Oats, muesli, and cereals are some of the things we eat for breakfast as they’re healthy and filling. They are also the perfect foods to keep us energised at the start of the day. Oats are highly recommended and are very easy to cook too, especially if one uses the quick cooking oats available these days.
I had a lot of reservations about oats as I never had them before; we were a dim pauruti or bread and eggs for breakfast family and that was a hard habit to break. I fell in love with oats, but I find regular porridge quite boring and much prefer a savoury and spicy bowl of oats instead of the usual milk and fruit version. I had lots of fun experimenting with various combinations of spices and vegetables, and given my great love for pork, it wasn’t long before I tried making oats with Goan sausages or chorizo, those beautiful beads of spicy pork and fat that you see in the markets of Goa.
No trip to Goa is complete without a shopping spree that involves buying piles of home-made chorizos from the markets in Mapusa and Margaon. When my stocks run out, I buy the branded and packaged ones available in the stores in Bandra, Marine Lines or Colaba. It goes without saying that every friend who goes to Goa is cajoled to get me some home-made chorizo! A steaming bowl of oats spiced up with these little beauties has become one of my favourite breakfasts of all time! The spices and oils from the chorizo infuses into the oats and every mouthful is a delicious burst of flavour.
Recipe for Chorizo Oats
Ingredients:
¾ cup quick cooking oats
100 gms Chorizo sausages, peeled and chopped
1 small potato, peeled and cubed small
1 small onion, thickly sliced
1 small carrot, cubed or sliced
½ cup green peas
2 fresh green chillies, chopped
3 tbsp tomato puree or ketchup
Salt
Turmeric
Cumin powder
Oil
Water
Method:
1. Heat some oil in a wok or deep pan. Fry the chopped potatoes and carrots on medium heat till cooked.
2. Add the chopped chorizo and stir well to mix.
3. Add the remaining vegetables, salt and spices, mix it all up, and leave it to cook covered for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the oats. Stir well to blend in the oats and fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Let the oats toast with the masalas and vegetables properly. This gives a less sticky, gloopy porridge at the end.
5. Now pour in enough water to cover everything under a centimetre of water. Add the ketchup now. Stir continuously but gently till it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the oats simmer till all the water is absorbed. I like to save some of the chorizo pieces to sprinkle on top of my bowl of chorizo oats.
I am a trained archaeologist, but have hung up my trowel. At present, I am a food blogger and write and edit content on a freelance basis. I enjoy cooking, exploring cuisines and ingredients, and their histories. My experiences are shared on my blog euphoRHEA. I am an amateur photographer, I paint on ceramics, and I also organise occasional food or history based events in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. I am very active on Facebook and moderate the biggest Facebook food group, Chef at Large. I also run The Porkaholics (only for pork lovers) and Foodies in Navi Mumbai (focused on the growing food scene in Navi Mumbai).
Follow Rhea on Twitter @euphorhea