Breakfast – Meal Haven

Mooli Parathas (Radish Parathas)

Breakfast, Vegetarian

Ingredients:

Radish – 3 – 4

Green chillies – 3 chopped

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp chopped

Curry leaves – 1 tsp chopped

Onions – 1 big finely chopped

Garam masala powder – ½ tsp

Coriander powder – ½ tbsp.

Asafoetida/hing – ¼ tsp

Salt – to taste

Oil – 1 tbsp for frying parathas

For the dough:

Whole wheat flour – 1 ½ cups

Salt to taste

Water – 1/4 cup or little more

Oil – 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Take a bowl and grate the radish. Keep it aside. Squeeze the radish well and take out all the water. Keep the water aside as you can make the flour dough with this water.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the chopped green chillies, chopped curry leaves, asafoetida and onions. Saute well till the onions turn translucent. Next, add the grated and squeezed radish and saute well. Then, add the coriander powder and the garam masala powder and saute until the raw smell disappears. Add coriander leaves and cook till the mixture becomes dry. Make sure that it does not have any moisture in it. Remove it to a plate and let it cool.

Making the dough:

In a bowl, add the flour, salt and the water squeezed out from the radish. Start kneading the dough adding a little more water. Knead it into a smooth but not firm dough. The dough should be soft and pliable. Rest it for 10 minutes and cover with a cloth or cling film.

Assembling the paratha:

Make smooth balls from the dough and flatten them slightly by rolling it with a rolling pin. Roll it into 4-5 inch diameter circle. Add ¼ tsp of oil and spread on it before placing 1 1/2 tbsp of radish mixture on it, in the centre. Gather the edges and pinch it into the centre. Seal it tightly and flatten by pressing gently.

Dust into fry flour again and roll it gently into 6 inch diameter circle.

Heat a tawa and when it becomes hot, place it on the hot tawa and cook both sides brushing little oil on it. Repeat the same process for the rest of the parathas.

No Rice (Millet Idlis)

Breakfast

A healthy recipe using millets, these millets are good for thyroid, diabetics, and weight loss. Millets are high in fibre and are widely consumed in Africa and Asia. There are a variety of millets available like the proso millet, foxtail millet, finger millet, barnyard millet etc…..

In this recipe, I have used 3: 1 proportion for millets: rice. This seems to work well for idlis and dosas.

Ingredients:

Kodo millet (Varagu) – 1 1/2 cups

Barnyard Millet (Kuthiravali)- 1 1/2 cups

Udad dal – 1 cup

Fenugreek seeds – 1 tbsp

Flattened Rice flakes (Aval) – 1 tbsp

Chilled Water – 1 cup

Preparation

Wash and soak the above ingredients for 4 -5 hours. In a mixie or grinder, grind all the ingredients together to a smooth paste adding little water at a time. Once it is ground well, transfer to a wide tall bowl and close it with a lid. Leave it to ferment for about 8 hours until it is well risen. The batter will rise to the top. The batter may overflow, so make sure you use a tall vessel in order to leave room for the batter to rise.

When it is well fermented, mix it well and add salt.

Take a cooker or an idli maker. Add 1 1/2 cups of water into it. Grease the idli moulds with little oil and pour a ladleful of the idli batter into the moulds. Plae the idli mould/stand in the cooker or idli maker and steam it for 12-13 minutes on medium heat. Swtich off the flame and let it rest for another 5 minutes.

Using a wet spoon or a butter knife, scoop out the idlis from the moulds.

Serve it with carrot chutney or capscium chutney or any other chutney of your choice (Chutney recipe is given in the blog).

Appam without Yeast

Breakfast

Appams are lacy soft hoppers made from fermented ground rice. They are served with sweet coconut milk in Tamilnadu and in the State of Kerala, they are known as palappams. Palappams are served with vegetable or meat stew. At home, we make appams without yeast and they are devoured with sweetened coconut milk.

Ingredients:

Raw Rice – 1 3/4 cups

Idli rice/boiled rice – 1 1/4 cups

Fenugreek seeds/Methi – 3/4 tsp

Udad dal – 1 tbsp

Cooked raw/boiled/basmati rice – 1 tbsp

Grated coconut – 2 tbsp

Soda bi-carbonate – 1/2 tsp

Salt – to taste

Preparation

Soak both the raw rice and the idli rice overnight for 5 – 6 hours. Grind it to a smooth consistency alongwith grated coconut and cooked rice in a wet grinder or mixie. Transfer to a wide and tall container as otherwise, the batter may overflow when it ferments.

Add salt and ferment it overnight for 10-11 hours. The batter is ready to make appams when it rises up and is fermented the next day.

To make the appams:

First, mix the soda bicarb with 1 tsp of water so that it dissolves well. Take little batter which is enough for about 6 appams (6 ladles) and add the soda into it. Mix it well and rest it for about 5 minutes. You need to mix the soda again for the next 6-10 appams as keeping the batter mixed with soda for a long time does not yield fluffy appams. Also, note that you cannot store the batter into which soda has been added.

Take a shallow pan/kadai with handles and smear some oil on the kadai. A typical appam pan works best for this though you can also use a non stick tava/iron tava. Pour a ladle full of batter and turn and swirl it slowly in circles so as to spread the batter. You can drizzle a few drops of oil, if you prefer.

Cover the pan and let the appam cook till the base becomes slightly golden in colour.

Remove and serve appams hot. You can serve these appams with potato stew or any meat curry also.

To make mutta/egg appams:

After you pour a ladle full of batter into the pan, swirl it gently in a circular motion to spread the batter around. Close it for a few minutes to let the appam cook a little. Open the lid and break an egg on the appam. Sprinkle pepper powder and salt and close it again to let it cook. Once it is done, take it out gently and serve.

Pesto and Mushroom Toast

Breakfast

A quick-fix breakfast which is simple and tasty.

Ingredients:

Bread slices – 4 (Preferably Ciabatta or Sour Dough)

Basil pesto – ½ cup

Button Mushrooms – 10-12

Pepper – ½ tsp

Salt – a pinch

Thick Soy Sauce or Tamari – ½ tsp

Oil – 2 tsp

To make pesto

Basil – 1 cup

Pine nuts – ¼ cup or Walnuts (10-12 )

Lemon juice – ½ tsp

Salt – to taste

Garlic – 2 small cloves

Pepper powder – ¼ tsp

Extra virgin olive oil – 2 tsp

Parmesan cheese – ¼ cup (optional) though I didn’t use it

Preparation:

Add all the ingredients except the basil leaves and blitz it in a food processor or a mixie to a fine paste.
Lastly, add the washed and chopped basil leaves and grind.

Wash and chop the mushroom lengthwise about 1 inch thick pieces. Heat a pan and add oil. Place the
cut slices of mushroom on the pan and let it cook. When it turns brown, flip it to the other side. Sprinkle
pepper and salt to it before taking it out, to a plate. Heat the pan again and add the thick soya sauce to
it. Add the mushrooms and stir it quickly so that the sauce coats the mushrooms. Take it out
immediately.

Toast the ciabatta bread slices in a pan to a golden colour. Spread the pesto on it. Arrange the
mushroom slices on it and season with more pepper powder, if needed.

Note: If you do not have tamari, use thick soya sauce which is more thicker and sweeter than the light soya sauce.

Shakshouka

Breakfast

I had visited a Middle Eastern restaurant in Kuwait a few years back with some of my friends and we ordered this new dish called ‘Shakshouka’. It loosely translates to ‘all mixed up’ in Arabic. It is a dish of poached eggs in a sauce of tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, paprika, cumin etc. It is often made in Tunisian, Israeli and Turkish cultures and mainly eaten for breakfast.

This flavourful dish features regularly for breakfast at home nowadays. It is easy and quick and makes for a healthy breakfast before leaving for office.

Ingedients:

Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Onion – 2 large chopped

Green/Red or yellow peppers – 1 large diced

Garlic – 6 cloves crushed

Store bought Tomato paste – 1 tbsp

Dried basil leaves crushed – 1 tsp (optional)

Tomatoes – 2 large

Cumin/Jeera powder – 1 tsp

Red chillie powder – 1/2 tsp

Red pepper flakes – 1/4 tsp

Fresh parsley leaves – 2 tsp chopped

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

4 or 5 large eggs

Feta cheese – 1/4 cup (crumbled)

Crusty bread or pita (for serving)

Salt – to taste

Preparation:

Heat a skillet and add oil. When the hoil is hot, add the chopped or crushed garlic and saute. Then, add the finely chopped onions. Saute it for about 5 minutes and when it turns translucent, add the chopped tomatoes. Saute it well until they are mushy and add the store bought tomato paste and the red chillie powder, cumin powder, dried basil leaves, red chillie flakes and saute well. Next, add the diced capsicums and stir until you get a nice aroma. Add 2 tbsp of water and let it cook in low flame for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in between adding salt and pepper.

Now with the back of a spoon, make 4 small wells and crack an egg each directly into the 4 wells. You may gently spoon a little mixture over the whites to help contain the egg. Sprinkle little pepper and salt on top of the eggs.

Cover it with a lid and cook until the whites are opaque white in colour and the yolks are still soft or as per your preference. Usually the egg yolks should jiggle when you shake the pan. Turn off the heat and serve hot with crusty bread . Top it with chopped parsley leaves and crumbled feta.

Egg with Bell Peppers and Mushrooms

Breakfast

One of the simple dishes that I used to love in my childhood days. Mom used to prepare this with hot chappathis and I remember asking for more always. For people on diet, this is an excellent recipe to appease your hunger, substituting the potatoes with cauliflower.

You may serve it with chappathis or rice.

Ingredients:

Eggs – 2

Bell Pepper/Capsicum (Any colour) – 1

Button Mushrooms – 4 or 5 pieces

Potatoes – 1 big

Onion – 1 big

Tomato – 1 medium

Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp

Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 tbsp + 1 tsp

Preparation:

Slice the onions and capsicums into thin circles. Also, chop tomatoes and slice the potatoes into thin circles and keep it aside. In a bowl, beat the eggs, pepper powder (1/2 tsp) and enough salt and keep it aside.

Heat a pan and add oil. When it is hot, add the onions and fry till it is translucent. Next, add the mushrooms and potatoes and saute till it is half cooked. Add a little salt so that the potatoes absorb some of the salt. Now add the tomatoes and saute. Close and let the potatoes cook. Next, add the capsicums and cook until they are just crunchy. Do not overcook the capsicums. Take it out and keep it aside.

In the same pan, add 1 tsp of oil and add the beaten eggs and stir. When they are half done, add the veggies and stir fry.

Put off the flame and take it out when the veggies are coated with the egg. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp pepper powder and serve hot.

Wheat Dosa

Breakfast

Another easy recipe for dosa is the wheat dosa. An easy alternative to the dosas prepared with rice or rava, this one was a staple in my home for dinner as dad used to like it very much.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour – 1/2 cup

Rice flour – 2 tbsp

Jeera – 1/4 tsp

Coriander leaves chopped – 1 tbsp

Curry leaves chopped – 1 tsp

Onion – 1 small chopped

Green chillies – 1 chopped

Jeera/Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp

Salt as required

Oil for cooking – 3 to 4 tsp

Water – 1/2 cup

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, add the wheat flour, rice flour, jeera, cuury leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies and mix well with a whisk. Add chopped onion, salt and water and mix well to combine. The batter should not be too thick or runny and should be lump free.

Heat a griddle/tava. Grease the tava and pour a ladle from the outer edges to form a circle, towards the inner parts. Cover the middle portions with more batter. Reduce the flame to medium flame and drizzle a few drops of oil all over the dosa. After 2 – 3 minutes, when it turns golden in colour, flip to the other side and cook.

Remove from fire and serve with any chutney that you like or sambar.

Note: Pour a thin layer of the batter to make crispy dosas.Iron or cast iron griddle works best for this dosa.

If the dosa sticks to the griddle or tawa, reduce the flame to low, sprinkle some water to bring down the temperature. Drizzle a few drops of oil and rub the griddle with half an onion all over.

Every time you pour a dosa, drizzle a few drops of water on the hot griddle to bring down the temperature and smear it with little oil.

Besan Chila (Savoury Crepes with Gram Flour)

Breakfast

Chilas are popular Indian crepes. These gram flour crepes are prepared with spices and vegetables for a quick and easy breakfast. You can serve it with mint chutney or sweet n sour tamarind chutney.

Ingredients:

Besan/Kadala maavu (Gram flour) – 1 1/4 cups

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Chillie powder – 1 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Chopped coriander – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Green/Red capsicum finely chopped – 1/4 cup

Oil for cooking – 4 tsp or more

Preparation:

In a bowl, combine besan, chille powder, asafoetida, turmeric powder, salt and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water and whisk well. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and mix.

Heat a griddle/tava. Pour a ladleful of the batter on it in a circular motion to make a 6″ diameter. Make sure the crepe/chila is not too thick or thin. Smear 1 tsp of oil all over the edges and cook on a medium flame until the chila turns golden in colour. Flip to the other side and on a medium flame, take it off when it turns golden.

Repeat the steps to make more chilas and serve with chutney.

Overnight Oats

Breakfast

Overnight Oats is just old fashioned oats that have been soaked in milk overnight. You may use coconut milk/almond milk, soy milk, yogurt and any of your favourite toppings with it. Easy to make as no cooking is involved, it is a quick and healthy breakfast to make.

Ingredients:

Old fashioned rolled oats – 1/2 cup

Milk – 3/4 cup (Regular milk/ Almond milk/Soy Milk/Coconut Milk)

Yogurt – 1 tbsp (optional)

Honey – 1 tsp

Vanilla essence – 1 drop

Chia seeds – 1 tsp (optionally you could use sabja too)

Add 2 tsps of Quaker Oats ( I prefer these) to the container of your choice. Pour in 3 tbsp of milk and then layer it with any topping of your choice, honey, vanilla essence and yogurt. Layer again with more oats and add milk to it until the oats and toppings are covered with the milk.

Toppings:

Topping 1

Cocoa powder – 1- 2 tsp

Chocolate chips (optional) – a few

Banana – few sices

Honey – 1 tsp

Almond shavings – few

Coconut Shavings – few

Topping 2

Berries (Blackberry, blueberry, rasberry, strawberry) – 8 – 10

Pistachio pieces – 1 tbsp

Chia seeds – 1 tsp

Topping 3

Chia seeds – 1 tsp

Apples – 1/2 chopped

Chopped banana – 6 – 7 pieces

Cinnamon – a pinch

Walnuts – 4 to 5 pieces

Topping 4

Mangoes chopped – 8 to 10 pieces

Pistachoi pieces – 1 tbsp

Mango puree – 1/4 cup

Coconut shavings – 1 tsp

You can mix n match the toppings as per your tastes and preferences.

Paav Bhaji

Breakfast, Snacks

A fast food dish/street food served with soft bread rolls and bhaji (a spicy vegetable curry which includes potatoes, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and green peas). This delicious blend of veggies and bread tastes delicious and is enjoyed by all.

Ingredients:

Jeera/Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Onion – 1 big (finely chopped)

Potatoes – 3 big (boiled)

Green peas – 1/2 cup (store bought, frozen)

Cauliflower – 1 1/4 cup (finely chopped)

Carrot – 1 cup (finely chopped)

Tomato – 1 medium (chopped)

Tomato paste (store bought) – 1 tbsp

Capsicum – 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Butter – 1 tbsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Green chillie – 1 finely chopped

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp

Red chillie powder – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric – 1/4 tsp

Kasuri methi – 1/2 tbsp

Paav Bhaji Masala – 1 1/2 tbsp

Lemon – 1/2

To toast pav

Pav (buns) – 4 to 6

Butter – 1 tbsp

Pav bhaji masala – 1/2 tsp

For Garnish

Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp

Onions finely chopped – 1 tbsp

Butter – 1 tsp

Lemon wedges – 1

Preparation:

Mash the boiled potatoes and keep it aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and oil in a large pot on medium heat. Once the butter melts and oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add the chopped green chillies and saute.

Add the chopped onions and saute well again. Cook the onions for around 4 minutes until golden brown in color. Add the ginger – garlic paste and fry until the raw smell disappears.

Now, add the finely chopped carrot and saute again. Add chopped tomatoes and mix well. Let the tomatoes cook for 2 minutes. Next, in goes the cauliflower and the fresh green peas. Saute well for 4 minutes.

I prefer to use my food processor/chopper to chop cauliflower and carrots, which helps in cutting it very finely.

Add tomato puree and salt. When it is well sauteed, add the finely chopped capsicum and mix well. Add the pav bhaji masala, red chili powder and turmeric powder.

Mix well and then add in 2 teaspoons of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and 1/2 cup of water. Add a generous amount of chopped cilantro and juice of 1/2 large lemon. Let the bhaji simmer for 2 minutes. Add the mashed potatoes to this bhaji, mix well and then remove pan from heat.

To toast the pav, melt butter on a pan. Sprinkle some pav bhaji masala on top of the butter and then place the buns on the pan. Press to toast the pav until crisp and golden brown, on both sides.

Serve the toasted pav with the bhaji.