15-Minute Vegetable Masala Oats with Peas, Carrots and Curry Leaves
A one-pot masala oats recipe: rolled oats simmered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, ginger, tomato, peas and carrots for a savory Indian breakfast in 15 minutes.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Serves
- 2
15-Minute Vegetable Masala Oats with Peas, Carrots and Curry Leaves is a vegan breakfast recipe made with old-fashioned rolled oats, neutral oil (or coconut oil), black mustard seeds. It takes 15 minutes of hands-on time, serves 2, and each serving has 300 calories, 9 g of protein and 9 g of fiber.
Toasting the oats for a minute before anything else goes in makes them nutty, and they hold their shape instead of going gluey. A quick tempering of mustard seeds, cumin and curry leaves in hot oil brings the flavor, and dicing the carrot small means it softens in the few minutes the tomato takes to break down. Add the lime and cilantro once the pot is off the heat so the porridge tastes fresh, not flat.
A cuisine (Indian masala oats cooked one-pot with mustard seeds, curry leaves, peas and carrots instead of Japanese-style miso oats with crispy sesame tofu) take on our High Protein Savory Oatmeal with Crispy Sesame Tofu, Spinach and Miso.
Ingredients
- 1 cup81 gold-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 tbsp14 gneutral oil (or coconut oil)
- 1 tsp3.3 gblack mustard seeds
- ½ tsp1.1 gcumin seeds
- 12 1 gfresh curry leaves
- 1 small70 gsmall onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp2 gfresh ginger, grated
- ½ 7 gjalapeño or green chile, seeded and minced
- 1 medium61 gcarrot, cut into small 1/4-inch dice
- 1 medium123 gtomato, chopped
- ½ tsp1.5 gground turmeric
- ½ tsp1.4 gKashmiri or mild chili powder
- ¾ tsp4.5 gsalt, plus more to taste
- ½ cup67 gfrozen green peas
- 2½ cups593 ghot water
- ½ tsp1 ggaram masala
- 1 tbsp15 glime juice
- 2 tbsp2 gfresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
- 2 tbsp18 groasted peanuts, roughly chopped (optional)
Kit: medium saucepan or deep skillet with lid, wooden spoon
Tips
- Use old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats turn mushy here and steel-cut oats take too long to cook.
- Have everything chopped before you heat the oil. The tempering only takes seconds, and curry leaves burn quickly.
- The porridge firms up a lot in a few minutes. Loosen it with hot water just before serving, not while it cooks.
Swap ideas
- Use 1/2 cup diced green beans or bell pepper in place of the carrot
- Adds more crunch and cooks a little faster, so it suits a weekday morning.
- Use vegetable broth in place of half the water
- Gives a deeper, more savory flavor. Cut the salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
- Stir in a large handful of spinach with the oats
- Wilts in seconds and makes the bowl greener and more filling, with no extra prep.
- Use 1/2 tsp curry powder in place of the chili powder and garam masala
- Simpler spicing if you have only one blend, though it's a bit less bright.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
300kcal per serving
Everything else · 2 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 1.1 g 6%
- Sugars
- 7.1 g
- Sodium
- 969 mg 42%
- Potassium
- 570 mg 12%
- Calcium
- 82 mg 6%
- Iron
- 3.8 mg 21%
- Vitamin C
- 26 mg 29%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry, Oil, canola, Spices, mustard seed, ground, Spices, cumin seed, Curry leaves, fresh (Nutridex; from Gopalan et al. 1980, Nutritive Value of Indian Foods, and Wu Leung et al. 1972, Food Composition Table for Use in East Asia), Onions, raw, Ginger root, raw, Peppers, jalapeno, raw, Carrots, raw, Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average, Spices, turmeric, ground, Spices, chili powder, Salt, table, Peas, green, frozen, unprepared (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Beverages, water, tap, drinking, ORGANIC GARAM MASALA (KHAZANA, SLT Foods Inc.; USDA Branded Foods, serving size 100 g), Lime juice, raw
Method
Put the oats in a dry saucepan over medium heat and toast, stirring often, until they smell nutty and a few turn light golden, 1½–2 minutes. Tip them onto a plate.
Add the oil to the same pan. When it shimmers, add the mustard seeds; once they start to pop, after about 20 seconds, stir in the cumin seeds and curry leaves (stand back, as they spatter) and cook for 10 seconds.
Add the onion, ginger and chile and cook, stirring, until the onion turns soft and translucent, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the carrot, tomato, turmeric, chili powder and salt. Cook until the tomato breaks down into a jammy sauce and the carrot starts to soften, 2–3 minutes.
Add the peas, toasted oats and hot water. Bring to a simmer, then cook on medium-low, stirring often, until the oats are tender and creamy and the carrot is cooked through, 4–5 minutes. Add a splash more water if you like it looser.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the garam masala and lime juice. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Spoon into bowls and top with cilantro and chopped peanuts, if using. Serve right away, as it thickens as it sits.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. It sets firm when cold, so reheat on the stove or in the microwave with 2–4 tablespoons of water per serving, stirring until creamy. Add fresh lime and cilantro after reheating.
Questions
- How much protein is in 15-minute vegetable masala oats with peas, carrots and curry leaves?
- Each of the 2 servings has 9 g of protein, 9 g of fiber and 300 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is 15-minute vegetable masala oats with peas, carrots and curry leaves vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does 15-minute vegetable masala oats with peas, carrots and curry leaves take to make?
- 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking, so 15 minutes of hands-on time.
- Can you make 15-minute vegetable masala oats with peas, carrots and curry leaves ahead?
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. It sets firm when cold, so reheat on the stove or in the microwave with 2–4 tablespoons of water per serving, stirring until creamy. Add fresh lime and cilantro after reheating.
- What can I substitute in 15-minute vegetable masala oats with peas, carrots and curry leaves?
- Use 1/2 cup diced green beans or bell pepper in place of the carrot — adds more crunch and cooks a little faster, so it suits a weekday morning.. Use vegetable broth in place of half the water — gives a deeper, more savory flavor. cut the salt to 1/2 teaspoon.. Stir in a large handful of spinach with the oats — wilts in seconds and makes the bowl greener and more filling, with no extra prep.. Use 1/2 tsp curry powder in place of the chili powder and garam masala — simpler spicing if you have only one blend, though it's a bit less bright..
- Does 15-minute vegetable masala oats with peas, carrots and curry leaves contain gluten or peanuts?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten and peanuts, in some cases as an optional ingredient you can leave out. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 2, 2026 ·Indian
