You can cook almost anything in the microwave, and porridge is no exception. If you don't buy ready-made oatmeal, but rather cook it yourself from the basic ingredients, you can garnish it as you like. If you bought porridge in small sachets that are packaged to be microwave safe, follow the instructions on the package. If you can't find a tutorial, follow our guide for chunky oatmeal porridge in this article.
ingredients
porridge
- 50 grams of crunchy oat flakes
- 240 milliliters of water
- A pinch of salt
Oat groats
- 20 grams of porridge
- 240 milliliters of water
- Two pinches of salt
method
Method 1 of 3: Cook regular porridge
Step 1. Take a microwave-safe container with a capacity of at least 500 ml
Porridge will expand when cooked. The bowl should be big enough so that the porridge doesn't boil over and make a mess. You can then transfer the porridge into smaller bowls for serving.
Step 2. Add 50 grams of oatmeal, 240 ml of water, and a pinch of salt to the bowl
That's enough for one serving. If you want to do more, do it in portions.
Hearty oat flakes or tender, fast-swelling oat flakes are best for preparation in the microwave. If you'd rather make oatmeal, read the second part of this article
Step 3. Microwave the oatmeal until cooked through
Don't cover them up. Depending on the type of oatmeal you are using, it should take anywhere from one to three minutes. Below we've listed the cooking times for two popular types of oatmeal:
- You cook hearty oat flakes at 100% power for two to three minutes.
- You cook tender oatmeal at 100% power for one to two minutes.
Step 4. Take the bowl out of the microwave and place it on a heat-resistant surface
Make sure to use pot holders for this, as the bowl should be very hot.
Step 5. Stir in your desired additional ingredients and garnish the porridge
Now you can stir in little extras like cinnamon, honey or raisins and sprinkle garnish over them.
Step 6. Let the porridge cool for at least a minute before serving
This way, the oatmeal can soak up the rest of the water and will have cooled down enough to be eaten.
Method 2 of 3: cook oat groats
Step 1. Take a microwaveable bowl that has at least 500 ml
Porridge will expand when cooked. The bowl should be big enough so that the porridge doesn't boil over and make a mess. You can then transfer the porridge into smaller bowls for serving.
Step 2. Add 20 grams of porridge, 60 ml of water, and two pinches of salt to the bowl
That's enough for one serving. If you want to do more, do it in portions.
At first you only add part of the water. The rest will come later one by one. Oat groats are cooked differently than other porridge
Step 3. Heat the porridge on the highest level for two minutes
Your oat flakes are not yet fully cooked, but you have to keep adding water until they are completely swollen and cooked through.
You don't have to cover the bowl
Step 4. Stir in about 60 ml of water and heat the pulp for another minute
You may be able to see the oatmeal absorb the water and swell in the process.
Step 5. Add 140 ml of water, stir everything and heat the porridge again on the highest level for four minutes
Every minute you stop the microwave briefly and stir the porridge. So it can't boil over.
Step 6. Remove the bowl from the microwave
Use pot holders to handle the bowl as it will be very hot. Place them on a heat-resistant surface.
Step 7. Stir in your desired additional ingredients and garnish the porridge
Now you can stir in little extras like cinnamon, honey or raisins and sprinkle garnish over them.
Step 8. Let the porridge cool for at least a minute before serving
This way, the oatmeal can soak up the rest of the water and will have cooled down enough to be eaten.
Method 3 of 3: Garnish and vary
Step 1. Add some milk to make the porridge creamier
If you've finished cooking your porridge and now find that it's a little too dry for your taste, you can add a dash of milk or cream. You can also replace half of the water with milk right at the beginning.
If you can't tolerate milk, try almond milk, rice milk, or soy milk
Step 2. Make your porridge crispy by sprinkling chopped nuts on top
Oatmeal tastes slightly nutty anyway, which is why all kinds of nuts go great with it. But especially try almonds, hazelnuts, pecans or walnuts.
Step 3. Make your fruit oatmeal a vitamin bomb
You can use fresh or dried fruits, just make sure you cut them into bite-sized pieces. Additionally, you can maybe add some cream or some spices.
- Try dried fruits like apricots, cherries, dates, or raisins.
- Try fresh fruits like apples, bananas, or strawberries.
- Try all kinds of berries, fresh or frozen. Blueberries are particularly popular here.
Step 4. Give the porridge a little more flavor or sweetness
Some people find that porridge is generally not very tasty, even when garnished with fruit or nuts. If you're one of those people, take a look at the list below. It doesn't have to be a lot, sometimes a spoon or a splash is more than enough.
- Sweeten your porridge with agave syrup, brown sugar, honey, jam, maple syrup or jams.
- Give your porridge more flavor with baking spices, for example with cinnamon, nutmeg, or ready-made spice mixtures.
Step 5. Try a few new combinations
Some tastes just go well together, others don't go at all. Honey and brown sugar is a classic, as is apple and cinnamon. You can't go wrong with this. But if you want to try something new, here are some tips for you:
- Do you have a sweet tooth? Stir sliced banana and dark chocolate sprinkles into your porridge.
- If you like nuts and berries, try porridge with pecans and blueberries. If you like, you can top it with a dollop of Greek yogurt.
- For a taste like 1001 nights, you can add cinnamon, honey, pine nuts and dried dates.
Step 6. Done
Tips
If the porridge is too thick after you've heated it, you can stir in some milk or water
Warnings
- Never put metal objects in the microwave.
- Do not leave the porridge unattended in the microwave in case it boils over. If that happens, turn off the microwave and wait for the mush to settle before turning it back on.
- Be careful when you remove the bowl from the microwave. It will be very, very hot.
