Looking for easy and healthy breakfast ideas? Take your oatmeal to the next level with my savoury Masala Oatmeal Breakfast recipe – featuring eggs. It’s the ultimate busy-bee brekkie, bursting with nourishing heart-healthy ingredients. A creamy, rich amalgamation of rolled oats, onion, peas and tomatoes. All mixed with eggs, chillies and cilantro, and infused with traditional South Asian spices.

This post was sponsored by the American Egg Board’s Egg Nutrition Center. As always, all opinions are my own.

bowl of egg oatmeal breakfast topped with mange tout and lemon slices

No need to get frazzled by hectic mornings. This oatmeal recipe is satisfying, super easy to whip up, and you could even prep it the night before. It’s the ideal grab-and-go breakfast. Plus, I’m thinking, why stick to boring plain porridge, when you can have something EXTRA special?

Heaven knows February calls for warm, hearty bowls of nourishing goodness to get us through this winter. I admit it: there’s nothing like a cozy bowl of oatmeal to make me feel like I can take on the world. I love savoury breakfast ideas with eggs, and this is one of my favourites when I don’t have much time, craving South Asian flavours and want to keep things nutritious. Well, it is heart month, after all!

How to make it

step by step images of how to make egg oatmeal breakfast in a cook pot

You’ll be pleased to hear that all the cooking action takes place in one saucepan (Hello, easy clean-up!). Here’s the step-by-step:

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil on medium heat and add the curry leaves and garlic (Image 1). Once they start to release their flavours (this happens pretty quickly), add the onion and cook on medium-high heat until the onion is nice and golden. 
  2. Now add the tomato (Image 2) and continue to cook for 2 minutes on high heat until the tomato is soft and mushy
  3. It’s time to add those spices (Image 3) along with the chillies and peas. Cook for a minute or until the spices release their flavour. 
  4. While on high heat, pour the water (Image 4) and oats into the saucepan and stir (Image 5). Then crack the eggs into your mixture (Image 6). At this point, stir continuously for 3-4 minutes. This will prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Plus, you want to ensure the eggs are cooked through. You should end up with a thick and creamy consistency. 
  5. Finish by adding salt, pepper, lemon juice (Image 7) and garnish with fresh cilantro (Image 8). Serve hot and enjoy – it’s quite something!
bowl of egg oatmeal breakfast topped with mange tout and lemon slices

Cooking tips

  • Start by gathering and prepping all the ingredients to make cooking easier. You’ll also save precious time. For example, I chop the onion, tomato and cilantro, measure out the oats, peas, spices and have my eggs ready on hand.
  • Use rolled oats as they cook super-fast and bring a thick consistency to this recipe.
  • I have deliberately opted to use less salt as this suits our taste buds. You could increase the salt to suit your needs, however, if you’re looking to reduce your salt intake, consider increasing the lemon juice and pepper instead – before diving in with the salt shaker 🙂
  • You can add a tad more water if you see that the mixture is sticking to the bottom of your pot. I did not need to do this.
  • The fresher your cilantro – the better! It will bring oodles of flavour and aroma (if only you could smell the scents in my kitchen right now!)
  • Once done, the recipe makes 3 cups of masala egg oatmeal. It can serve two (if you have a bigger appetite or if that’s all you’re having) or even three persons (if you’ve got a smaller appetite and are having some fruit on the side).
  • Best served hot.

Heart-healthy ways to boost the nutritional content of your breakfast

Here’s how I’ve pumped up the nutritional value of this breakfast to create a South Asian and heart-healthy recipe:

  1. Oats. As a healthy whole grain, oats are a rich source of fibre. Beta-glucan, a specific type of fibre, has shown to help lower cholesterol levels and prevent cardiovascular disease. We know, foods rich in fibre can help control blood sugar. In fact, fibre slows down the processing of food in your gut. And this can support blood sugar management by helping to mellow the body’s insulin response. What’s more, some research (here, here and here) indicates that oats have anti-inflammatory effects, which could also help in preventing chronic disease. One serving of this egg recipe provides 40% of your daily fibre requirement. 
  2. Vegetables and fruits. Generally recognized for being good for your health, most varieties of vegetables are rich in fibre, vitamins, and minerals, as well as low in calories. I’ve opted explicitly for variety: green peas, onions, garlic and tomatoes (yes, tomato is actually a fruit!). Besides bucket loads of flavour, this combination provides lots of fibre, antioxidants and even protein – from the peas. Surprised? Now when it comes to garlic, some studies have linked its consumption to lower blood triglyceride levels. However, more robust research is needed. Let’s not forget about tomatoes, which are rich in many nutrients, including lycopene. Lycopene has shown to help lower blood pressure – a known risk factor for heart disease.
  3. Eggs. Scientific evidence demonstrates that eggs, when consumed as part of a healthy diet, do not negatively impact risk factors for heart disease. In fact, in late 2019, the American Heart Association (AHA) published a science advisory on Dietary Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Risk and reinforced not limiting dietary cholesterol to a specific number, and rather concluded that guidance focused on dietary patterns is more likely to improve diet quality and to promote cardiovascular health. Specifically, regarding eggs, the advisory concluded: 
  • Healthy individuals can include up to a whole egg daily in heart-healthy dietary patterns.
  • For older healthy individuals, given the nutritional benefits and the convenience of eggs, consumption of up to 2 eggs per day is acceptable within the context of a heart-healthy dietary pattern.
  • Vegetarians who do not consume meat-based cholesterol-containing foods may include more eggs in their diets within the context of moderation.
bowl of egg oatmeal breakfast topped with mange tout and lemon slices

More cultural recipes that fit into a heart-healthy dietary pattern

If you try this recipe, would love to hear from you! Leave a comment, rate it, or share a photo and hashtag with #desiliciousrd on Instagram! Can’t wait to see your photos.

Desi~liciously Yours, Shahzadi

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bowl of egg oatmeal breakfast topped with mange tout and lemon slices
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Get the Recipe:

20-Minute Masala Egg Oatmeal Breakfast

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 people
Looking for easy and healthy breakfast ideas? Take your oatmeal to the next level with my savoury Masala Oatmeal Breakfast recipe – featuring eggs. It's the ultimate busy-bee brekkie, bursting with nourishing heart-healthy ingredients. A creamy, rich amalgamation of rolled oats, onion, peas and tomatoes. All mixed with eggs, chillies and cilantro, and infused with traditional South Asian spices to create a spicy and Desi~licious breakfast. 

Video

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
  • 3 curry leaves, dried or fresh
  • 2 garlic cloves, large, crushed
  • 1 onion, medium, finely chopped
  • 1 tomato, large, washed, cut into small cubes
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
  • ½ cup green peas, frozen
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup rolled oats, (rolled oats vs. quick oats: what's the difference?)
  • 2 eggs, medium
  • ½ tsp black pepper, coarse
  • ½ lemon , fresh, juice, large lemon
  • ½ cup cilantro, fresh, washed, finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • In a medium pot, heat the oil on medium heat and add the curry leaves and garlic. Once they start to release their flavours (this happens pretty quickly), add the onion and cook on medium-high heat until the onion is nice and golden. 
  • Now add the tomato and continue to cook for 2 minutes on high heat until the tomato is soft and mushy. 
  • It's time to add those spices along with the chillies and peas. Cook for a minute or until the spices release their flavour. 
  • While on high heat, pour the water and oats into the saucepan and stir. Then crack the eggs into your mixture. At this point, stir continuously for 3-4 minutes. This will prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Plus, you want to ensure the eggs are cooked through. You should end up with a thick and creamy consistency. 
  • Finish by adding salt, pepper, lemon juice and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve hot and enjoy – it's quite something!

Notes

  • Start by gathering and prepping all the ingredients to make cooking easier. You’ll also save precious time. For example, I chop the onion, tomato and cilantro, measure out the oats, peas, spices and have my eggs ready on hand.
  • Use rolled oats as they cook super-fast and bring a thick consistency to this ethnic recipe.
  • I have deliberately opted to use less salt as this suits our taste buds. You could increase the salt to suit your needs, however, if you’re looking to reduce your salt intake, consider increasing the lemon juice and pepper instead – before diving in with the salt shaker 🙂
  • You can add a tad more water if you see that the mixture is sticking to the bottom of your pot. I did not need to do this.
  • The fresher your cilantro – the better! It will bring oodles of flavour and aroma (if only you could smell the scents in my kitchen right now!)
  • Once done, the recipe makes 3 cups of masala egg oatmeal. It can serve two (if you have a bigger appetite or if that’s all you’re having) or even three persons (if you’ve got a smaller appetite and are having some fruit on the side).
  • Best served hot.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 374kcal (19%)Carbohydrates: 48g (16%)Protein: 15g (30%)Fat: 15g (23%)Saturated Fat: 3g (15%)Cholesterol: 164mg (55%)Sodium: 239mg (10%)Potassium: 598mg (17%)Fiber: 10g (40%)Sugar: 9g (10%)Vitamin A: 1354IU (27%)Vitamin C: 79mg (96%)Calcium: 109mg (11%)Iron: 4mg (22%)

Keep in mind that the nutritional values provided are approximations and suggestions, and might fluctuate depending on ingredient variations, portion sizes, and recipe adjustments. This nutrition facts table cannot account for your individual needs. Your body — including your hunger and satiety cues — change daily. It’s perfectly fine to eat more or less on different days. Instead of letting food guilt take over, consider mindful eating.

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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