Tag: Breakfast

Poha by Ankitha Gadag

Poha is a traditional South Indian breakfast made with minimal ingredients. The ayurvedic turmeric gives it a beautiful golden color while the warmed cumin adds a depth of flavor.

While Poha goes by a variety of names in South India (Pohay, Chuda Santula, Kande Pohey, Avalakki, etc), the ingredients and flavor profile tend to be the same across the board. In it’s essence, Poha is a spicy rice dish with peanuts that is best served with a piping hot cup of masala chai (mmmm…).

This dish takes me back to my Aunt’s home in Davengere, Karnataka. She is an incredible cook who loves to feed everyone around her. This was one of my favorite dishes to eat around an evening snack-time (although traditionally eaten during breakfast). Today, this dish is something I serve to my friends during a weekend brunch, just so they can experience some of my favorite foods growing up 🙂

Without further adieu, let’s get started!

You’ll need:

Please note: These items can all be found in your local Asian-Indian grocery store

  1. Poha ( Puffed Rice – this one is my favorite) : about 4 cups
  2. Thai green chillies or serranos ( depending on your spice level, I use 4-5 green TC, use less for serranos) : Roughly chopped
  3. Dry, Unsalted Peanuts: 1/4 cup
  4. Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
  5. Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
  6. Onion: 1/2 fine diced
  7. Hing (asofetida) : 1/2 tsp
  8. Turmeric: 1 tsp
  9. Curry Leaves: ~10 leaves torn
  10. Squirt of lemon juice (optional)
  11. Aloo bujia (optional)

To get started:

  1. Start by soaking the poha in a colander with cold water. This helps the texture of the dish go from crunchy to a chewy consistency.
  2. In a shallow pan, warm up roughly two tablespoons of ghee. (Any form of oil you have on hand can be used, but ghee makes a difference in flavor)
  3. In low heat, start by tempering the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they start popping, add in your chilies, curry leaves and saute for a couple of mins.
  4. Next, change the heat setting to medium-high, and add in the peanuts. The trick here is to roast the peanuts without burning them, so watch carefully.
  5. Now, add in your onions, turmeric and hing. Reduce heat to medium and let cook for 4 – 5 mins until golden brown.
  6. Salt your drained poha (to taste) and add in to the mixture. Turn off stove. Top of with lemon juice and combine.
  7. Enjoy! I love to serve this dish with aloo bujia. This crispy potato snack makes a huge difference so highly recommend!

Breakfast Veggie Scramble

How to make quick easy scrambled eggs with veggies and cheese

Despite the title, eggs are an all day food. Breakfast eggs, Lunch eggs, and Dinner eggs – this is the typical diet of my vegetarian friends. Eggs come in so many  different forms as well – scrambled eggs, eggs benedict, eggs over easy, fried eggs, omelette… the possibilities are endless. This particular recipe will hopefully inspire your creativity with eggs and help you incorporate a lot of great veggies into your diet.

Ingredients:

-Eggs (2 )

-Garlic (1 clove)

-Onion (1/4th)

-Spinach (handful)

-Bell Peppers (1/4th)

-Jalapenos (1)

-Parmesan cheese (handful)

-any other greens of your choice (kale, swiss chard, asparagus etc)

*Optional: Morningstar Veggie Sausage

scrambled-eggs-breakfast

 

Method:

  1. Start with a little olive oil. Add your favorite spices when you heat the oil. I use a dash of basil, oregano, salt, pepper, chipotle/paprika/cayenne (one of these)
  2. Once fragrant, add in your chopped vegetables. Cook for at least 5 mins20160730_101558-01
  3. Add in the eggs
  4. Make sure you are cooking on LOW heat. This is key to avoid overcooking your eggs and keeping them moist. Cook till the eggs are scrambled, but still a tad runny
  5. Now add in the Parmesan cheese. You can turn off the heat and cover till the cheese is melted