Variety is the spice of life so why should your breakfast have the same items? Not anymore. Here are some simple Indian breakfast recipes that are not only healthy, but tasty and easy to make too. Oh, and did we say they aid in your weight loss efforts? Well, here we go.
A word of caution
The dishes we present provide everything for a healthy and delicious breakfast. But you should keep it that way, as a breakfast only. Just because they are tasty, should not mean you have more helpings.
A helpful advice
Sometimes you are super hungry and ready to even have lunch. Avoid doing it and instead have a few boiled eggs or 1 scoop of whey protein. This addition will not only provide necessary amino acids, but bring in the satiety factor, so that the breakfast makes you full. You can also try the protein bars that are loaded with nutrients as a variation.
Top 5 Delicious Healthy Indian Breakfast Recipes for Weight Loss
Now that we cautioned you beforehand and advised on a variation, the time is rich for us to show what we have brought for our readers.
1. Murmura Sprouts Mix
Puffed Rice or Murmura, is the ideal crunchy snack loaded with carbohydrates, fiber and iron. Fried lightly in oil, using a pinch of Turmeric it makes for an appetizing topping.
Sprouts on the other hand bring in lots of vitamins, nutrients and fiber, both soluble and insoluble which also help clear your tummy. Instead of having just one lentil, having the mixed variety brings best qualities of each.
Ingredients
- Mixed sprouts 100 gm
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon grated green chillies
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Fried Murmura, a handful or 1 bowl
- Lemon juice, coriander leaves, and salt as per need
Method
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add mustard seeds. Once the seeds crackle add onions & chillies. Keep stirring till the onions slightly change colour.
- Add the turmeric powder and stir again.
- Add the sprouts, ginger and salt and sauté for a few minutes.
- Garnish with lemon juice, coriander leaves and the murmura.
- Serve hot.
2. Beaten Rice with Sprouts
Poha, or beaten rice is another interesting variation. You can use it in three ways:
- Soaked in water for a few minutes, or
- Roast in little oil till crispy, or
- Deep fry in oil which makes it grow in size
But for this recipe, we use the first option.
Ingredients
- Poha 100 grams soaked in water for just a minute and drained. Keep aside for 20 minutes, covered.
- Rest ingredients are the same, as given for murmura dish.
Method
- Start as before.
- After the sprouts are lightly fried, add the poha.
- Stir lightly and on low flame, keep the pan covered.
- Serve hot!
Tip
If using the other two options for poha, there is no need to mix them while cooking. Simply mix them and enjoy the crunchy breakfast!
3. Spinach Cheese Tawa Toast
This wonderful recipe works best if you have the Iron Tawa (Griddle). Modern lifestyles have almost forgotten the use of this erstwhile beauty. However, you still get the taste on any other tawa.
Whole wheat or Brown Bread and cheese, with spinach is the ideal Indian breakfast recipe as the protein in spinach helps you with satiety and you eat less, paving way for weight loss.
Ingredients
- Brown bread slices 2
- Spinach leaves 100 grams
- Cheese (the one you have in your kitchen) 2 tablespoons
- Boiled and mashed potato, 1 small
- Oil 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon green chillies
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves
- 1 teaspoon each: turmeric powder & grated ginger
- Salt to taste
Method
- Heat the Tawa (griddle) and using 1 tablespoon oil, roast the bread on only one side, and remove.
- Heat the remaining oil and add spinach and stir fry.
- Add the mashed potato, chilies and keep stirring.
- Add the cheese and stir till it melts.
- Fold the cheese properly on the spinach-potato mix.
- Put the cheese mix between two slices (fried sides to the inside)
- Roast both the outward bread slices, so that all remaining oil on the Tawa is absorbed well.
- Serve Hot!
4. Crunchy Peanut Sago Upma
Sago balls or Saboodaana in Hindi, these balls are made up of starch and give an instant energy boost. The peanuts provide healthy protein and the crunch item which spices up the Upma.
Note
- Use roasted peanuts
- Put them in a grinder and give it a whirl, remove the coarsely grinded ones 4 tablespoons
- Give another whirl and remove the almost powdered peanuts.
- Use both in the recipe given below.
Ingredients
- 1 bowl Sago balls
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds or Jeera
- 1 potato, boiled and cut into small pieces
- 1-2 green chilies cut into 1 cm sizes
- 1 bowl of peanuts, roasted and grated as above
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- Coriander leaves and Salt
Method
- Soak the Sago balls in water; keep for 2 minutes and drain. Keep covered for 1 hour.
- Heat the oil in a Wok or Kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
- When the seeds pop, add the potato cubes, turmeric, green chilies and fry them till potatoes turn light brown.
- Add Sago balls and stir fry for a minute then cover the wok for 1 minute.
- Remove the lid and add peanuts and keep stirring.
- Add salt and stir further.
- Garnish with coriander leaves.
- Serve Hot!
5. Light & Fluffy Oats Idli
Idli is the favorite snack for all ages and we give a healthy variation not many would have tried. Here, we reduce the quantity of Rice by half and cover up using Oats. Urad Daal is loaded with dietary fiber, nutrients like potassium, iron and magnesium. The fermented variety also bring additional qualities of b-complex.
Note
Some people like the flaky texture and keep the Oats as they are, whereas other like it as a fine powder. The taste remains the same so you can try either one.
Ingredients
- Split Urad Lentil 50 grams
- Boiled Rice 100 grams
- Oats 100 grams
- Oil for greasing the moulds
- Salt
Method
- Grind the Urad Lentil & Rice till fine powder
- Grind the Oats using 1 or 2 whirls
- Mix all three and adjust water so that the mixture is thick
- Keep it covered in a warm place to ferment. (It may take up to 3 hours)
- Once done, whisk the mixture and then add water to ensure pouring consistency (we have to make them in moulds so add water slowly, checking every time. Too much water and the Idli will not appear like a solid entity)
- Lightly grease the moulds and pour the batter.
- Put these moulds in a pressure cooker, pour 3-4 bowls of water and steam for 10-12 minutes (do not put the weight on the lid, allow the steam to pass freely.
- Put out the flame and allow it to stabilize for 10 minutes
- Serve Hot with Tomato Ketchup or any chutney or lentil soup
Conclusion
Indian breakfasts are always thoughtful and the ingredients are easy to find. The methods too are easy and the only thing missing is variety. We have given you some ideas of healthy Indian breakfast to try and hope you will find them attractive. Happy breakfasting!
