Breakfast Dishes Archives - Indian Vegan Cookbook

Dadpe Pohe

Coconut is a great source of natural fats and lots of fibre. Fibre helps in digestion as well as regulating the absorption of nutrients.

Peanuts are a great source of plant protein and enhance the nutritional value of poha. Peanuts are packed with healthy fat, high-quality protein, and potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and B vitamins. Peanut skins also contain antioxidants. Peanuts are best eaten raw after soaking and not roasted.

Sabudana Khichdi

Sabudana is high in both calories and carbohydrates and is therefore an excellent source of quick energy. It’s great before a workout because it’s a wonderful source of energy and after a heavy workout as it delays fatigue. It is said to improve endurance too. Just make sure it isn’t made in a lot of oil. Because it is gluten free, it is good for people with Celiac disease as it doesn’t cause any discomfort like bloating, diarrhoea or stomach pain. In fact, the dietary fibre it contains helps digestion. It can help weight gain in a healthy manner if eaten in larger quantities. The high content of potassium in it may help improve heart health by flushing out sodium thus lowering blood pressure. As a great source of calcium, it is fed to babies over a year old to develop stronger bones and may also help prevent osteoporosis.

Peanuts are packed with healthy fat, high-quality protein, and potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and B vitamins. Peanut skins also contain antioxidants. Peanuts are best eaten raw and not roasted.

Potatoes are rich in compounds like flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acids, which are antioxidants and help to neutralize potentially harmful molecules known as free radicals. Potato skins are alkaline in nature so it’s best to leave them on.

Upma with Vegetables

Wheat has been used in various forms, especially ground roughly or fine for centuries. Some people find it difficult to digest wheat because of the gluten in it. Wheat is easier to digest when eaten with a lot of vegetables that contain the fibre. Wheat contains relatively high amounts of protein, dietary fiber, carbohydrates and minerals like calcium. It also contains micronutrients like magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and B vitamins. Wheat kernels have three parts: the bran (outer layer), the germ (core of the kernel), and the endosperm (starchy middle layer). White flour is made by removing the bran and the germ leaving only the endosperm which contains only protein, carbohydrates, and a small number of B vitamins and minerals. The bran and germ layers that are removed are rich in fiber, B vitamins, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and minerals like iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium. Therefore, it is best to eat whole wheat than refined flour/maida as well as eat it with a lot of vegetables.

Teel Poli (Sweet Sesame Seed Flat Bread)

The combination of sesame seeds and jaggery is a very common one in India and is used to make many traditional sweet dishes.
Sesame seeds contain protein, fiber, and healthy fats and are rich in calcium. Calcium is an essential mineral that supports the health and function of muscles, hormones, blood vessels and nerves. One tablespoon of sesame seeds provides 87.8 mg of calcium. Both the calcium and magnesium in the seeds may help to reduce blood pressure. Sesame seeds also provide B vitamins, vitamin E, and antioxidants. Sesame seeds are eaten as they are or are added as an ingredient to meals. Sesame seed oil is also used in cooking.
Jaggery is made using traditional methods of pressing and distilling palm or sugar cane juice. In India it is mainly made from sugar cane juice. Though jaggery contains more nutrients than refined sugar (which is only empty calories) because of its molasses content, it is still mostly sugar. The nutrients it contains are in small quantities and so any extra nutrients you get from jaggery come with a lot of calories and so should be eaten in moderation.

Sardali Vaday

Urad dal is a very common lentil or as we call it a pulse that is found in almost each South Indian home. It is used in the whole or split forms both with and without the black skin on. Urad dal has a good number of amino acids and gets a complete protein profile with all amino acids when combined with a grain like rice. It has a low glycaemic index and because it also contains indigestible fibre it helps in maintaining sugar levels by releasing energy slowly. It is a good source of carbohydrates, iron, calcium and smaller amounts of lipids, all of which may support the growth of bones and help improve heart conditions. Urad dal when eaten with its skin on is a good source of prebiotics as the indigestible skin stimulates the growth of helpful bacteria in the intestine thus improving gut health. Antioxidants such as polyphenols in urad dal may help reduce the impact of free radicals that damage cells thus preventing conditions like cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and atherosclerosis, and the phenolics, tannins, flavonoids, and phytic acid may help keep the liver and kidney in good order.
Chana is eaten in both the whole and split forms and as besan or the ground form all over India. It is considered to be a great source for muscular health and better immunity as it has 13 grams of protein in every 100 grams. The folate in chana dal may help prevent diseases like stroke, dementia, and depression and the calcium in it can help in preventing osteoporosis and improve bone density. Like urad dal, chana dal has a good amount of fibre and a low glycaemic index making it a good option for maintaining sugar levels and increasing the feeling of satiety faster. The healthy fats in chana have antioxidant properties that may help reduce inflammation. Most importantly, pulses help restore soil fertility by fixing nitrogen in it.

Masala Pohe (Spicy Pressed Rice)

Poha is made by soaking the rice and then flattening and drying it. It can be considered to be an uncooked form of rice yet doesn’t really need to be cooked to be consumed. It has a reasonable amount of carbohydrates, some potassium, sodium and protein, and is easily digested. Coconut is a great source of natural fats and lots of fibre. Fibre helps in digestion as well as regulating the absorption of nutrients.

Kelyachi Muluke (Banana Fritters)

Bananas are well known for their health benefits and are therefore an excellent food for babies and children too. They are rich in potassium and magnesium that may help manage blood pressure and in turn diabetes, lower the risk of stroke, and keep your bones healthy. The soluble fibre in them can help keep your cholesterol and blood pressure in check, and help ease inflammation. A ripe banana is a good source of prebiotics or in other words the carbs that feed the good bacteria in the gut, helping to keep it in a healthy condition, pectin (another fibre) may help prevent constipation and soften stools, and the relatively high content of Vitamin C in them helps protect you from the effect of free radicals.
It’s important to note that you should always have them on an empty stomach, especially to reverse lifestyle diseases like hypertension and diabetes.

Uppit (pronounced oo-pit)

In Northern India coarsely ground wheat is called sooji, and in South India, it is called rava. Semolina is made out of whole wheat and is therefore much better than refined flour. Semolina as it is called in English is used in many Indian dishes both sweet and savory.

Ragi (Nachni) Porridge (Finger Millet Porridge)

Millets are small-seeded grasses or cereal-grains that have been grown for centuries. They are popular because they grow in many adverse conditions like in arid climates. There are a variety of millets grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Ragi or nachni (finger millet) is one of these ancient millets and is mostly grown and consumed in Karnataka, and to a limited extent in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Goa. It has different names in local languages. In India finger millet is commonly called by various names like ragi (in Kannada, Telugu and Hindi), also Mandua/Mangal in Hindi, Kodra (Himachal Pradesh), Mandia (Oriya), Taidalu (in Telangana region), Kezhvaragu in Tamil etc. It is used in a variety of dishes from porridges, rotis, sweet puddings and laddoos to name a few. More recently, it is being used in making puffed ragi grains which is then used as a breakfast cereal or in snacks like chivda, etc.

Millets are gluten free, boasts high protein, fiber, and antioxidant contents and therefore have numerous health benefits, including helping to lower your blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Ragi or nachni is an excellent source of natural calcium which especially helps in strengthening bones for growing children and aging people and in the maintenance of bone health in adults. Regular consumption of finger millet was part of the traditional Indian diet for centuries. It may help keep diseases such as osteoporosis at bay and could reduce the risk of fracture.

Red Rice Poha with Vegetables

Eating plenty of vegetables may be one of the simplest ways to improve health and well-being. They provide energy, vitamins, minerals and fibre and additional health benefits from phytonutrients. Vegetables are also naturally low in fat, salt and sugar, making them an excellent food choice. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, yams and sweet corn contain higher levels of carbohydrates and are higher in energy (kilojoules) because of their carbohydrate content. Vegetables lose a lot of their nutritional value when cooked so it’s best to eat them in their original form as far as possible or at least cook them the least degree that you can.
Red rice poha is also rich in fibre, carbohydrates and iron. It’s a great ingredient to add to a meal to give the feeling of satiety along with nutrients.