Groat oats

The past two days I’ve had groat oats for breakfast. Many people probably don’t know what these are which is sad because they’re just unprocessed oats. Oats you buy in supermarkets have been processed, albeit only a little bit, to make them faster to cook. Groat oats are the original grain unaltered. For this reason, they take a long time to cook. You either need to soak them overnight then boil them for 10 minutes or put them in a pressure cooker so they’re not practical for everyone.

They’re really delicious though and the most healthful of all the types of oats because the grain is still intact. They’re a rich source of fibre with a very low glycaemic index. They also have a nice texture like rice or pearl barley so there’s no danger of the sticky gooey texture that can be had with regular porridge.

I soaked them overnight in water and cooked them on the stove in water. I ate them with a bit of soya yoghurt, blueberries, and a drizzle of maple syrup. The yoghurt I buy is very good and contains only soya beans, water, and cultures. Traditional supermarkets don’t sell it but Nature’s Larder in Aberdeen do and also Grampian Health store.

Yesterday I cooked them in the pressure cooker because I forgot to soak them the night before. It took 15 minutes.