Blueberry Apple Oatmeal Pudding

For most people oatmeal means healthy but boring breakfast. Certainly not something they would choose for weekend or special occasion, right! Oddly enough, I’ve always found oatmeal very soothing. I must confess not every oatmeal is appetizing. I grew up eating a thick and very creamy oatmeal, almost like kheer, a rice and milk based South Asian pudding. That is the kind I love and that’s the recipe I want to share with you.

I’ve tried to create the similar creamy texture and comforting kheer like taste in my breakfast oatmeal pudding here. And then I dress it up with delicious blueberries, sliced apples and crunchy walnuts for a burst of flavour and texture contrast. You can use any of your favourite or easily available fruits and dried fruits.

Two things contribute towards achieving that creamy goodness in this oatmeal pudding – covering it for 5 minutes immediately after it’s cooked and adding chia seeds powder.

This ready-under-15-minutes breakfast is a cross between hot breakfast cereal and pudding like dessert. Something you will love eating for weekday, weekend or even a festive morning!

Ingredients:
11 tablespoons quick cooking barley or wheat oats
3/4 cup water
A pinch salt
2 tablespoons jaggery, organic brown sugar, honey or maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or green cardamom
1+1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon chia seeds powder
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 apple
A few walnuts

This Is What You Do:
Bring water to a simmer in a saucepan.

Add oats and cook on medium low heat for a couple of minutes or till oats are tender and soak up all the water.

Add milk, chia seeds, jaggery or any sweetener of your choice.

Add cinnamon/cardamom and a pinch of salt. Cook till the oatmeal thickens up like a pudding.

Turn off heat and cover the pan for 5 minutes. This makes oatmeal creamy.

Serve in individual bowls, topped with blueberries, sliced apples and walnut halves.

Serve warm.

Serves 2