Fluffy oat pilau with lentils and orange blossom
Fluffy oat pilau with lentils and orange blossom water
Can you make a fluffy, light dish out of oats? Absolutely! We’ve been eating tons of oats lately, in all sorts of things. Oats are an amazing grain, super versatile and ultra healthy! Loads of oat beta glucan and all 🙂
We’ve been in love with Persian style Pilau (or Pilaf, as some call it) since our trip to Morocco – layers of fragrant rice with vegetables, fruit, meat, nuts and all kinds of things in-between. Yummo. Steaming the rice allows it to get ultra fluffy and perfectly cooked!
Of course, the question popped up – can you oatify it?? And the answer is a big YES! But – you need to be careful, otherwise it can turn into a sticky lump. If this does happen, change track, add more liquid and call it a risotto or something – will still be delicious!
This base recipe is very versatile – as long as you understand the general principle of how the oats is cooked, you can apply different flavours and veggies to make everything from an Indian Upma, to moroccan style dishes with dried fruit and nuts.
We love orange blossom water, but understand that it’s not the easiest ingredient to find – you can pick it up in Indian and middle eastern grocers, and occasionally in spice shops, and it’s 100% worth getting hold of! If you can’t find it, try rose water, or just leaving it out.
Fluffy oat pilau with lentils and orange blossom
Ingredients
- 1 mug oats
- 1/2 mug Green, brown or beluga lentils
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 medium cauliflower, chopped small
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp each of cumin, coriander and paprika
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp orange blossom water Depending on the strength – OBW varies greatly in strength, so start with a small amount and add more if needed.
Instructions
- Bang the lentils in the microwave for 15 minutes with 3x lentil volume in boiling water and 1/2 tsp salt.
- Place a large frying pan for which you have a lid on a medium-high heat and toast the oats until browning and crispy. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Add the onions with 2 tsp oil and fry on a high heat until browning around the edges, about 4-5 minutes. Chop up your cauli and garlic and add to the pan, along with the spices. Fry until the lentils come out the microwave, then add them and any remaining water, 1 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper. Fry until the water has mostly evaporated.
- Add another mug of boiling water. The water shouldn't come above the veggie level – if it does, let it boil down a bit or throw in some frozen peas or something for extra bulk. Sprinkle the toasted oats all over the top and don't mix – your oats will go sticky where you have contact with the water, so avoid it as much as possible. Cover with a lid, turn the heat to low and steam for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, cover with a clean tea towel then quickly replace the lid. Let stand for another 5 minutes. Mix through with a fork and serve hot on a bed of rocket, with a blob of greek yoghurt and a sprinkle of paprika on top.
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