Monday, February 18, 2013

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

35 comments:

  1. Oats are one of the healthier grains. But in India we already have millets, ragi, jowar etc. that are more nutritious and less expensive.Still used in rural areas. I do see some of them in flour forms once in a while in Supermarkets.

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    1. Of course they are, in fact I used to be extremely fond barley and daliya or cracked wheat but then got fed up of them, while Smera used to love Ragi ..

      But for now Oats are smash-hit for the breakfast while the other grains rest in peace for my multi-grain chappati dough !!

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  2. Haha I just came from home feeding my toddler oats..and I read this ! Unfortunately my toddler does not tolerate the same food being served everyday. Just this morning he wasted some oats which I put in the fridge. In the evening I will use it to dip bread with eggs and toast them - so evening snack is done.! Good to know your kiddo likes oats...its high in fibre !

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    1. Anita - to be honest this is pure luck .. going by my history luck never favours me. But that is a fabulous idea that you've got for evening snacks .. please let me in detail .. will try that one for the kiddo !!

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    2. Take leftover milk from morning, sweeten it, add an egg and beat and mix both well. Take a slice of bread, dip it into this and place on a tawa. toast front and back for a golden color. Snack done, milk not wasted, happy kid. ;-)

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  3. I dread that day... I would have Dosa/Idli for Breakfast, Lunch, Tiffin, Snack and Dinner for a whole year without any complaint! But NO, I hate oats. My mother used to hide it in the cornflakes' milk and wouldn't allow me to leave for school till I finished it.

    As long as there are people like me, and there are cities like Bangalore and Chennai, Idlis and Dosas will never die!

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    1. I am sure no one can take away dosa and idli from our breakfast culture but I was referring to the oats variant like how there is Rava varient !! Might be nice

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  4. Ahem! Another interesting study would be the result of that report on the price of oats :) I dread any medical study - the moment they tout the benefits of any edible item, the prices go through the roof, no matter how humble they were before :)

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    1. Ha ha Suresh !! This reminds me of the book Habit that I am currently reading .. not sure if you have read it already but a very interesting read.

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  5. Good to know Smera likes oats, my little one doesn't like it. I tried serving it in different forms but no luck. Well, his dad too hates oats.

    seena

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    1. :D then you can blame the husband for the little one not eating Oats .. Ha ha

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  6. All of it together in an endless supply throughout an endless day. All oats haters should try the new masala range from Saffola and Quaker.

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    1. How are they? Any good .. I did hear about them and believe MTR too is launching their Oat variant breakfast options ..

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  7. Isn't it fortunate that she likes to eat this healthy food.
    I remember eating oats way back in early 60s--Quaker Oats were available then too.

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    1. Indu absolute good fortune .. it's one of the few healthy habit she is hooked on to.

      By the way I don't know about Oats in the 1960's, I was just a thought back then, came into existence only in the 80's .. :D

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  8. Oats is truly very good for breakfast. I do have hot porridge with a handful of mixed dry fruit or one ripe banana. Kids may enjoy it when different dry fruit are added on alternate days.

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  9. :) Good that your kid likes oats. My kids wont have the healthy one-dish meal for breakfast and i have to use multiple dishes to make the dosas, idlis and others :(

    Lovely post to start the day! Think i will have a drink of oats myself today! (i like my oats watery, with salt and curds/buttermilk in it :)

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    1. That's a new combination .. sounds really interesting !!

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  10. Oats is a good breakfast dish and also helps to reduce weight. good post.. :-)

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  11. As much as i want to reduce my fat and gain the so called benefits that oats is supposed to provide, there is definitely something amiss if dosa's or idly's don't go down my throat in the morning..

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  12. right now i am into those masala oats ...not sure how healty it is ...but i just love it ! nice post !

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    1. Are they good? I have not tried those till now :(

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  13. I tried grinding the oats in mixer-grinder and adding its flour to cake batter, It is a healthy alternate to just using maida for cakes and brownies. It did came out well. You can try too.

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    1. Yes Meenakshi I have tried them for baking a cake once. Turned out really nice!!

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  14. That's great that Smera loves oats. Though I am not a fan of oats but husband and kids are, so it makes my job easier when the maid is not around! :D

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    1. Shilpa Hallelujah - god bless the husband and the kids :D

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  15. I am a big oats lover, wud try this one too.

    I make mine interesting by adding flaked almonds, fruits (strawberry puree), raisins and sometimes maple syrup

    www.styledestino.com

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    1. Nice .. I love raisins and fruits too in my oats!!

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  16. I love oats too, specially since when my son was a toddler he could slurp a bowl down just like that...in record time! I recently saw one in a supermarket and showed it to him telling him that he loved this as a kid. He said he wanted to try again and happily I got it home. At first attempt he was all happy but that was the last attempt, he did not want to see it after that. He is almost 5 now! So yes tastes do change. You could try adding a mashed banana in it or crushed strawberries to make it even healthier. Try adding honey instead of sugar.

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  17. My mum complains that I was as stubborn as your daughter when I was younger. Haha, not sure if she tried oats on me as well :p

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