Oats, Dates and Almond Shake

The name itself sounds healthy doesn’t it? This milkshake is not only healthy but very delicious too. We are not a breakfast family, in the sense that we do not sit down for a traditional breakfast of idly chutney, or Puri masala etc, rather we are Oats people, i.e. we have oats kanji (porridge) every single day for breakfast with maybe a banana or a few dates. Now doesn’t that sound really boring! At least it is, for me and my kids. So sometimes just for a change, I prepare some sandwiches or milkshakes, only for me and my kids, the others in the house still prefer to have the same old Oats kanji.

When Saffola, came out with their brand of Oats, at a very competitive price I was tempted to go for it, what with the advertisement for a free recipe booklet with it. So just to collect the recipe booklet I purchased Saffola Oats. Though I have read and seen many recipes using oats, like Idly, Dosa, Upma, Pongal etc, in many blogs, but somehow I was never keen on trying out the Upma and Pongal. I just can’t imagine having a very gooey Pongal or Upma. I did try out the Idly and dosa. I was very happy with the dosa, it was very much like our rava dosa – a little more healthier. But the Idly which I have tried 2 to 3 times is always a disaster. It is just too sticky.

Now coming back to our Saffola Oats recipe booklet, it has a very few recipes but good ones. I have tried out few recipes from it and they were all a hit. So today’s recipe is from the booklet. This delicious Oats shake, enriched with the goodness of almonds and dates is very filling and is definitely healthy but not a boring breakfast. You could also serve it as an afterschool snack for your kids. My children really enjoyed it.

Serves – 2

What you’ll need

1. Oats – 4 tbsp
2. Dates – 8 to 10
3. Almonds – 10
4. Cold Milk – 2 cups (200 ml)
5. Honey (optional)

Method

1. Soak the almonds in hot water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the skin and set aside.
2. Deseed the dates and chop them roughly.
3. Heat a kadai, and dry roast the oats for 3 to 5 minutes. Cool.
4. In a blender, add the oats, almonds and dates and grind it until everything is powdered well.
5. Now add the milk gradually and blend until a smooth consistency is obtained.
6. Pour into glasses and serve chilled garnished with chopped almonds and dates.

Note:
The sweetness from the dates was enough for our taste buds, if you prefer it sweeter add a few drops of honey.

Linking this to Just 4 Fun, Let’s Cook – Something Sweet, Only – Oats, and to HITS – Healthy Delights.