Creamy Porridge — Oatmeal in 10 Minutes, with Milk and Water
Yvonne Ammann VegetarianPer person, 50 g oats with 1.5 dl milk, 1 dl water and a pinch of salt, bring to the boil and stir over low heat for 8 minutes until creamy. Off the heat, stand 2 minutes, honey and cinnamon on top. The pinch of salt makes the difference — without it porridge tastes of wallpaper.
Porridge is the breakfast that keeps you full until lunch, for a few centimes, in ten minutes — and at home it is mostly done wrong: too little liquid, cooked too fast, no salt. The result is paste. With the right ratio, low heat and a pinch of salt it turns creamy like risotto, and with apple, cinnamon and nuts it is the Bircher muesli for winter.
Ingredients
- 100 g Rolled oats (fine or coarse)
- 3 dl Milk
- 2 dl Water
- 1 pinch Salt
- 2 tsp Honey
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- 1 piece Apple
- 2 tbsp Hazelnuts (chopped)
Method
- 1
Bring to the boil
Stir the oats, milk, water and salt in a small pan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Stir so nothing catches.
- 2
Simmer
Heat to low, simmer gently 8 minutes, stirring often. The porridge thickens by itself — the starch releases. Too thick, add milk; it should flow from the spoon.
- 3
Rest
Off the heat, lid on, stand 2 minutes. It turns creamier still.
- 4
Top
Into bowls, apple sliced or grated on top, honey over, cinnamon and nuts. A splash of cold milk around the edge if it is very hot.
Tips
- Five toppings to rotate: banana and peanut butter; berries and yoghurt; pear and walnuts; plum compote in autumn; cocoa and banana for children. Always something fresh, something sweet, something crunchy.
- In bulk: cook porridge for three days, refrigerate, in the morning warm with a splash of milk in the microwave or pan for 2 minutes. Almost like fresh.
- Coarse oats need 10 minutes and have bite, fine ones 5 minutes and turn smoother. Quick oats are rolled thin and done in 3 minutes, but stickier.
What can I substitute?
Oat drink makes the creamiest vegan porridge. With water only it is the Scottish original — then a knob of butter on top.
Banana stirred into the porridge sweetens without sugar and makes it creamier still. Maple syrup is vegan.
Spelt nuttier, millet gluten-free and mild. Five-grain needs 2 minutes longer.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my porridge turn gluey instead of creamy?
Too little liquid or cooked too hot. The ratio is 1 part oats to 5 parts liquid — 50 g to 2.5 dl. And stir over low heat: cooked too fast the starch turns to paste, stirred slowly it turns creamy. Milk and water mixed is creamier than milk alone.
How many oats per person?
50 g for a normal breakfast, 70 g for athletes or a long morning, 30 g for children. With toppings a 50 g portion keeps you full until lunch — oats keep blood sugar stable.
Porridge or Bircher muesli — which is better?
The same oats, prepared differently: porridge cooked and warm, Bircher muesli soaked overnight and cold. Porridge is the winter breakfast and easier to digest, Bircher the summer breakfast with no stove. Both equally healthy.
How much does porridge cost per portion?
About 40 centimes for oats and milk, about 1 CHF with apple and nuts. A kilo of oats costs about 2 CHF at Migros and Coop and makes 20 breakfasts.
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