South Indian style coconut oats is a simple to make breakfast or snack dish with rolled oats. The recipe just takes 15 mins to make 2 servings. It doesn't need a accompanying side dish. But it can be served with a bowl of plain yogurt.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 7 minutes
  • Cook time: 8 minutes
  • Total time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1½ cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup grated coconut (fresh or frozen or sub with ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut)
  • 1½ tbsp oil
  • ¼ tsp mustard
  • ½ tsp cumin (or jeera)
  • ½ tsp urad dal (or skinned black gram (optional))
  • ½ tsp chana dal (or bengal gram (optional))
  • 2 tbsp peanuts (or cashews as needed)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • ¾ tsp ginger (grated or chopped)
  • 2 green chilies (- slit of chopped)
  • salt (as needed)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice (or as needed)
  • 2 to 4 cup coriander leaves
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (or hing)

Method

  1. Rinse rolled oats and drain them in a colander.
  2. Gently fluff up immediately and set aside.
  3. Heat a pan with oil.
  4. Add mustard, cumin, urad dal, chana dal and peanuts.
  5. Fry them until the peanuts are golden.
  6. Then add in hing, ginger, green chilies and curry leaves.
  7. Saute them quickly until the curry leaves turn crisp.
  8. Then pour 2 tbsp water. This will soften the dals slightly.
  9. Add turmeric and salt.
  10. Then add in oats. Gently give a good stir.
  11. On a very low heat cook covered until the oats turn slightly hot. This only takes about 1 to 2 mins.
  12. Turn off the heat. Add coconut and coriander leaves.
  13. Mix well and check salt. If needed add more and sprinkle lemon juice over the salt.
  14. Mix well and serve coconut oats with pickle or yogurt.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.