Piping HOat !!

It’s no secret that feeding toddlers and infants is the biggest task ever. Yet I feel, mine is a little ahead of other’s in her age group. If she decides not to eat a thing, then there is no way that you can convince her to open her mouth. She won’t even cry, knowing for a fact that food will be shoved into her mouth.

Look, no one told us parenthood would be easy. I know that. But then I didn't know, that making your child eat would be such a colossal task. There is no infant handbook that could give you solution to how make your child open her mouth. And then to top it up every child is different.

So when Smera out-grew her fruity and vegetable purée stage and Oats came to my rescue. I think, Oats are the best food invented ever in the short history of mankind and in my motherhood expedition. When I introduced Smera to this super easy and magical food, she was instantly hooked on to it. She likes her's with milk and a dash of sugar or even the soupy style.

Image courtesy:  eatwellnz.co.nz 

My motherly dilemma is that, I am trying to encourage to Smera to try different things but then she just cannot have enough of Oats. She might soon reach a stage, where she would get fed up of it and then life won’t as easy as it is now. For now I am thrilled that I don’t have think really hard on what to make the next morning. Not to mention they also double-up as absolute life-saver when we are travelling.

It’s also, in surprising ways a healthy comfort food (now that’s an oxymoron) – try a bowl with a pinch of salt when you’re down with flu or cold. And lastly I have mastered the art of cooking them in the microwave, isn’t that the best part to cook and serve all in the same bowl.

To feed my curiosity I searched the net for the origin of oats, and it seems it has been around for eternity. But what was surprising to read, it was only at the fag end of 90’s Oats started gaining its popularity after FDA in US published a report confirming - Oats help in reducing heart-related problems. That’s the problem, what starts in US soon rolls over the rest of the world-wide.

What is amazing is that even in smaller towns back in India have been adopted as Oats as a healthier breakfast option. I occasionally allow myself to get into the conspiracy theory mode. What if the health benefits of Oats is all propaganda? Would the next generation know what it is to have our own local breakfast dishes? Will oats and corn flakes annihilate Dosa and Idli from the breakfast table?

Only time will tell and maybe our palettes will get used to the tastes of Oats chappati, Oats cutlet, Oats dosa, Oats idli, Oats upma, Oats uttapam or even Oats dhokla. Maybe be soon you will see it being served at the desi food joints – HOat Idlis from Saravana Bhawan, I can’t wait J