Cooking whole oats in a pressure cooker is a quick way to enjoy this grain rich in properties. An easy, light, and healthy way to cook hulled oats for lunch and pair them with legumes and seasonal vegetables for a nutritious meal, or use cooked oats with the addition of fresh fruit and yogurt for a healthy and satisfying breakfast that will give you the right energy to start the day.
#cookinggrains
RECIPES with whole grains
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 236.88 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 42.31 (g) of which sugars 0.62 (g)
- Proteins 8.22 (g)
- Fat 4.08 (g) of which saturated 0.69 (g)of which unsaturated 2.68 (g)
- Fibers 6.31 (g)
- Sodium 202.04 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 180 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Cooked Whole Oats
- 1 1/4 cups oats (hulled)
- 2 cups water (dose for absorption cooking in pressure cooker)
- to taste coarse salt (1 teaspoon)
Tools
- Saucepan with lid
In the La Classica 7-liter pressure cooker, I recommend cooking at most half a kilo (1 lb) of grains at a time.
With grains, it’s always better not to exceed half the filling capacity of the pressure cooker (outer line and groove on the surface of the pot), because sometimes they produce foam that can clog the steam outlet valve.
How to cook whole oats?
PREPARE THE OATS
Soaking hulled oats reduces cooking time and makes them more digestible. I recommend leaving them in plenty of water for at least 2 hours or even overnight. Once soaked, rinse them.
How to boil whole oats?
Bring a pot of slightly salted water to a boil and add the rinsed oat grains. Reduce the heat and let them cook on medium-low until the grains become tender (cooking can take between 30 and 60 minutes depending on the type of oats and soaking duration). Stir occasionally during cooking, adding hot water if necessary (if desired, you can cook by absorption). Once cooked, drain and serve as preferred.
Pressure Cooking (for absorption)
Pour the oats (250 g) and water (450 g) into the pressure cooker, season with salt to taste.
Close the pressure cooker and turn on the heat. When it starts to whistle, lower the heat and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. Let the pressure cooker vent and open it only when the safety lock has lowered on its own, allowing the grain absorption cooking to continue even after the heat is turned off, avoiding being flooded with steam.
Remove the oats from the pot and, if desired, season with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil raw.
STORE cooked whole oats
After cooking, let the boiled oats cool at room temperature for a short while. Then store them in the refrigerator in airtight containers. Consume within 4 days of cooking to ensure freshness and food safety.
Curiosities
How long should whole oats be soaked?
Soaking reduces cooking time and improves the texture of oats; for whole grains, this step is particularly important to eliminate the antinutrients in grains and make them more digestible.
Whole oats require soaking for 8-12 hours. This will allow the grains to absorb water, making them tenderer and easing the subsequent cooking.
Even hulled oats benefit from soaking, although they may require slightly less time than whole oats. Leaving them to soak for 2-4 hours or overnight will reduce their cooking time.
After soaking, rinse the oats and cook them with additional water until reaching the desired consistency.How to eat cooked whole oats?
Cooked whole oats can be consumed in various ways depending on your tastes and preferences.
Classic breakfast: serve the oats warm in a bowl and add toppings like vegan honey, maple syrup, fresh fruit (or dried fruit), and nuts (such as almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts).
Savory porridge: try making a savory porridge by adding salt and possibly herbs or cheese. You can complete it with cooked vegetables, a poached egg, or avocado slices.
Smoothie bowl: chill the cooked oats and use them as a base for a smoothie bowl. Blend your favorite fruit and pour it over the oats, also adding mixed seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, shelled and ground hemp) or nuts for a crunchy texture.
Yogurt with oats: mix the cooked oats with natural yogurt. Add fresh or dehydrated fruit and a bit of syrup to sweeten.
Cold oats: after cooking, let the oats cool in the refrigerator and consume them by adding yogurt, fresh fruit, or nuts to enrich the flavor.
Energy bars or cookies: use cooked oats to make energy bars or cookies. Add ingredients like dried fruit, various seeds, chocolate, or syrup (or honey) and bake.
Experiment with different combinations to find the way you prefer to enjoy cooked whole oats.
