INDIAN BREAKFAST RECIPIES
(Easy Breakfast Recipes, Simple Tiffin Recipes, Lite Dinner recipes, Lunch box recipes, Simple Indian Meals and Tiffin varieties, Dinner Ideas, Weekend Brunch Ideas)
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An ancient proverb says “Break the fast like a king, have lunch like a prince and dine like a poor person”. Unfortunately in today’s busy world no one gives importance to the most important meal of the day. Here are some easy breakfast recipes that can be put together on any busy morning or even can be had as a quick dinner. There are plenty of Tiffin varieties to suit to different taste buds. Do try and enjoy your healthy and happy meal.
Idli and Dosa Varieties
Idli
Dosa
Masala Dosa
Ragi Idli and Dosa
Appam
Cornmeal idly Dosa
Rava Dosa
Dill Dosa
Noodles and Pasta Varieties
Indian Style Pasta
Egg Noodles
Tofu Pasta
Semiya Biriyani
Fennel Pasta
Channa Pasta
American Chop Suey
Rice Noodles
Roti Varieties
Chapatti
Poori
Alu Paratha
Ari Pathiri
Thalipeeth
Phulka
Gobhi (Cauliflower) Paratha
Parotta
Upma, Kichadi and Pongal Varieties
Rava Coconut Upma
Ven Pongal
Sabudhana Kichadi
Quinoa Pilaf
Other Traditional Tiffin Varieties
Puttu
Pal Paniyaram
Idiyappam
Kuzhipaniyaram
OTHER EXOTIC TIFFIN VARIETIES
Kappa Biriyani
Quinoa Pilaf
Pancake
Kotthu Parotta
Porridge Varieties
Oats Soup
Payaru Kanghi
Chili
Roti Porridge
Indian Dumplings (Kozhukattai, Modak, Modagam, Kudumu, Kadubu)
Pidi Kolukattai
Vella Kozhakkattai (Ukdiche Modak)
Ammini Kozhukattai Spicy
Upma Kozhukattai
IDLI RECIPE / HOW TO MAKE SOFT IDLI RECIPE
Steamed rice and lentil cakes-speciality from Southern India
Idli is the staple food of Southern India but now very popular all over India. This is my favorite easy, quick, fatfree delicious breakfast/snack.
The main ingredients of making idly are white lentil/urad daal and rice but every family have their own recipe of making idly batter ,the ratio of rice and lentil differs in each family's recipe. There are many tips for making soft and pillowy idlis but you have to try and make your own success recipe.
Today I am sharing the tips which I learned from my mother and by my own experiences and trails and errors.I have tried many different ratios for making idly batter and got soft idlis with a little bit difference each time.
After trying the soft and spongy Set dosa I tried those ingredients in idly batter and loved these soft idlis. Idlis are best enjoyed with coconut chutney, sambhar and pineapple rasam
Prep time-20 min
Cooking time-12 min
Cuisine-South Indian
Type-Breakfast, snack
INGREDIENTS
Idli rice- 2 cups
Regular rice-2 cups*
White lentil/urad daal-1 cup
Flattened rice /poha- 1 cup
Sabudana- 1/4 cup
Fenugreek seeds/methi dana-1/2 tsp
Salt- to taste
PROCEDURE-
Wash and soak rice and poha together in a pan in enough water for 4 hours.
Wash and soak urad daal, methi Dana and sabudana together in enough water for 3-4 hours.*
After 4 hours grind urad daal mixture to make a smooth paste, it should be light and fluffy. For grinding use the water in which you have soaked the urad daal(don't throw that water).
Grind rice mixture to make a soft and smooth paste, use the water in which you have soaked the urad daal.
Now mix both the ground paste in a deep and big pan(as it will need room to ferment ,because it become minimum thrice in volume after fermentation, if you use small pan then it may spill out) add salt and 1/3 tsp soda (optional)and mix properly.
Add some water(in which you have soaked urad daal) and adjust the batter consistency,the batter should not be too thick or too thin,it should be of coating consistency(almost like batata vada batter).
Cover the pan with a lid(don't use airtight container) and let it ferment for 8-10 hours or depending on the climate(it will take longer time in winter season)
When it fermented properly it will at least become thrice in volume and you see bubbles on the surface of the batter.
Grease the idly mould with cooking oil and fill it with idly batter
Boil some water in the idly steamer, when water start boiling, then put the idly stand in the steamer.
Cover the steamer with the lid and steam for 10-12 minutes on high heat.
Switch off the flame and wait for 5 minutes then take out the idly stand from the steamer.
Wait for 3 -4 minutes to cool down it slightly and then scoop out the idlis with a wet spoon.
Serve hot with sambhar, rasam and coconut chutney
TIPS
Regular rice-you can use any rice which you normally use on daily basis.
For grinding the batter use the water in which you have soaked the urad daal, it helps in fermenting.
The consistency/thickness of batter is a very important factor, as thin or thick batter result in hard and flat idlis.
Proper fermentation of minimum 7-8 hours is very important to get soft idlis and in winter it may need much more time .
The quality of rice and daal is also important, use idly rice or a mix of idly rice and regular rice.
When water in the steamer start boiling only then keep the idly mould inside it.
When the batter get fermented mix it very gently, just give it a stir, don't mix it too much otherwise the trapped air will be released from the batter and you will get hard idlis.
Don't try to scoop out the idlis immediately after steaming, let it cool down slightly then scoop out with a wet or greased spoon then they come out very neat and smooth. otherwise you may get idly with rough edges.
You can easily store the leftover batter in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Other ratios I have tried to make soft idlis are-
1 cup urad daal+2 cups of rice+1/3 tsp fenugreek seeds.
1 cup urad daal+3 cups of rice+1/2 cups of leftover cooked rice
1 cup urad daal+3 cups of rice+1/2 cup poha+1/2 tsp of methidana
PURI-HOW TO MAKE POORI
Poori is a very popular Indian fried Flat bread. Though I love pooris, I do not prepare it often. I prepare it only on special occasions or when we have guests at home. The best accompaniment for poori is potato masala or aloo bhaji.Today we will learn how to prepare puri following our easy recipe. I have made it easier for beginners with easy step wise pictures.
Poori with potato masala
How to prepare Poori
Yields - 7-9 pooris (depending on the size)
Ingredients needed
Whole wheat flour - 1 cup )
Salt - 1/2 tsp flat
Ghee - 1 tsp (optional)
Oil for deep frying pooris
Little wheat flour for dusting
Method
Mix flour, salt and ghee in a bowl. Then add water little at a time and make a slightly stiff and smooth dough. Dough should not be too stiff nor too soft.(a little stiffer than chapatti dough). Do not allow the dough to sit as it will soak up lot of oil. So start making pooris as soon as the dough is ready.
Knead well and roll it as you see in the picture below.
Make equal sized smooth balls from the dough. Flatten it slightly.
Roll it out into circles with a help of a rolling pin dusting a little flour. The rolled out puris should not be too thin nor too thick. It should be of medium thickness and smaller in size (diameter) than chapatti. Another point to note is that as far as possible avoid dusting too much flour as the excess flour will leave a burnt residue in the oil. Alternatively you can apply a little oil on the rolling surface and then roll out pooris, so that the dough does not stick to the board.
Spread all the rolled out puris in a plate and start heating the oil in a kadai.
Oil temperature
To check if the oil is hot for frying the pooris, drop a small piece of dough into the hot oil, if it sizzles and comes up to the surface immediately, then it is the right temperature for frying pooris. If the dough becomes dark brown, then the oil is too hot, so you should reduce the heat a little. The point to be noted is that-the oil should be hot but not too hot till smoking point.
Now we will start frying the puris one at a time.
When the oil is hot enough, take one rolled out dough and gently slide it from the side of the pan into the hot oil. After a few seconds, slightly press the poori with the slotted ladle and flicker hot oil on top of it.This will help the puri to puff up nicely. Flip to the other side and fry till golden brown. Remove with a slotted ladle and place it in a colander to drain excess oil.
Repeat the process for the rest of the dough.
Serve hot with potato masala or any side dish of your choice.
Ven Pongal South Indian Breakfast
Ven Pongal is a hearty breakfast from Southern India that is sure to get your day started right.
I once read that “All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast” – and can’t agree with it more. Breakfast is a very important meal as it kick starts the day, pepping us with all the energy.
In the midst of the chaos and mayhem that is a typical morning having good breakfast options help and that is where South Indian dishes kicks in. Ven Pongal is one such super breakfast. It is my favourite comfort dish too. The dish can also be the perfect dinner or the god sent bowl to the occasional hungry pangs that hits you at 4pm. It is our very own answer to the Khichdi of North India, our very own kedgeree. Loaded with rice and lentils, the dish is not only healthy but also tasty and pleasantly satiating.
The recipe varies in each house hold in terms of the proportions of the lentils to the rice. Like any other south Indian dish, this dish gets it’s zing from the curry leaves.
Ven Pongal (The South Indian Khichdi)
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
You must have heard the saying breakfast like a king, and if it is power packed, the day gets a real kick. Ven Pongal is one such hearty and healthy breakfast
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Rice – 1 cup
Mung Dal (Split & husked green gram) – 1 cup
Cumin Seeds – 1 tbsp
Black Pepper corns – 1 tsp – to taste
Green Chilies – 2 – chopped
Ginger – a small piece – grated
Curry Leaves – a few – rough chopped
Asafoetida – a small pinch
Butter/ Ghee – 2 tbsp + 2 spoons extra to finish
Cashew nuts – as required
Salt – to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Wash the lentils and rice well and cook them separately with enough water. I pressure cooked them in separate bowls till 3 whistles. For a better mix cook the lentil for 2 whistles.
In a kadai, add butter/ghee and as it starts warming up, add the Cashew nuts and fry till golden. Next tip in the cumin seeds and pepper corns. As they start crackling , add the curry leaves, ginger and asafoetida along with chopped chilies.
Stir in the cooked rice and lentils. Season it with salt. If you find the mix to be too thick add ½ cup of water. Add 2-3 spoons of ghee to finish.
Serve hot with sambhar/chutney/or any other accompaniment of your choice.
UPMA RECIPE
Accompaniments
Coconut Chutney
Upma, an extremely common yet lovable south Indian snack, upma is a popular breakfast choice in Mumbai too, quite affordable at rs 6 per serving, the tasty upma is served in small stainless steel quarter plates, garnished with coriander and coconut, along with mini wedges of lemon.
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Makes 4 servings
Show me for servings
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
1 tsp urad dal (split black lentils)
6 to 7 curry leaves (kadi patta)
1/3 cup finely chopped onions
1 1/2 tsp finely chopped green chillies
1 cup semolina (rava)
salt to taste
For The Garnish
4 tsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)
4 tsp freshly grated coconut
4 tsp nylon sev
For Serving
4 lemon wedges
Method
Boil 2 cups of water in a deep pan and keep aside.
Heat the oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds.
When the seeds crackle, add the urad dal, curry leaves, onions and green chilies' and sauté on a medium flame till the onions turn translucent.
Add the semolina and sauté on a slow flame for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the hot water and salt and cover and cook on a slow flame for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring once in between.
Place equal portions of upma on 4 plates, garnish each plate with 1 tsp of coriander and 1 tsp of coconut .
Serve immediately