Bisibela oats/Hot lentil oats

The three day celebrations of pongal with lots of callorie intake comes to an end. Hope everyone enjoyed the delicious sweet "Sakkarai Pongal". It is time to once again switch back to our regular diet. So why not try this oats recipe. I posted the traditional Karnataka dish using brown rice earlier in this space.  The daily task of making breakfast became easy with the use of Oats.I tried instant oats idli, oats oothappam, oats upma and  oats dosa. Oats help in keeping hunger pangs at bay by lowering "bad" LDL cholestrol levels and providing much needed fiber and protein content. With the growing awareness among young and old for healthy eating recipes with oats, adding lentils and vegetables will make this Bisibela oats a-one- meal dish.
I tried this sambar oats dish for breakfast. I made sambar and pressure cooked oats. Then mixed cooked oats and sambar which tasted like bisibelabhath. The texture of oats gave a slightly-runny-kichidi-like consistency and looked like bisibelabhath.  I wish every healthy eating enthusiast must experiment with oats for this nutritiousand tasty oats recipe.
I prepared sambar as usual but added more varieties of vegetables. I used more tuwar dal and less of tamarind extract. And the flavour of Aashirvaad sambar powder made the dish very unique. I used 1 1/2 times water for 1 measure of oats and pressure cooked for10 minutes.
I would like to suggest a few things while making this dish. Do not over cook the vegetables. If you like to use drumstick boil them separately for a while and add.The  vegetables like capsicum, carot can be had if they are crunchy. Do not allow the sambar to boil for long. Make sambar fresh and mix with cooked oats immediately. A cup of oats when cooked easily serves two persons. Take a portion of the cooked oats and mix with sambar in a bowl. The quantity of sambar should be liberally used while mixing with cooked oats. Mix separately the remaining cooked oats and serve hot with a dollop of ghee. Here is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS FOR SAMBAR

Thuwar dal/pigeon peas	1 cup
Small onion/shallots	10to15
Capsicum/bell pepper	1 (medium size)
Carrot	1 no
Drumstick	1no
Tomato	2no
Tamarind or tamarind paste	½ lime size or ½ tsp
Salt	to taste
Haldi	½ tsp
Sambar powder	2 tblsp

Tadka/Seasoning

Oil	2 tsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Methi seeds/fenugreek	½ tsp
Red chilli	2 no
Asafoetida	¼ tsp
Curry leaves	few
Coriander leaves	for garnish

Oats

1 cup

METHOD

Pressure cook thuwar dal and keep.

Pressure cook oats and keep.

Cut vegetables and soak tamarind in 1/2 cup water.

Heat oil and add mustard seeds, methi seeds, red chilli,curry leaves and asafoetida.

Add vegetables and saute.

Add haldi, little salt and sambar powder. Mix well and add 1/2 cup water.
Add cooked dal and bring to boil. Add tamarind extract and add little more salt.

Garnish with coriander leaves and remove.

In a bowl take required portion of the cooked oats and mix with a cup of  hot sambar.

Enjoy hot bisibela oats.

Pasta

Once considered a fattening food, pasta is now recognised as an important part of a healthy diet. The variety of shapes is almost endless. Low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates, it provides plenty of long-term energy.

Pasta can be plain,made with egg, or flavored with ingredients such as tomato or spinach. Plain Durum wheat pasta is used for straight long shapes, such as spaghetti. Wholewheat pasta is made from wholewheat flour and contains more fiber than plain durum wheat pasta. It has a slightly chewy texture and nutty flavour and takes longer to cook.

Although pasta is itself a low-fat food, it is important to take care when choosing the accompanying sauce, as overloading on cheese or cream can soon transform pasta into a high-fat food.

A pasta dish is done in four stages. First cooking the pasta, then making the sauce, sauteing the vegetables and finally combining them. 

Cooking instructions are given on the packaging, but always taste just before the end of the given time to prevent overcooking. 

Pesto is a sauce, originating in the region of northern Italy, and traditionally consists of crushed garlic, basil and pine nuts blended with olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano (cheese).There are other types of pesto that can be made. ( I will post the recipe when I make Pasta with Pesto and white sauce shortly)
 Another  popular sauce called Marinara sauce is used in this dish, which is basically a tomato pasta sauce cooked in olive oil along with onion, garlic and herbs. This can be made at home.( I am posting this recipe separately)

To add more flavor and taste to this dish, vegetables like green pepper, carrot, green beans eggplant,mushroom and zucchini are sauteed and used. Thus the benefit of a full meal is had.

Finally the cooked pasta, sauce and vegetables are combined and cooked in a pan on stove top and served hot with cheese sprinkled on top OR the dish is baked in the oven with cheese topping.

We made this dish with store bought Marinara sauce and roasted garlic Alfredo sauce, then after combining the cooked pasta with sauce, sauteed onion and garlic, baked in the preheated oven for 20min to 30 min.

I use to make this dish in a pan and place in a plate for each person, sprinkled with cheese as required and Microwave it for few seconds till the cheese melts.By doing so generous measure of cheese can be used for children and we should not mind as this dish is not frequently made.
This is an all time favourite to all kids and even grown up children.By posting this, I think I fulfilled the wish of my niece who is following my blog and I am sure the purpose of giving the detailed health benefits will help her  to make her mom prepare this for her frequently  and keep her energetic to perform good in her studies.
In fact this dish can be recommended to be served in all coaching centres for better results.Not a bad idea Ravee isn't it.But LESS cheese.Here is the recipe for you, which was as a draft for long time. I waited to make sauce at home and post it together hence the delay. I am sure we can also get the ready made pesto and  pasta sauce in Super market in Hi-tech city in Hyderabad. 

INGREDIENTS

Pasta (fusilli)	400 gm
Onion	1 no
Garlic	3 cloves
Pasta sauce	1 cup
Olive oil	1 tblsp
Mozarella cheese	1/2 cup
Dry basil	1 tsp
Pepper	1 tsp
Salt	To taste

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 deg F.Cook pasta as per direcions on the package, drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add crushed garlic, chopped onion and basil and saute.

When onion is done, add the tomato sauce, salt and pepper and mix well.( I used Marinara sauce and Roasted garlic Alfredo pasta sauce separately in two different pans) 

Transfer pasta to a baking dish along with cooked sauce.Add cheese(if using parmesan cheese too) and toss gently to coat.

Spread evenly and sprinkly mozarella cheese and bake until golden brown and hot thoughout,about 30 minutes.Serve hot.

NOTE

Pasta should be cooked in a large pan of boiling water to allow the strands or shapes to expand, and stirred occasionally to prevent them from sticking together. Do not add oil to the cooking water, as it makes the pasta slippery and prevents it from absorbing the sauce.
The quantity and kinds of cheese to be used is at your discretion.