Delicious, healthy, effortless, and no-cook savory overnight oats with buttermilk spiced with pickle!
Try my savory and spicy overnight oats, and you will fall in love with oats again! This savory overnight oats is more like my neeragaram / leftover rice porridge but with oats.
Jump to:
Oats love
Both rolled oats, and steel-cut oats are part and parcel of my pantry. While I prefer rolled oats for my breakfast and smoothies, I use steel-cut oats in place of rice for lunch and dinner.
You can find oats bhel, oats cookies, overnight oats with almond butter, oats smoothie, steel-cut oats khichdi, along with oats platter on my blog. I have more coming up as well. So stay tuned. Now let’s get straight into this savory oats recipe.
This savory overnight oats with buttermilk is what you need during the hot summer months. Buttermilk, shallots, and fenugreek seeds are natural coolants and are perfect during the summer. For that added kick, I have used some pickles, but it’s completely optional.
Ingredients & Variations
The below measure is for one serving. Please scale the measure according and adjust the measure of the pickle as per your spice preference. There is no set measure for these overnight oats. Customize it according to your preference.
Rolled oats – I have used ¼ cup for a single serving. I recommend rolled oats or quick-cooking steel-cut oats for this recipe. Suppose you want to try the original steel-cut oats, cook and cool them before adding the buttermilk. I don’t recommend instant oats for this recipe.
Buttermilk – I am using ½ cup of buttermilk for this recipe. You can use store-bought buttermilk or churn the yogurt and thin it down with water and use that as well—no need to buy buttermilk just for this recipe. I follow the 1:2 ratio of oats to buttermilk.
Chia seeds – For that extra protein, I am using chia seeds. Adjust the measure as per your preference. You can try flax meal or hemp seeds also.
Fenugreek seeds: It’s a common ingredient in Indian kitchens, and I am using a small quantity here. You can skip if you can’t source. As I mentioned before, it acts as a natural coolant. The soaked seeds also have a slightly bitter taste, so if using, do not add more than ¼ tsp.
Asafoetida: When making savory oats with buttermilk, I love the flavor of asafoetida, and I always add a pinch. It’s an optional ingredient too.
Pickle: Ahhh, the key and fun ingredient. Indian pickles are a great accompaniment to any meal. I love the spice and kick. I used the brine of tender mango pickle (Maavadu neer) for this oats recipe, but you can use other pickles of your choice, including the thokku/grated pickle varieties. If you use mixed vegetable or mango pickle, try to chop the veggies/mango finely before adding to the oats. Instead, you can use the pickle brine also. I have used ½ tbsp of tender mango pickle brine. Depending upon the pickle and your taste preference, adjust the amount.
Shallots: We love to pair our savory gruel or yogurt rice with onion, and that’s the reason behind using some onion here. I have used one small shallot. If you don’t have shallots, add about a tsp or 2 of regular onion. You can also add onions just before serving. Also, if you are planning to make this for a week, add the onions just before serving.
Herbs: I have used curry leaves and cilantro here. If you don’t have curry leaves, skip them. If you have curry leaves powder, you can add them as well.
Dietary specifications
I have used buttermilk here. You can use plant-based products instead. Alternatively, you can dilute vegan yogurt with water and use that as well. For the gluten-free version, buy oats with gluten-free labels and skip asafoetida. Oats naturally don’t contain gluten, but during processing and packing, there might be cross-contamination. You can read more about it here.
How to make savory overnight oats
- Add oats, chia seeds, fenugreek seeds, and asafoetida to the mason jar.
- Now add the pickle and buttermilk. Mix all. Ensure pickle is evenly mixed.
- Finally, add the onion, curry leaves, and cilantro. Mix and close the mason jar. Refrigerate overnight. Before serving, mix well and if needed, add more yogurt/buttermilk and more onions and enjoy! Refer notes for salt. You can also add freshly grated carrots, cucumbers, raw mangoes, grapes, or pomegranate arils.
Recipe Notes
- I did not add any salt as the pickle provided sufficient salt. But if needed, add more before serving.
- The recipe is customizable. The above measure and ingredients work well for us but feel free to experiment.
- You can use the pickle of your choice. If you use mixed vegetable or mango pickle, try to chop the veggies/mango finely before adding to the oats. Mango pickle, grated pickle like thokku works well in this recipe.
- You can add grated carrots, chopped raw mangoes, grapes, and pomegranate as well. Add these just before serving.
- If using original steel-cut oats, cook and cool them before adding the buttermilk.
Explore other easy breakfast recipes
If you try these overnight savory oats, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it asap. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more gardening and recipe updates.
📖 Recipe
Savory Overnight Oats | Overnight Oats with Buttermilk and Pickle
Equipment
- Mason jars
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
- ¼ cup rolled oats not the instant variety
- ½ tsp chia seeds
- ⅛ tsp fenugreek seeds
- ⅛ tsp asafoetida
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ tbsp pickle or to taste. Refer notes
- 3 tsp onion finely chopped, divided (1 small shallot)
- 1 tsp cilantro finely chopped
- 3 curry leaves
Instructions
- Add oats, chia seeds, fenugreek seeds, and asafoetida to the mason jar.
- Now add the pickle and buttermilk. Mix all. Ensure pickle is evenly mixed.
- Finally, add the onion, curry leaves, and cilantro. Mix and close the mason jar. Refrigerate overnight. Before serving, mix well and if needed, add more yogurt/buttermilk and more onions and enjoy! Refer notes for salt. You can also add freshly grated carrots, raw mangoes, grapes, or pomegranate arils.
Notes
- I did not add any salt as the pickle provided sufficient salt. But if needed, add more before serving.
- The recipe is customizable. The above measure and ingredients work well for us but feel free to experiment.
- You can use the pickle of your choice. If you use mixed vegetable or mango pickle, try to chop the veggies/mango finely before adding to the oats. Mango pickle, grated pickle like thokku works well in this recipe.
- You can add grated carrots, chopped raw mangoes, grapes, and pomegranate as well. Add these just before serving.
- If using original steel-cut oats, cook and cool them before adding the buttermilk.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
Can I use ground fenugreek instead of the seeds?
Yes, but use 1/4 to 1/2 tsp