of the hot Locho onto a serving plate or bowl. Garnish with Puli inji relish ( or tamarind jaggery chutney ) and cilantro. 

Serve piping hot.

Note - Refrigerate any remaining batter ( to which baking powder has not been added ) and use it up in a day or two .

Check out these fabulous Monsoon recipes contributed by my fellow bloggers !!

Parinaaz's Eeda Chutney na Pattice ( Egg and Chutney Croquettes )

and

Saswati's Peas and Cottage Cheese Kebabs 

Oats Kothimbir Vadi ( And a Happy Gudi Padwa/Ugadi to All )

Kothimbir Chi Vadi. This healthy steamed snack from Maharashtra is a wonderful 4 pm friend. Yep, that's when the hunger pangs begin to strike when you are particular about your meal times.  And if you have had a wonderfully light lunch, this is exactly when you are tempted to binge on those super oily samosas/bhajjis/ pakoras . End result ? Not only you end up undoing all the good work, you are also saddled with those tiny guilt pangs that keep bothering you for the rest of the day.

That is why it is very much important to ensure that snacking remains healthy. And this super healthy version of the 'Kothimbir Vadi' is my tribute to the 'World Health Day'. Substituting most of the gram flour with oats is just one way of adding more of oats  to one's diet without compromising on that very important aspect - taste ! Oats contain a specific dietary fiber called beta-glucan which helps to lower bad cholesterol levels.

This recipe is a 'no onion no garlic recipe' which is apt for people who usually avoid these ingredients during fasting. One can also serve it during the ongoing navratri festival.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 cups finely chopped coriander leaves
• 4 tbsp powdered oats
• 1 tbsp besan
• 1 tbsp rice flour ( optional during navratri )
• 2 tsp yogurt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp chili powder ( adjust as per taste )
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• a pinch of baking powder
• salt to taste
• 1/5 tsp turmeric

For seasoning -

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 1 tsp canola oil

Preparation - Take all the ingredients into a mixing bowl. Knead into a firm and smooth dough. Keep aside for 15 mins.

Cooking - Roll the dough into cylindrical shapes.

Boil water in a steamer. Once it gets to steaming, steam the dough at medium high for 15 mins.

Remove and keep aside till it cools down. Cut into small bite sized circles.

Heat the remaining oil in a wok. Add the mustard and cumin seeds, followed by the asafoetida, curry leaves and sesame seeds.

Add the vadis and toss gently to ensure that each and every bite is coated with the aromatic seasoning.

Serve hot with some tea.

Oats and Sweet Potato Cutlets

I do not believe in waiting for the New Year to implement any resolutions. So, after returning back from my Odisha trip I have been monitoring my diet quite strictly. This year it is not just about losing a few extra pounds but also getting back to a leaner and fitter self. And that requires a lot of mental discipline as well.

I have switched to cooking with very little oil and have bought a non-stick appam pan in which i toast the dishes which traditionally require deep frying. Vadas, cutlets, koftas are some of the examples. I am yet to perfect the oil-free/ low-oil gravy for my dishes but I keep experimenting with that as well. Have been thinking of investing in an air-fryer. Please leave behind a comment/suggestion below the post if you have had a good experience with it.

This recipe combines the goodness of Shakarkandi/sweet potato with oats. While I usually boil/roast sweet potato and have it with black salt, pepper, chili powder and optionally a dash of lemon juice, this one can also be served as snacks. And all those health-conscious guests out there are going to fall head over heels in love with it. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins ( including 15 mins of standby time)


Ingredients -

• 2 medium sized sweet potatoes 
• 3-4 tbsp masala oats (I used Saffola oats in Curry & Pepper flavour)
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1/3 tsp pepper powder ( skip if using Pepper flavored oats )
• 2 pinch black salt
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp oil

Preparation - Wash and cook the sweet potato in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.

Keep aside till steam escapes. Drain excess water, remove and peel the sweet potato .Transfer it to a mixing bowl.

Add all the remaining ingredients except for oil. Mash together. Divide into 10-12 equal portions and give desired shape (disc, oblong, heart or diamond). (Roll the cutlets over some oats spread out on a flat plate for a better presentation)

Cooking - Heat a non-stick frying pan. Grease with 1/2 tsp oil.

Place the cutlets and fry them on a low flame till small brown spots appear. Flip over and repet for the other side as well.

Remove from pan and serve hot with lemon wedges and sauce/chutney.

Note - Do remember to leave any suggestions regarding an air fryer if you have used one .

Overnight Oats and Sago (No cooking required)

How many times have you skipped eating breakfast at home just because felt lazy to cook someting in the mornings ? Quite a few of us would have done so. But in most cases it makes us hungry and we end up gorging on something unhealthy by noon. Which is a double whammy when you are trying to lose weight !!

Overnight oats is just what the doctor prescribed for such days. Easy breezy recipe that requires no cooking. One just needs to take the trouble of measuring out the oats into a bowl and covering it with milk before popping it into the fridge for the night.

I decided to add some sago to the oats as I am very fond of soaked sago. It is quite popular in Odisha to soak the sago and then eat it milk, yogurt, sugar/jaggery, fruits or sweetened boondi on fasting 'vrat' days.But I sometimes have it on regular days too. Read on for more info on this interesting dish -

Preparation time - 5 mins

Ingredients -

• 2/3 cup rolled/instant oats
• 1/3 cup fine sago (subudana)
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 small banana/ half of an apple/ 1 kiwi
• few dried cranberries
• 7-8 almonds
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp honey

Preparation - Take the oats and sago in a bowl. Add sugar and 1 cup milk to the same bowl. It should be sufficient to cover the oats and sago. Keep it in the fridge for the night.

Also soak the almonds separately in a cup of water. Peel and chop them in the morning.

Take out the bowl in the morning. Add the cut fruit of you choice along with the yogurt, cranberries and almonds.

Drizzle with honey.

Dig in.

Note - One can omit the sago if one doe not like/prefer it.

Oats Uttapam

Another oats recipe from my kitchen. While I have been constantly raving about how to incorporate oats in one's breakfast, I do not like the almost insipid oats porridge (what even flavor it may be) on an everyday basis. So I try and add to the regular breakfast items like dosa, upma, pongal or even khichdi. The latest victim of my experimentation has been the 'Uttapam'.

I have given it another twist my topping it with cherry tomatoes, cheese and some Italian seasoning. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients - 1 cup regular uttapam batter, 1 cup quick cooking oats, 1 medium sized onion, 6-8 cherry tomatoes, 6-8 pear tomatoes, grated cheese, chilli flakes, mixed herbs seasoning, 3 tsp oil, salt to taste.

Preparation - Mix the oats into the regular batter and keep aside for 5-6 mins.

Chop the onions into small pieces. Cut the tomatoes into two.

Cooking - Heat a non-stick frying pan. Season with a few drops of oil ( or use an oil spray instead ).

Pour 1/3 of the batter onto the pan and do not spread it too much. ( The batter does spread on its own. But if you think that its too thick, just spread it a bit more. )

Put the onions and tomatoes over it. Sprinkle chilli flakes, seasoning and a little bit of salt. Layer on the grated cheese.

Cover with a lid and let it cook through.

Flip over and cook on the other side for 1 minute. Remove from pan.

Serve hot with coconut chutney / ketchup.

Oats Pongal

My son's liking for this simple and wholesome rice dish has turned me into a faithful fan (read follower). Easy to make and quite comforting, I have been cooking it regularly in the last weeks. With my current obsession with oats, i felt tempted to add some to the regular pongal. Turned out to be quite nice. Also, adding oats greatly increases the soluble fiber content of this dish which helps reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL) and keeps one's heart healthy . Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins


Ingredients - 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup yellow moong dal, 1/2 cup quick oats, 8-9 cashews, 1 tsp peppercorn, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 pinch carom seeds, 1/2 inch ginger (cut into juliennes), 3-4 tsp ghee, salt to taste, 41/2 cups water.

Cooking - Heat 2 tsp ghee in a pressure cooker. Add the cashew and lightly fry them. remove and keep aside.

Add cumin, carom seeds, peppercorn and ginger. Wash and add the rice and moong dal. Fry for 2-3 minutes or till a fragrance comes.

Add the hot water, fried cashews (keep aside a few for the garnish) and salt. Close lid and cook for 2-3 whistles.

Allow steam to escape before opening. Put on the stove again. Add another 1/2 to 1 cup of hot water (only if required) and the quick cooking oats. Cook for 3 minutes.

Sprinkle the remaining ghee and stir in.

Garnish with a few cashews and serve hot.

Oats Khara Bhath

Khara Bhath or 'Masala Upma' is very popular South Indian breakfast. It is easy to make and good to eat. I used to make it and carry it for office lunch/breakfast at least twice or thrice in a week. As i used to put in lots of veggies and quite less oil, it packed a low calorie but nutritious meal. While it tastes great when hot, it is still good to eat after a few hours ( Read COLD ).

But as I have turned into a great fan of whole grains these days, I could not resist adding by favorite whole grain...Aka..OATS to this recipe. Combining semolina with oats in the ratio of 1:1 makes this dish even more wholesome and appealing to weight watchers / health conscious folks. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time : 25 mins

Ingredients: 1 cup semolina, 1 cup oats, 1 medium sized onion, 1 green chilli, 1 sprig curry leaves, 1/4 cup green peas, 1 small tomato, 1/5 tsp garam masala powder powder, 1/5 tsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp red chilli powder,  a pinch of turmeric, 1/2 tsp kasuri methi, 1/5 tsp mustard-cumin seeds, 2 tsp ghee/oil, salt to taste, a dash of lemon/pinch of amchur (optional).

Preparation - Chop the onion and tomato into small pieces. Keep aside.
Make 2-3 small slits in the green chilli.

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add the semolina and oats to the pan. Roast for 6-7 minutes till the semolina gives off a light fragrance. Remove and keep aside.

Add the remaining oil to the same wok. Add curry leaves, green chilli and the mustard-cumin seeds.

Once the seeds almost stop spluttering, add the onion and fry till translucent.

Add the green peas and chopped tomato ( use can also use veggies like carrots and beans ). Stir fry for 3-4 minutes.

Add all the powdered masalas and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add 3 1/2 cups of boiling water along with salt. Add the roasted semolina-oats mix into the boiling water, mix well and cook on medium flame till all water is absorbed.

Add the lemon juice/amchur.

Serve hot with a coconut chutney.

Note : One can also add a fistful of cashews/peanuts to this recipe. But I have avoided the same as it was intended to be low in calories.

Atta Chakuli with Oats

Atta chakuli or pancakes made with wheat flour are a popular breakfast recipe in Odisha. Varying from savory and spicy to the sweet ones flavored with fennel, they are easy to prepare and quite filling too.

Cooking Time Required: 10-15 mins
Cost of preparation: 30-40 rupees

Ingredients: Whole wheat flour ( 1 cup ), oats flour ( 1 cup ), curry leaves ( 1 sprig , optional ), onion ( 1 small ), green chilli ( 2 nos ), salt, oil ( 1 tsp per chakuli if cooked on a non-stick tawa).

Preparation: Mix the whole wheat flour, oats flour, salt along with sufficient water into a smooth paste ( consistency should be same as that of dosa batter ).

Chop the onion and garlic into small pieces.

Cooking: Heat the dosa tawa. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of oil. Add a pinch of pancha-phutana followed by the green chillis, onions and curry leaves.

Stir fry for 40-50 secs. Pour half of the wheat-oats batter into the pan and rotate the pan to spread it. Sprinkle a few drops on oil on the sides.

Cook on both sides for about 3-4 minutes each.

Serve hot .

Note: For People who like it sweet, skip the onion, green chilli, curry leaves and pancha-phutana . Instead add milk and sugar while making the batter for atta chakuli. Cook the chakuli using a little ghee instead of oil.

Chuda Oats Bhajja ( Oats Chiwda )

Cost of Preparation: 20-25 Rupees
Cooking Time Required: 15 mins
Serves 2

Ingredients: Chuda ( Chiwda, 1 cup ), oats ( 1/2 cup ), cashew ( 1/3 cup ), raisins ( 1/4 cup ), curry leaves, onion ( 1 no., medium ), red chilli powder ( 1/ tsp ), red chillis (3-4 nos), fennel seeds ( 1/ tsp ), roasted coriander powder ( 1/ tsp ), oil, salt.

Preparation: Cut the onion into fine long strips.

Cooking: Heat a pan. Add 2 tsp oil. Roast the chuda for 4-5 mins. Remove from pan.

Add another tsp oil to the pan. Roast the oats for 5-6 mins. Remove from the pan.



















Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan. Add the red chillis, fennel seeds, curry leaves, cashew and raisins. Roast for 1-2 mis till the cashews are puffed.



















Add the roasted chuda and oats. Stir fry for 1-2 mins.

Add the onions and coriander powder. Fry for another minute and remove from the fire.

Garnish with green chilli and coriander leaves.

Oats Khichdi

Cooking time Required: 20 mins
Cost of Preparation: 30-40 rupees

Ingredients: Saffola oats ( 1 1/2 cup ), masoor dal ( 1/2 cup ), tomato ( 1/3 cup ), capsicum ( 1/4 cup ), carrot ( 1/4 cup ), papaya ( 1/2 cup ), cauliflower ( 1/3 cup ), lemon juice ( 2 tsp ), finely cut coriander leaves ( 1 tbs ), peanuts ( 1/3 cup ), peppercorn ( 1 tsp ), ghee ( 1 tsp ), turmeric , salt.



Preparation: Cut the vegetables into small pieces and keep aside.

Cooking: Wash the dal and transfer to a pressure cooker. Add vegetables, salt and turmeric along with 2 cups water. Allow for 2-3 whistles. Remove from stove and keep aside to cool down a bit.

Dry roast the oats in a pan for 4-5 mins. Keep aside.



Transfer the contents of the pressure cooker to a wok/open vessel. Bring to a boil.

Add the roasted oats in small quantities to the wok and mix well.

Add the ghee to a pan. Add the peppercorn and groundnuts. Roast for 2-3 minutes till the peanuts start crackling .



Transfer to the wok.

Boil the woks contents for another 1-2 mins. Remove from the stove.



Garnish with coriander leaves and lemon juice. Serve hot.

Note : Take care that the kichidi does not boil for more than 5-6 minutes after adding the oats. Also one can add some water when transferring the pressure cooker contents to the wok as the oats will soak up quite a bit of water.