Traditional North Indian Breakfast Dishes

Now, for some of my favorite North Indian Breakfast Dishes.

The usual North Indian breakfast consists of paratha breads with fresh butter, cooked spicy vegetables especially aloo sabji (Potato).


Try these out and enjoy!

Methi Puri
INGREDIENTS

1 (100 g) cup wheat flour
1 cup fenugreek leaves, finely cut
3 tablespoons coriander leaves, finely cut
1 pinch turmeric powder
water
ghee (to fry)

DIRECTIONS

1. Sift flour in a bowl.
2.Mix the rest of the ingredients with 1 tsp.
ghee
3. Make a soft dough using water.
4. Knead well for 15-20 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into 20 portions.
6. Shape them into round balls.
7. Roll out each ball on a floured board into a round puri 4" (10cms) in diameter.
8. Heat ghee in a deep frying pan. (Use low calorie oil for those who are health conscious)
9. Fry 1 or 2 puris at a time until it turns golden brown.
10. Serve hot with raita and a vegetable dish


Naan Bread

INGREDIENTS
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
4. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

Fruit Chaat

This is a refreshing summer salad with a twist. It will go well with any Indian barbeque meal. Serve it before, along or after the meal. It is a very versatile dish.

INGREDIENTS
1 Apple - (red delicious) - Skinned and cubed into 1/2 inch cubes
1 Pear- Skinned and cubed into 1/2 inch cubes
2 Oranges - Remove skin from the segments and half each segment
3\4 cup fresh Pomegranate seeds
1 cup Green seedless grapes
1 cup Red seedless grapes
1 ripe Mango - Skinned and cubed into 1/2 inch cubes
2 Bananas - cut into round slices, approx 1 cm thick
1 tsp Salt
3 tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Chaat masala or to taste
Juice of 2 lemons and 2 oranges

DIRECTIONS

Mix the two juices, salt, sugar, and chaat masala well in a large serving bowl. Add all the fruits one by one into the bowl. Mix well. Garnish with mint leaves and chill well before serving.


Yogurt based stuffed okra

INGREDIENTS

1/4 kg tender lady fingers (okra/bhendi)

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 slit green chillis

3 cloves garlic finely minced

1″ ginger finely minced

2 big onions finely sliced

1/4 tsp turmeric pwd

1/2 tsp kashmiri chilli pwd

1/2 tsp coriander pwd

2 tomatoes finely chopped

1 tbsp ghee (you can use a wee bit more)

salt to taste

2 tbsp hung curd

For stuffing:

1 1/2 tbsps roasted channa powder (dalia/putnala pappu)

1 1/2 tbsps chaat masala

1 tsp ghee

pinch of salt

For garnish:

chopped coriander leaves

pinch of chaat masala

1 tbsp lemon juice (adjust)

DIRECTIONS

1 Wash and dry the okra. Trim the okra top and ends and make a slit in the center for stuffing.
2 Combine the roasted channa powder, chaat masala, salt and ghee and stuff the okras. Drizzle a kadai with some oil, on high heat, add the stuffed okras and constantly keep stirring them for approx 6-7 mts till they are nicely browned. Turn off heat. Remove and keep aside.
3 Heat ghee in a kadai, add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add the ginger, garlic and green chillis. Saute for a few seconds.
4 Add the sliced onions and saute till transparent. Add the turmeric and red chilli pwd. Combine.
5 Add the tomatoes and salt, combine and cook covered for 5-7 mts on medium heat (do check and stir inbetween).
6 Add the slightly cooked stuffed okras and cook on medium heat for 4-5 mts (uncovered). Now, on high flame, keep stirring and cook till the okras are soft and done (approx 8-10 mts).
7 Turn off heat, adjust salt and chaat masala. Add the lemon juice and mix in the hung curd. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with hot rotis or rice.

Dum Aloo

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 kg Small potatoes
• 1 Small piece of cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
• 2 Cardamom
• A pinch of asfoetida
• 4 Cardamoms
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
• 1 Medium size onion
• 2 Cup fine curd
• 4-5 Cloves
• 7-8 Black pepper
• 4-5 Bay Leaves
• 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
• 4 tbsp Ghee or oil
• 1/2 Cup milk
• Salt to taste


DIRECTIONS
• Make a fine powder of cardamoms, black pepper, coriander seeds, caraway seeds, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon by the help of a blender.
• Remove the peel from potatoes and prick them.
• Take oil in a frying pan and heat it for about one minute. Fry the potatoes on a medium heat until their color changes from white to light brown. Keep it aside.
• Add grated onion, asafoetida, bay leaves and ginger-garlic paste to the remaining oil. Fry the mixture till the paste turns reddish brown.
• Add the masala prepared in first step to this mixture and heat for about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add turmeric, chilli powder and salt. Fry again for about a minute.
• Now pour the milk to make gravy followed by adding fine curd. Keep stirring continuously.
• You can pour little water if the gravy appears too thick.
• Now add pricked potatoes to this gravy and cook in a pressure cooker. Remove from the flame after 4 to 5 minutes just before the first whistle.
• Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves.
• Dum Aloo is ready to serve.