Pilaf of Oats with Ginger and Jalapeno (B-)

April 18, 2006 at 4:57 pm (C (2 stars, okay, edible), Crescent Dragonwagon, Grains, Quick weeknight recipe)

I normally just eats oat for breakfast, but I was looking for something radically different to do with ginger and came across this recipe. It’s supposedly a “pilaf”, but it’s more wet and less light than a normal pilaf. The texture of the oats is great though, and the flavors come together in a way that I can’t quite pick out any one flavor but they make a new delicious one!

Pilaf of Oats with Ginger and Jalepeno

This is from the cookbook Passionate Vegetarian from Crescent Dragonwagon. She says this recipe defies tradition with both the texture and flavor, which is very bright. The unique texture is obtained by first toasting the oats (a critical step), then cooking them in less water than is typical. The flavors are a combination of South Indian and Central American/Spanish.

1 cup rolled oats
1 to 2 1/2 tsp. olive oil (I used 1.5)
2 tsp. black mustard seeds (I used 1 Tbs.)
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 Tbs. peeled, diced ginger
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes, with garlic, with the juice (I didn’t have any with garlic so I added an extra clove)
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp. salt (I cut back on this a bit)

1. Place the oats in an ungreased skillet and toast them over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes, or until aromatic and slightly browned. (Oh, the aroma!) Pour into a bowl and set aside, leaving the heat on.

2. Spray the skillet with cooking spary. Add the oil to the skillet and heat. when it’shot, add the mustard seeds and heat for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until they pop. Add the onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the jalapeno and ginger and stir-fry for about 1 minute more. Then add the tomatoes, water, and salt.

3. Bring to a boil, then stir in the toasted oats. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until the oats have absorbed most of the liquid, about 10 minutes. Let the skillet stand, covered for 10 minutes, then serve.

Serves 4.

My version nutritional stats:

Calories 136
Total Fat 3.2g
Saturated Fat 0.2g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 573mg
Carbohydrate 23.6g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Sugars 5.6g
Protein 5.1g
Vitamin A 13%
Vitamin C 65%
Calcium 2%
Iron 8%

I ate two servings for dinner, plus some collards, and I’m stuffed!

Okay, a post-comment. I didn’t like it nearly as much the next day, not sure why. Maybe I wasn’t as hungry? I did think, however, that this basic idea would work very well as a carrier for chiliquiles flavors. I’ll have to make it for Derek and see what he thinks. It might be a good corn-free, wheat-free version of chiliquiles. I could still use tofu if I didn’t want it soy-free though.

Rating: B-