This recipe is the first of three savory recipes that won the Savory Oatmeal Contest.
My name is Sarah, and I must tell you right away that oatmeal is my favorite food. It is just so affordable and wholesome and versatile! I can literally eat it for any meal of the day. I discovered The Oatmeal Artist blog over a year ago and I check it multiple times per week. Though I do not always have the more “exotic” ingredients Lauren lists in her recipes, reading her blog expands my repertoire of oatmeal ideas. I also like just seeing how pretty oatmeal can be! I share my excitement about the blog and its contents regularly with friends and coworkers, and now I am excited to share my own recipe on the blog. (Thanks for the opportunity, Lauren!) I developed this recipe using simple ingredients in my kitchen, but it’s oh, so good!
Saturday morning came, and it was time to craft my bowl of oatmeal. I had leftover pumpkin sitting on the kitchen counter, bananas frozen in the freezer, and assorted vegetables in the fridge. What did I want to make? Brownie batter oatmeal? No, too sweet. Pumpkin banana oatmeal? Still too sweet. Pumpkin peanut butter? No. Curried vegetable? No, too much like the Indian food a friend and I planned to try at a new restaurant later that day. I wanted to use that pumpkin, though. It called to me.
I threw my oats and water into the pot and turned on the stove, still not knowing quite what type of oatmeal I wanted to make. As the oats thickened to a nice glossy consistency, I stirred in the pumpkin. Ooh! A nice orange color. What would complement that? I asked myself as I rummaged through my spices. Maybe that nice yellow curry my old roommate left me. (Curry was still on my brain.)
I stirred in the curry powder, but still wanted more. Maybe some basil, and some cumin, and a little seasoning salt to top it off. Yes, that would be nice. I added them in. Then I got the oats to just the consistency I wanted and poured them into my bowl. I sprinkled a few dashes of table salt over the oats just for good measure. Dipping my spoon into the delectable-ness, I almost swooned. Creamy, smooth oats, with almost just a hint of sweetness from the pumpkin. The cumin added a little extra heat to the dish, and the basil was just right. What a great taste of fall, and a savory one at that!
And don’t forget to participate in the contest to become December’s Oatmeal Enthusiast!
All you have to do is leave comments. See details here.
What you'll need:
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats (or 1/2 cup rolled oats if you like those better, though using them will increase the cooking time)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/8-1/4 tsp seasoning salt
- Table salt to taste
How to make it:
- Combine the liquid and the oats in a saucepan and heat until boiling. (Cooking my oats in the liquid seems to result in a creamier porridge.) Reduce to a simmer.
- When oats are almost to the desired consistency, stir in the pumpkin puree, curry powder, basil, and cumin. Add seasoning salt to taste.
- Turn the burner down to low and let the oatmeal thicken to the desired consistency
- Transfer the oatmeal to a bowl and sprinkle with a little table salt. (This enhances the flavor.)
- Sit down and enjoy your bowl of pumpkin curried basil oats!
4 Responses to Curried Pumpkin Basil Oats [Guest Post]