Savory Oats Muffins

Think about oats in cooking and many people can relate to the oatmeal or the granola bar, which are yummy and sweet in taste. This recipe will use oats, oats and mostly oats and make a muffin, but wait.. this is not sweet!!!. So this is a muffin with oats which is savory in taste. I got this recipe from here and made a few changes. They are best when served warm or at room temperature with ketchup, spicy chutney or as is. I have used regular oats, if using quick cooking oats, then powder only the 3/4 cup and the other 1 cup can be used as is. This is a guilt free muffin and my kid loves it with ketchup. So it is a win win.. I can make a favorite, healthy, easy and quick breakfast. This can be eaten for breakfast, an evening snack, packed in lunchbox or eat on the go. This is a very healthy dish and can be made from start to finish in around 30 minutes.

Ingredients
Oats – 1 3/4 cup
Whole Wheat Flour – 1/4 cup
Salt – 1 tea spoon (adjust to taste)
Baking Soda – 1/2 tea spoon
Flax Seed Powder - 1 table spoon
Warm Water - 3 table spoons
Oil – 1 table spoon + 3 table spoons
Curd – 1 cup
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
Curry Leaves - 10
Green Chili - 2 (adjust to taste)
Asafetida - 1/8 tea spoon
Fennel Seeds / Saunf - 1 tea spoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tea spoon
Onion - 1/2 cup
Ginger - 1 table spoon
Frozen Peas - 1/2 cup
Carrot - 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice – 1 tea spoon (adjust to taste)
Cilantro – A handful

Method
Chop the cilantro, green chili, curry leaves, ginger fine and set aside separately
Chop the onions and carrots into small cubes and set aside
Mix the flax seed powder and warm water and set aside for 5 minutes. Now beat the mixture until it becomes gooey and set aside
Powder 3/4 cup oats completely and set aside
Powder 1 cup oats until they are about half in size and set aside
Heat a pan and add a table spoon of oil, when hot add the mustard seeds
When the mustard seeds crackle, add the fennel seeds, asafetida, curry leaves, ginger and green chili and sauté for 30 seconds
Now add the onions and salt and cook until the onions are clear
Add turmeric powder, carrots and peas and cook for 2 minutes. Need not cook them fully as they are going to bake in the oven. Allow this to cool
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C
Arrange the muffin liners on the muffin tray and lightly grease it and set aside
In a mixing bowl, add both the oats flour, baking soda and whole wheat flour and mix well and set aside
Once the mixture is cooled, add the flax seed mixture, curd, 3 table spoons oil, cilantro, lemon juice and mix well
Mix the wet and dry until combined. Do not overwork the batter here or the muffins will become rubbery
Scoop the batter into the liner lined muffin tray and bake it in the oven for around 20 – 23 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
Take the muffin (with the liners) from the muffin tray and allow it to become warm on a cooling rack and enjoy them with ketchup, spicy chutney or as is.
If the muffins are going to be stored for later use, allow them to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to relish, reheat for around 10 seconds in the microwave and enjoy. Reheating is key as these will taste best warm or at room temperature and not cold

Points to note – Information on oats (from Wikipedia) -
Oats are the only cereal containing a globulin or legume-like protein, avenalin, as the major (80%) storage protein. Oat protein is nearly equivalent in quality to soy protein, which World Health Organization research has shown is equal to meat, milk, and egg protein. The protein content of the hull-less oat kernel (groat) ranges from 12 to 24%, the highest among cereals. Oats are generally considered "healthful", or a health food, being touted commercially as nutritious. The discovery of the healthy cholesterol-lowering properties has led to wider appreciation of oats as human food

Sending this to the BM#19 for 30 minute meal, 30 Minute Mela, Kid's delight - warm foods, Srivalli's page,Jagruti's JCO Events Super Foods, Bookmarked Entries - Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes as host and mention Ruth from Ruth's Kitchen Experiments as founder of the challenge, Vardhini's Bake Fest hosted by Foodomania this month, Divya's Love Lock Series - Breads, Vidya's page, Tickling Palate's Starters / Appetizers, Bon Viviant - Baked Goodies, Cupcake Recipes, Fair Foods Event, JCO - Monsoon of India, Jagruti's page, Spotlight: Healthy Snacks, Indrani's page, my own guest hosting event CWF - Whole Wheat Flour, Kiran's page, Breakfast Club, Breakfast Club, CWS – Oats, Priya’s page

 Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#19