I've been meaning to blog about this for a while now. When in my aunt's house in England, we had cereals and fruits and nuts every morning. I enjoyed that breakfast. After S joined us, he was totally taken with the idea of such a healthy breakfast. When we got back, we discussed it, and decided to try out that breakfast for a couple of weeks.
We did try, and we're hooked. I cook oats in milk, and add chopped fresh fruits, nuts and dry fruits. I also add a fistful of ragi araluhittu/hurihittu (popped and powdered ragi.) For a bit of crunch, we add a little Kellogg's oatbites. It's working wonderfully for us in many ways, at many levels.
Every morning, at about 9 or 10, I had a tendency to feel terribly tired and drained out. It was worse when I ate bread and uppittu. (My mother and my grandmother also have the same problem, and we're still not clear why it happens). After we started this breakfast, it hasn't happened even once. I do feel hungry again at about 10 or 11 (but I feel hungry around that time even after an Indian breakfast), but I've never once felt drained out. Peevee, my sister, the nutrition expert, says that it is because of complex carbohydrates in the oats - it releases energy bit by bit.
Besides, the compulsory dose of fruits and fibre has done wonders for Puttachi's digestion. Initially, Puttachi wasn't very receptive to it, and I felt guilty about giving her something she probably didn't like. But one Saturday, when I set a plate of something else before her, she frowned and said, "Why haven't you made oats? I want oatmeal." "Don't fuss, eat whatever is on your plate," I said, but inwardly, I was doing somersaults! It's been eight months and she is also enjoying this breakfast as much as S and I do. As for me, who is so crazy about good food, I was quite sure I'd get bored with this after a while, but each morning, I approach my bowl with great enthusiasm, and that is saying a lot about it!
To an extent, this breakfast means lesser time and effort. But it does take time chopping fruits and breaking nuts down into small pieces for Puttachi, and cooking the oats just right so that it doesn't get gooey - it does have it's own effort. But the biggest plus is that I needn't wonder every night what to make for breakfast next morning.
But I make make Indian breakfast in the weekends - one, for my tastebuds, and two, because I don't want to forget how to make all that, and three, if I feel tired, I can very well chuck everything and take a break mid-morning.
If, for any reason, a hearty Indian breakfast is not working for you, I urge you to try this.
9 comments:
oh! no!! not those corn flakes or oats please... I'm tired of having them... longing for Indian breakfast here...
PS: time to hit colleague's house this weekend for some homemade food...
my only problem is that i am not allowed to feel hungry within a few hrs of breakfast...but I loved the idea, the first time I heard it...and I totally DIG cornflakes... :)
The celebrated South Indian Breakfast or even the generic Indian Breakfast is a very recent phenomenon.
I am told, breakfast of any kind was a luxury in every household even some 40 years ago, they could hardly cook a meal every morning with the wood fuelled stoves.
It was only after Kerosene & Gas stoves and restaurants, we started to have something called breakfast everyday. Instead, there used to be a sumptuous lunch and the working day started at 11AM in every school and office.
Wow.. As the mother of an extremely picky 5-year old and a not-so-picky 2-year old, I can really relate to this.
We cook oatmeal in a different way. Cook oatmeal with salt and water, along with 'oggaraNE' and eat it with curds. For flavor, I put methi powder or whatever strikes my fancy at that time. My MIL even puts vegetables. But this version with nuts looks very interesting. And adding Ragi hurittu is just awesome. Do you add sugar?
I came back to your blog after many days, and was pleasantly surprised to your new posts (and the book reviews too!)
Great to see you back!
super one yah its true oats is catching up now and fruits are great to have in morning with a glass of fresh juice. if u like add little bit of honey for oat meal it works wonders. as u rightly said shruthi no worry of breaking head for what BF for next day Uppitts Bread are all foods that digest fast and u feel drained out so u need some solid food to sustain in the morning as they say eat BF like a King
Good breakfast! I have tried this and the mosaranna type also. adding hurittu with fruits and methi powder with mosaru are wonderful ideas!
Prashanth M, oh poor guy, let's have a nice breakfast with MB once you get back... you get to choose the breakfast place :)
Diwakar, watch out with cornflakes, though. Very high salt content!
Ravi, yes.. food for thought.
Parijata, I tried that once, but I hadn't cooked it with salt, so adding salt later didn't do good - it wasn't very tasty. Will try your version. Sounds lovely.
No I don't add sugar. The banana, raisins, dates, and such stuff add the required sweetness. Even Puttachi doesn't ask for extra sweetening.
Praneshachar, I used to add honey before, but once I started adding fruits and dry fruits, I realized that adding honey makes it too sweet.
Nowise novice, :)
how do u cook the oats.. details pls!
I tried the milk and dry fruit version of oats, had to force myself to eat as it was too sticky. Now I make raagi+oats ganji (with salt and butter milk). So when in a hurry it's the default choice!
Post a Comment