06 HEALTHY BREAKFAST RECIPIES

 

1. OATS IDLY- Place a bowl of gooey oatmeal in front of the kid and you will get an “eww” or “yuck” in return! When kids don’t like oatmeal, you give them oats idly, a healthy and tasty (slightly modified) vegetarian dish from the South.

Being low in calories, it is an ideal choice for calorie conscious. Oats are rich in proteins, minerals, vitamins and fibre, which adds to its nutritive value without compromising on the deliciousness.

You will need:

• 2 cups oats

• 1 tbsp mustard seeds

• ½ litre curd

• ½ tbsp chana dal

• 1 tbsp urad dal (black gram)

• ½ tbsp oil

• 1 cup grated carrots

• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander

• Salt as per taste

• ½ tbsp turmeric powder

How to:

1. Dry roast the oats and process them into powder in a mixer.

2. Add oil to a pan and add mustard seeds and dals and stir till they begin spluttering. And the dal turns golden brown. Add the coriander and carrots. Add turmeric and fry for a minute.

3. In a bowl, combine oats, mix the seasoning and curd. Toss to make a batter.

4. Use the batter to make idlis the way you do in the idli steamer. You can add more curd to the mixture if required but not water.

5. Steam the idlis for 15 minutes. This is one of the simplest and easy to make South Indian breakfast recipes for kids.

Tip: To ensure the idlis are cooked, you can poke a knife or fork and if the batter doesn’t stick, then its ready.

2. BREAD UPMA- When you think of bread, you only think of sandwiches or toast. But when you think Indian, you think of bread upma! It’s a good way of using leftover bread and makes a good substitute for rava upma.

You will need:

• 4 bread slices chopped in bite sizes

• 2 tbsp oil

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• ½ tsp cumin seeds

• ½ cup chopped onions and tomatoes

• 1 tsp finely chopped ginger

• Few chopped curry leaves

• ¼tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tbsp chopped coriander

• Salt to taste

How to:

1. Heat oil and add mustard and cumin seeds in a pan. Once they pop, add the onions and sauté till they turn translucent.

2. Add ginger and curry leaves and stir. Next, add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix well.

3. Once the mixture is well cooked, add in the bread and cook for five minutes.

4. Add coriander before serving. Bread Upma is easy and yet healthy Indian breakfast recipes for kids that you can prepare in a few minutes. Even if you are trying for the first time, you would not go wrong with this super quick and easy recipe.

3. VEGETABLE MASALA DOSA- Dosas are delicious Indian-pancakes, only that they are not sweet. Like idlis, you eat the dosas with chutneys or potato curry. This masala dosa recipe tells you how you can bring the goodness of veggies to the breakfast table. You can add to the nutritive value of this recipe by substituting potato with paneer, carrots capsicums etc.

You will need:

For dosa batter:

• 2 cups idli rice

• 1 cup regular rice

• 1 cup urad dal (split black gram)

• Salt, as needed

For the filling:

• 2 Cups of chopped veggies – carrots, beans, cabbage, spring onions, spinach, beets

• 2 teaspoons pav bhaji masala

• Turmeric, a pinch

• Salt to taste

• ¼ cup milk or non-dairy milk

• 2 tablespoons oil

How to:

1. For the batter, wash the rice and urad dal together at least three to four times. Soak them in water overnight.

2. Next morning, drain the water and grind the rice and lentils into a paste. Add salt and water if needed to make a smooth batter. Let it ferment for at least 12 hours.

3. For the filling, heat oil in a pan and add the cut vegetables.

4. Add half a spoon of sugar to retain the crispness and colors of the veggies and sauté the veggies. Let them cook for two to three minutes and add turmeric and salt. Add the masalas and mix them properly.

5. Cover them and let them cook for another five minutes.

6. Add milk and whisk until the milk and the vegetables are thoroughly mixed. Set the mixture aside.

7. Make the dosa by spreading the batter on a flat pan, as you would do with pancakes. Add half a teaspoon oil around the dosa. The dosa should be thinner than pancakes, almost like paper.

8. When it is half cooked, top it with the filling, while it is still in the pan. Let it roast for another minute and fold it in half for serving.

9. Healthy vegetable dosa is ready to eat.

4. THEPLA- Thepla is a traditional Gujarati dish made of wheat flour and fenugreek leaves. The best part: you can just eat it with curd or pickle, no need to make a curry!

You will need:

• 1 cup wheat flour

• 1 cup fenugreek or methi leaves

• ¼ cup of bajra flour

• ¼ cup besan (Bengal gram flour)

• ¼ cup jowar flour

• ½ tsp red chili powder

• 1-2 green chilies, crushed

• 1-inch ginger washed and grated

• ½ tsp turmeric powder

• ½ tsp cumin powder

• ½ tsp coriander seeds powder

• Salt to taste

• Water

• Oil for roasting

How to:

1. Wash the fenugreek leaves, chop them, and set them aside.

2. In a bowl, add all the wheat flour, the besan, jowar flour, and bajra flour. Mix properly and add salt, spices, and herbs.

3. Add the methi leaves and then a little water to knead it into a smooth dough.

4. Add a spoon of oil and knead it some more. Set it aside for a few minutes.

5. Make small balls of dough and roll them on a floured surface to make rounds of five to six inches in diameter.

6. Heat a skillet and add a little oil to it. Place the rolled theplas to roast. Roast the rounds to make sure both sides turn golden brown.

7. Serve it with yogurt or pickle.

5. MOONG DAL CHEELA- A cheela is the north-Indian version of the ‘dosa’. Here is a recipe of moong dal (green gram) cheela with the goodness of paneer in it. The cheela can be made with either split or husked moong or whole moong. It is light and rich in nutrients.

You will need:

• 200 grams green moong dal (green gram)

• 50 grams fresh green peas, chopped

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• Cilantro leaves, chopped

• ¼ tsp baking soda

• A piece of ginger, peeled and grated

• 2 green chilies, chopped

• 2 garlic pods

• ¼ tsp turmeric

• Salt to taste

• Water

For the filling:

• 4 tbsp grated paneer

• 1 green chilly, finely chopped

• ½ tsp chaat masala

• 1 lemon, juiced

• Salt to taste

How to:

1. Soak the moong dal overnight. Drain the water and blend the dal with the ginger, green chilies, salt, turmeric, and garlic together. Add a little water to make the batter smooth, like a pancake mix.

2. Add the chopped onions, cilantro leaves, and peas to the batter and whisk once. Set aside for an hour and add baking soda.

3. In another bowl, add all the ingredients for the filling and mix them. Set it aside.

4. Heat a skillet, and grease it with oil. Use a ladle to pour the batter in the center, and spread it on the skillet moving from the center to the edges.

5. Once the cheela is half-cooked, flip it. Flip it again and again until both the sides are properly cooked.

6. Scoop a spoonful of the filling and spread it in the center of the cheela. Fold the cheela or roll it and cut it into small pieces. Eat it hot or it will get soggy.

7. Serve with sauce or chutney.

6. SAGO KHICHDI- A yummy, protein-rich breakfast or snack option that you can make in just 15 minutes, Sago or sabudana (tapioca pearls) khichdi is a popular Maharashtrian dish. Here is how to make it.

You will need:

• 1 cup sago (medium sized)

• 2 small potatoes, peeled and diced

• ½ cup roasted peanuts

• Curry leaves, handful

• 2-3 green chilies

• ½ tsp mustard seeds

• ½ tsp urad dal

• ½ tsp cumin seeds

• Salt to taste

• 2 tbsp oil

How to:

1. Soak the sabudana for at least 45 minutes. If you are using the nylon sago (tiny ones), you need to soak them for at least 6 hours and drain the water.

2. Ground the roasted peanuts into a semi-smooth powder and set aside.

3. In a pan, add the oil and mustard, urad dal, and cumin for seasoning.

4. As they start to splutter, add the green chilies and curry leaves and sauté for a minute.

5. Add the sago and mix it. Add salt immediately and mix it again.

6. Let it cook for around five to six minutes or the sago is cooked (should become transparent).

7. Add the ground roasted peanut powder and cook for another two to three minutes.

8. Serve with raita (dip made of curd, onions, and tomatoes).

Admit it! Just reading these recipes is making your mouth water! So why delay? Try these easy and tasty Indian breakfast recipes. We know that your kids will love them! Some of these recipes can also be altered to suit your tastes.