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Quaker Oats - When healthy becomes tasty

We all know how healthy Oats are! But do you know that these healthy grains can be utterly delicious too. Having Oats regularly not only leads to a healthy balanced diet but also satisfies your taste buds.

Oats has countless benefits and some among them are; Oats are a good source of fibre, they naturally contain very little saturated fat and salt. It lowers cholesterol and helps you lose weight. Oats contain vitamins and minerals that are very important in the body.

It's raining oats here at Bawarchi. Are you ready for the great Quaker Oats Challenge? If you love Quaker Oats and love cooking just as much as we do, then this contest is for you.

A full-on foodie. A passionate innovator. A fierce competitor. Do these qualities best describe you? If your answer is yes, what if we told you here's your chance to turn this passion into health, wealth and fame? Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting to you the Quaker Oats #BringYourTastiestBowl contest.

Participate in the contest and win your way to the "On Ground Cook Off Grand Finale" show hosted by celebrity chef Vikas Khanna. Lots of cash prizes and goods to be won along the journey.

All that you need to do is to send us your innovative recipe around Quaker Oats. To participate in the contest Click here. Do watch the recipe video and read through the TnC here before you start innovating.

India has a rich culinary heritage with a plethora of flavours and cuisines. To inspire you enough, we at Bawarchi are taking up an OATS challenge of bringing together health and desi flavours through Quaker Oats.

We have put together 4 lip-smacking Quaker Oats recipes representing the four regions of India (North, South, East and West). So, bring it on folks! Let's put together our spoons and ladles, hearts and souls and create the best ever Quaker Oats bowl.

Over time, many connoisseurs and cooks have experimented with variations of Bhelpuri, which is inspired by bhadang, a spicy and savoury snack from Western India especially Maharashtra.

A much-loved street food and an anytime snack, bhelpuri is prevalent in indulgent and healthy avatars. The new-found craze for oats is the perfect reason to create a variation of bhelpuri – one that is healthy, tasty and sumptuous!

So here it is – a nutritious bhel with delicious crunchy oats! The goodness of oats is further enhanced with blanched sprouts, fresh vegetables and a topping of fruits. Now this is something your doctor cannot object to – whether it is diabetes, blood pressure or cholesterol!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the mixed salad
1 cup sprouts (preferably moong sprouts)
2 cup mixed vegetables (cucumber, carrots, capsicum and onions) – chopped fine
1/4 cup steamed corn kernels
1/2 apple - chopped fine
2 tbsp pomegranate - shelled
1/2 green chilli – chopped fine
A fistful of mint and coriander leaves - chopped fine
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp chaat masala
Salt to taste

For the roasted oats
1 cup Quaker oats
1/4 cup peanuts
1 teaspoon rice bran oil
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 pinch turmeric powder

Step-by-step instructions:
1)    To prepare the roasted oats, heat the oil in a thick-bottomed pan. Add the peanuts and lower the flame. Saute for 1-2 minutes and add the oats. Continue to sauté. Add the salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder and roast for4-5 minutes on low flame. Set aside to cool.
2)    Heat 1 cup water in a pan. Add the sprouts and switch off the flame. Strain.
3)    In a bowl, add all the ingredients for the salad and gently toss together. If serving after a while, place the bowl in the refrigerator.
4)    Just before serving, add the mixed salad in a serving bowl. Top with the roasted oats mixture and serve immediately.

Serve this tasty and healthy snack in a beautiful bowl and tempt the young and elderly alike! You can add a dash of the sweet and spicy dates chutney which is used in chaats for a typical flavour.



Taking up the challenge of healthy cooking with oats, here is a fabulous soup which is quick and yummy.

Inspired by the Eastern states of India which are in turn influenced by Tibetan and Bhutanese cuisine and their soups. This well balanced soup boasts of the goodness of oats and vegetables, and is subtly enriched with the colour of fresh coriander leaves. Serve at dinner time and follow it up with a simple menu since oats can be quite filling in themselves!

Serves 4








Ingredients:

4-5 tablespoons Quaker oats
1/2 teaspoon rice bran oil
2 cloves
1 medium onion – chopped fine
4 cloves of garlic – chopped fine
1 cup mixed vegetables (shelled peas and chopped broccoli, carrots, beans)
A fistful of coriander leaves
1/2 green chilli
1/4 cup boiled skimmed milk
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper powder

Step-by-step instructions:
1)    Dry roast the Quaker oats on low flame for 2 minutes and set aside.
2)    Heat the oil in a pan and add the cloves.
3)    As the cloves splutter, add the chopped onions and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.
4)    Add 4 cups of water and bring to boil.
5)    Add the mixed vegetables and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
6)    Add the roasted oats and simmer for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame.
7)    Remove the cloves with a spoon and discard.
8)    Remove 1/2 cup of the cooked vegetables and oats with a ladle. Churn it coarsely along with the coriander leaves and green chilli. Add this mixture back into the cooking soup.
9)    Switch on the flame and allow the soup to simmer on low flame. Add the milk, salt and pepper and simmer for a minute. Switch off the flame.

Serve in a smart bowl and see how it gets emptied at the speed of lightning. You will be delighted to see your children asking for more!



Talk of South Indian breakfasts and the quickest one is the varieties of upmas. Available in bland and spicy versions, a well prepared upma is a wholesome dish in itself.

With the recent change of preference from rice and wheat to oats for health reasons, oats are becoming an integral part of our breakfast menus. The perfect inspiration to showcase the old-fashioned upma in a fresh avatar!

Tweaked with nutritious oats and crushed corn kernels, this oats upma is perfect for breakfast or a light dinner.

Serves 4





Ingredients:

1 cup Quaker oats
1/2 cup corn kernels
3/4 cups mixed vegetables (onions, carrots, beans) – chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 pinch turmeric powder
1 green chilli – slit
1 inch ginger piece – grated
Salt to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
A fistful of coriander leaves – chopped fine

For the tempering:
2 teaspoon rice bran oil
1 teaspoon split black gram (udad dal)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1 sprig fresh curry leaves

Step-by-step instructions:
1)    Dry roast the Quaker oats on low flame for 2 minutes and set aside.
2)    Crush the corn kernels in a blender and set aside.
3)    Heat the oil in a pan for the tempering. Add the udad dal and as it turns golden, lower the flame and add the mustard seeds. As the mustard splutters, add the asafoetida powder and curry leaves.
4)    Immediately add the chopped vegetables and sauté on low flame for 2 minutes.
5)    Add the crushed corn and saute for a minute.
6)    Add 2 cups of water and bring to boil.
7)    Add the mixed vegetables and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
8)    Add the roasted oats, chilli powder, turmeric powder, chopped green chilli, grated ginger and salt.
9)    Allow to simmer for 3 minutes. If required, add 1 cup of warm water and allow to cook. Switch off the flame.
10)    Add the lemon juice and sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves.

Surprise your sudden guests with this healthy and yummy oats upma. Nothing like a delicious bowl of upma to add that feel-good factor to a pleasant evening.



Kheer with pooris is one of the most popular meal combinations in North India; the commonest being 'chawal ki kheer'.

For the health conscious, a kheer with oats is an ideal choice because of its immense nutritional benefits. Its quality of satiety imparts a feel-good and feel-full factor. For the quick cook, this kheer is a preferred choice because unlike rice, oats is cooked in minutes.

Enhanced with the taste of carrots and nuts, this is what the good life is all about! So rise up to the challenge of innovating with oats and including it in your daily menu.

Serves 4



Ingredients:

4-5 tablespoons Quaker oats
1 small carrot – grated
8 almonds
1 tablespoon walnuts
2 cups boiled skimmed milk
1/2 cup organic sugar
1 pinch cardamom powder
Slivered nuts for garnishing
1/2 teaspoon rice bran oil

Step-by-step instructions:
1)    Blanch the almonds and peel.
2)    Heat the oil in a pan and add the grated carrots. Saute for 2 minutes. Grind into a fine paste along with the almonds and walnuts using 2 tablespoons water.
3)    Heat 2 cups water in a pan. Add the oats along with the carrot and nut mixture. Allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes.
4)    Add the milk and sugar and continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes.
5)    Switch off the flame and garnish with cardamom powder and slivered nuts.

Serve hot or chilled, as you please, in a decorative bowl and win the hearts of your loved ones.