4 Delicious Desi Breakfast Recipes for an Atmanirbhar Summer!

Recipes by Kaveri Jain. Photography by Ananya Jain

Nothing like a traditional Indian breakfast to begin your day on a hot, spicy and deeply satisfying note!

NAMKEEN JAVE / SEVAI

Ingredients (serves 4):
1 cup jave / vermicelli / sevai; 15 ml oil; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 1 tsp urad dal; 10–12 curry leaves; 1 green chilli, finely chopped; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 cup mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, bell peppers); 1 large tomato, finely chopped; salt to taste; ½ tsp turmeric powder; ½ tsp coriander powder; ½ tsp chilli powder (optional); 1½ cups water; juice of 1 lemon; roasted peanuts and coriander for garnish

Instructions (lead image):

1. Dy roast the vermicelli in a pan. Once lightly golden, transfer to a bowl and keep aside. In the same pan heat the oil. Then add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add dal and curry leaves.
2. Once the dal changes colour, add onions and green chillies. Cook till translucent. Add tomatoes and other vegetables, salt, turmeric, chilli powder and coriander powder. Add ¼ cup water, cover, cook for about 5 mins.
3. Add the remaining water and bring to a simmer. Add roasted vermicelli and cover. Keep flame on low heat and let it cook (about 6–8 mins).
4. Gently fluff up the vermicelli and add a dash of lemon juice. Garnish with roasted peanuts and coriander.

ALOO POORI

Ingredients (aloo sabzi):
2 tbsp oil; 1 tsp jeera; ½ tsp hing (asafoetida); 2 tsp chopped green chillies; 1 tsp ginger paste; ½ tsp methidana (fenugreek seeds); 1 tsp coriander powder; 1 tsp red chilli powder; 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek); 1 tsp garam masala; ½ tsp haldi (turmeric powder); 1 tsp jaggery; salt to taste; 3 tomatoes, chopped; 3 tomatoes, pureed; 6 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and chopped; 2 tbsp chopped coriander

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add jeera and methi dana. Once it splutters add hing, green chillies and ginger paste.
2. Add tomatoes, tomato puree, haldi, coriander powder, red chilli, salt and jaggery. Mix and cook for 3-4 mins.
3. Add the cut potatoes and mix. Add the kasuri methi. Put 500 ml of water, mix and put the whistle on.
4. Let it cook for two whistles. Open it, add garam masala and cook for 5-7 mins on low flame. Mash some of the potatoes to make the curry thicker. Check the salt and add if required.
5. Garnish with the chopped coriander.

Ingredients (masala poori):
2 cups wheat flour; 1 cup besan (chickpea flour); 1 tsp salt;1 tbsp kasuri methi; 1 tsp ajwain (carom); ½ tsp coriander powder; ½ tsp red chilli powder; 1 tbsp oil; Water, as required; 500 ml oil to fry the pooris

Instructions:

1. Add ingredients to flour and make a stiff dough. Let it rest for 30 mins.
2. Heat oil in a pan or kadhai.
3. Make small balls of the dough and, using a little oil, roll the pooris one by one in round shapes.
4. Deep fry in the pan. Enjoy hot!

DAL CHILLA

Ingredients:
200 gms green split moong dal; 1 tsp finely chopped green chilli; 1 tsp finely chopped ginger; 2 tbsp finely chopped onions; salt to taste; water; lemon
For the filling: Mix of 100 gm mashed paneer, 50 gm boiled peas, salt and red chilli powder

Instructions:

1. Soak the dal for a minimum of 2 hours. Then, drain the water and grind the dal with 1 tbsp water. It should look like a thick paste once done.
2. Take the mixture out in a bowl and add salt, onions, green chillies and ginger.
3. Add water so that the batter has a pourable consistency.
4. Heat a girdle or tava.
5. Pour a ladle full of batter and slowly spread it out in a round shape. Add some oil. Once cooked, flip to the other side. Flip back and add filling on half the chilla.
6. Fold the other half on top. Serve with curd / mint chutney / imli chutney.

POHA

Ingredients (serves 4):
125 gms poha (flattened rice);
¼ tsp turmeric; ¼ tsp chilli powder; 50 gms green peas; 50 gms potatoes, peeled and chopped; 10 ml oil;
½ tsp mustard seeds; 20 gms roasted peanuts; 1 small onion, chopped;
1 small tomato, chopped; 1 green chilli, chopped; 10–12 curry leaves; salt to taste; chopped coriander to garnish; dash of lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Rinse poha on a strainer under running water until soft. Add ½ tsp salt and toss to combine. Set it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add onion, green chilli and curry leaves. Cook for 2 mins until onions soften.
3. Then add tomatoes and cook for 2 mins; add turmeric, chilli powder, salt.
4. Add green peas and potatoes. Splash some water and cook covered until the vegetables are cooked.
5. Add in the poha and toss. Cook for 2 mins. Then cover the pan with a lid and turn heat to low for another minute. Turn off the heat, add the roasted peanuts and mix.
6. Squeeze in fresh lemon juice. Garnish with coriander. Serve warm.

First published in eShe’s June 2020 issue

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