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Avena colombiana
Avena colombiana: chilled, thick oat drink cooked with milk, cinnamon and cloves
Bakeries all over Colombia keep a fridge of avena in plastic cups, ready to pair with a warm pandebono, buñuelo or almojábana. It is a thick, sweet oat drink cooked in milk with cinnamon and cloves, then blended smooth and chilled until it is creamy and spoonable, somewhere between a milkshake and rice pudding. Children drink it after school, and it is a common mid-morning snack with something baked. Home versions are less sweet and more spiced than shop ones. The thing to watch is texture: if you skip blending or straining, you end up with slimy flecks of oats, so blend thoroughly once it is cooked. It thickens a lot as it chills, so loosen it with cold milk before serving. Chef's tip: toast the oats in the dry pan for 2 minutes first; it gives a nutty, biscuity flavour.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Toast 2 ⅞ oz rolled oats in a dry pan over a medium heat for 2 minutes, until lightly golden and smelling nutty.
2 minStep 2: Add 1 cup water, 4 ¼ cups whole milk, 2 ⅞ oz sugar, 1 cinnamon stick and 3 cloves. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, stirring.
5 minStep 3: Simmer gently for 12–15 minutes, stirring often so it does not catch, until the oats are very soft and the liquid has thickened.
13 minStep 4: Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves, add 1 tsp vanilla extract if using and blend until completely smooth. Strain through a sieve for an extra-silky drink.
Step 5: Cool, then chill for at least 2 hours, until cold and thick.
120 minStep 6: Stir well, loosen with a little cold milk if needed, and serve in glasses with a dusting of 1 pinch ground cinnamon.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does avena colombiana take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of rolled oats?
- Quick oats, same amount.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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