Orissa Breakfasts : A Primer

One Page Cookbooks Orissa Breakfast – A Primer All recipes copyrighted. No reproduction / commercial use without permission. Siramki@Gmail.com
1.: Pakhala Bhat (Fermented rice) To one cup of cooked rice, add two cups of water, three spoons of yogurt and cover. Let ferment for 2-3 hours (or overnight). Mix in two pinches of salt, half a handful of chopped cucumber, a finely chopped green chili and a pinch of mint leaves. The watery portion serves as a refreshing drink – the Turani.	Pakhala Bhat Fermented rice is a popular rural breakfast in Bengal & Orissa. Chakuli, an Orissa specialty, comes in numerous variations. The crepe can be made from flour, a ground batter of rice, lentils or a combination of all these. They can be thick or thin, small or large. Chuda, or pressed rice is a much loved breakfast cereal across most of India. It can be eaten raw, cooked into a stir fry or roasted into a crunchy snack. Upma is made from a wide variety of starches. Rice flakes, bread, sago etc can be cooked into delicious porridges. A sweet version cooked with sugar and milk, is eaten as a dessert across India, but remains a breakfast food in Orissa. Khechidi One pot meals cooked with rice and lentils exist in almost every Indian cuisine. In the Oriya version, rice is cooked with mung dal and coconut. The basic north Indian roti, poori and parathas appear often in an Oriya breakfast. Pitha or cakes are another of Orissa’s signature dishes. Skillet cooked, baked or steamed versions of pithas made from rice, lentils, semolina are popular. Shopping List: 500 gms.(Atta (Wholewheat flour), Maida (refined wheat flour), Semolina, Thin Rice flakes, Thick rice flakes, Rice, Mung dal, Oil) 200 gms ( Carrot, Potato, Fresh Green peas, Cauliflower, Onion, Salt, Sago, Onions, Urad dal, milk, Yogurt) 50 gms (Cashew, raisins, Ghee, ginger, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, Sugar, Mustard, curry leaves, dry red chili, Green chili, cucumber, fennel, cinnamon, lemon, mint, cilantro, turmeric powder, Chili powder, Roasted peanuts) www.ramkicooks.blogspot.com
2.: Instant Chakuli (Crepes) Mix a handful each of maida, gram flour ( besan), semolina ( suji), half a handful of chopped onion, a chopped green chili , two pinches each of salt and chopped coriander leaves. Mix in enough water to make a thick, soupy batter. Heat a non-stick skillet. Pour a ladle of batter and spread thin. Pour half a spoon of oil all around. Cook till holes appear on top. Flip over and cook the other side. Serve with chutney / pickle.
3.: Chuda Upma (Stir fried Rice flakes) Take two handfuls of pressed rice (chuda/ poha). Dunk in water and drain. Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of mustard, curry leaves, a dry red chili and half a handful of chopped onions. Stir and cook till onions brown. Add a pinch of turmeric powder, two pinches of salt and half a handful of grated coconut. Mix in rice flakes. Stir and cook for a minute. (Can use puffed rice / chopped bread in place of rice flakes). If poha is too thin, it’ll turn into mush!
4.: Chuda Bhaja (Crispy rice flakes with mixed vegetables) Heat a pan. Add two handful of thin rice flakes (poha). Stir and roast over medium flame for two minutes. Remove from fire. Heat a spoon of oil. Add half a handful of chopped onion, a pinch of chopped ginger, a chopped green chili, two curry leaves and two pinches of salt. Stir and cook till onions brown. Mix in 1/2 handful of roasted and crushed peanuts & roasted rice flakes. Serve hot.
5.:. Sabudana Upma ( Sago Stir fry) Take a handful of sago. Soak in water for an hour. Drain. Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of mustard, curry leaves, a dry red chili and a a spoon of crushed, roasted peanuts. Add a pinch of turmeric powder, two pinches of salt and half a handful of grated coconut. Mix in soaked sago. Stir well and remove from heat.
6.: Khechidi (Rice and lentil porridge) In a pressure cooker with the lid open, add two spoons of ghee. Add two pinches of cumin, a cardamom and a bit of cinnamon. Add two pinches of chopped ginger, a slit green chili, half a handful of grated coconut, a pinch of turmeric powder and three pinches of salt. Add half a cup of rice, half a cup of split and husked mung dal and three cups of water. Close cooker and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Wait 10 minutes for steam to settle. Open cooker & serve hot. Serve with Chutney / Pickle.
7.: Chittau Pitha (Thick Crepes) Soak a cup of rice in two cups of water overnight. Drain. Blend to a paste with half a handful of coconut, a pinch each of salt, baking powder and four pinches of sugar. Mix in half a cup of milk and stir well to a smooth batter. Let rest for an hour. Heat a non stick skillet. Pour a ladle of batter and spread to a thick disc, like a pancake. Pour half a spoon of ghee all around. Cook on medium flame till bottom starts to brown. Flip over and cook the other side. Serve with chutney / Dalma.
8.: Roti / . Paratha / Poori (North Indian flatbreads ) ( See recipe in Bengali Breakfast – a Primer)
9.: Mitha Suji (Semolina Pudding) Heat a pan. Add half a cup of semolina. Stir and roast for 2 minutes over low flame. Keep aside. Heat five spoons of ghee. Add a crushed cardamom and half a handful of crushed cashew and raisins. Stir and cook for a minute. Add pan. Add a cup of water and half a cup of milk. Bring to a boil. Add half a cup of sugar. Stir and mix well. Gradually stir in the roasted semolina and keep stirring till it resembles a thick batter (will thicken further on cooling). This sweet dish, consumed elsewhere as a dessert is breakfast food in Orissa & served with potato curry !
10.: Saru Chakuli (Thin crepe) Soak a cup of rice and half a cup of skinned whole urad dal in water for 4 hours. Drain water and blend to a paste, pausing often so that the batter does not get heated. Mix in three pinches of salt. Mix in some water if needed, to get the consistency of thick soup. Heat a non stick skillet (tava). Pour a ladleful of batter and spread to a thin round. Pour half a spoon of oil all around. Let cook till bottom browns. Fold in half & cook for a minute more. Serve with chutney. (Or pour the batter, but do not spread it thin. Cook both sides like a pancake and you get a Mota Chakuli).

Indian Breakfasts - Bengal & Bangladesh

One Page Cookbooks West Bengal & Bangladesh Breakfast – A Primer All recipes copyrighted. No reproduction / commercial use without permission. Siramki@Gmail.com
1.: Rice flakes with milk Take two handful of thin rice flakes. Mix in two pinches of sugar and a cup of milk.	Rice flakes Thin rice flakes mixed with milk are a popular breakfast cereal. Thicker flakes are briefly dunked in water and stir fried into the flavourful Chirer Pulao or the simpler Poha. Plain Puffed rice is eaten by itself as a breakfast or mixed with a variety of additives into a tasty salad, the Jhal Muri and eaten as a breakfast or as a snack. Fermented rice Cooked rice covered with water starts fermenting in an hour. Rice fermented for a few hours or even overnight is mixed with yogurt, salt, onion and chili is a popular (and mildly intoxicating) breakfast in rural Bengal and Orissa. Rice – lentil porridge One pot meals cooked with rice and lentils are popular across India. Khichuri in Bengal can be simple or have elaborate flavorings and a medley of vegetables. Skillet cooked flatbread The basic roti popular across north India is common in Bengal. Layered flatbread The basic Roti is layered and shallow fried into parathas. Fried flatbread Rotis normally use wholewheat flour. When deep fried, they are called Pooris. Bengal prefers refined wheat flour ( maida) for its fried breads, the Luchi. The stuffed version is the Kochuri. Shopping List: 500 gms.(Atta (Wholewheat flour), Maida (refined wheat flour), thin Rice flakes, Thick rice flakes, Rice, Mung dal, Oil) 200 gms ( Carrot, Potato, Fresh Green peas, Cauliflower, Onion, Salt, Yogurt) 50 gms (Green chili, fennel, cinnamon, lemon, cilantro, turmeric powder, Chili powder, Roasted peanuts) www.ramkicooks.blogspot.com
2.: Muri (Puffed rice salad ) (Jhal Muri) Take three handfuls of puffed rice. Mix in half a handful of crushed, roasted peanuts, three pinches of grated coconut, a chopped green chili, half a handful of chopped onion and a dash of mustard oil. Serve immediately.
3.: Poha (Simple stir fried rice flakes ) Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of cumin, half a handful of chopped onions. Stir and cook till onions brown. Add half a handful of chopped & boiled potato, a pinch of turmeric powder, chili powder, two pinches of salt and two handfuls of washed and drained poha ( rice flakes). Sprinkle a bit of water. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Mix in two pinches of chopped cilantro ( coriander leaves) and serve.
4.: Panta Bhat (Fermented rice ) To one cup of rice add two cups of water. Let soak for 30 minutes. Add to a pressure cooker and pressure cook for two whistles. Let cool. Add two cups of water and cover. Let ferment for 2-3 hours ( or overnight). Mix in two pinches of salt, half a handful of chopped onions, a finely chopped green chili and a dash of lemon juice / yogurt.
5.:. Chirer Pulao (Stir fried rice flakes with mixed vegetables) Heat a spoon of oil. Add a bit of cinnamon, a pinch of grated ginger. Add half a handful of roast and crushed peanuts, a slit green chili and half a handful of chopped and boiled vegetables (carrot / cauliflower / green peas / potatoes). Add a pinch of turmeric and two pinches of salt. Dunk two handfuls of rice flakes in water for a few seconds. Drain and add to pan. Stir and cook for a minute. Mix in a dash of lemon juice , two pinches of chopped cilantro and serve.
6.: Khichuri (Rice and lentil porridge) Take half a cup of rice and half cup of split mung dal ( or masoor dal).In a pressure cooker with the lid open, add two spoons of ghee. Add two pinches of cumin, a bay leaf and a bit of cinnamon. Add a cup of chopped vegetables (potatoes, cauliflower, carrot, green peas etc). Add four cups of water, a pinch of turmeric powder and three pinches of salt. Close cooker and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Wait for 10 minutes, open cooker and serve hot.
7.: Roti.(Unleavened flatbread ) To four handfuls of wholewheat flour ( atta), mix four pinches of salt, enough water, and knead to a non sticky dough. ( water needed is slightly over half the volume of flour) Rest for an hour. Take a lemon sized ball of dough. Roll out into a thin round. Cook both sides on a hot skillet. (The kneaded dough can be refrigerated for over a week).
8.:. Paratha (Layered, shallow fried flatbread) Take a lemon sized ball of dough. Roll out into a thin round. Brush all over with oil. Fold in half. Brush with oil and fold in half again to look like a triangle. Roll gently and cook both sides on a hot skillet, using ghee / oil.
9.: Luchi (Deep fried flatbread) To four handfuls of maida ( refined wheat flour), mix four pinches of salt, enough water, and knead to a non sticky dough. ( water needed is slightly over half the volume of flour) Rest for an hour. ( Can be refrigerated for up to a week). Pinch off a lemon sized ball of dough. Roll out into a thin round. Heat a cup of oil. Slide in the dough sheet and deep fry both sides till golden. .
10.: Kochuri ( Deep fried, stuffed flatbread) Koraishutir Kochuri Take a handful of fresh green peas. Blend to a paste with a green chili, a pinch each of fennel and two pinches of salt. Shape into small, marble sized balls. Pinch off a lemon sized ball of dough (that you have kneaded for luchi) and roll out into a disc. Place the ball of stuffing in the center. Gather the edges of the dough and pinch together, enclosing the stuffing. Flatten with palm and roll gently into a thin disc. Deep fry both sides in hot oil.

Indian Breakfasts - Bihar & Jharkhand

One Page Cookbooks Bihar & Jharkhand Breakfast – A Primer All recipes copyrighted. No reproduction / commercial use without permission. Siramki@Gmail.com
1.: Sattu .(Roast and powdered gram ) Take a handful of roasted gram. Blend to a powder. This is the much loved Sattu, eaten in numerous ways. Sattu Drink::Take half a handful of sattu. Mix in a cup of water with a finely chopped onion, green chili and two pinches of salt. Or mix half a handful of sattu in a cup of chilled water, the juice of a lemon and two pinches of black salt / sugar. Sattu Meal : Take a handful of sattu. Gradually mix in water to make a stiff dough. Pinch off small balls, dip in curry and eat.	Sattu : Probably the simplest breakfast in the world. It is eaten in numerous ways across Bihar. Choora Dahi : Indians have been eating breakfast cereals for overt 2000 years. Beaten rice / rice flakes can be eaten raw / mixed with cream / yogurt / milk / mango puree. Thin rice flakes are usually eaten raw and thick ones are soaked and cooked. Choora ka Bhuja. Roasted rice flakes make a great crunchy snack and can double as a filling breakfast. Khichidi Rice and lentils are cooked together into a one pot meal across India. Various lentils or combinations of lentils can be used here. Roti / Phulkha / Missi Roti : Bihari roti is no different from a typical north Indian unleavened flatbread. Like Rajasthan, a mix of gram flour and wholewheat flours are kneaded with spices to make the missi roti. Sattu Paratha : The regular stuffed paratha of Punjab gets a Bihari twist with a stuffing of spiced gram flour. Litti : Like the Bati of Rajasthan, thick dough rounds stuffed with spiced gram flour are roasted or deep fried to make this unique Bihari bread. Dal poori : Wholewheat dough is stuffed with spiced dal and deep fried. A wholesome meal with carbohydrate, protein and fat. Kachouri : A popular snack in the north, it is a consumed for breakfast in Bihar. Dal Pitha : The closest we get to stuffed pasta in India. Shopping List: 500 gms (Roasted gram flour, rice flakes, whole wheat flour, rice, mung dal, chana dal, mustard oil). 100 gms (Onion, green chili, salt, sugar, ginger, ghee) 50 gms (Chili powder, turmeric powder, amchoor, cumin, dry red chili, garam masala, ajwain, asafetida, curry leaves) www.ramkicooks.blogspot.com
2.: Choora Dahi .( Rice flakes and yogurt) Take a handful of thin rice flakes. Mix with half a cup of yogurt and three pinches of jaggery / sugar. Eat with a spicy pickle. Replace yogurt with mango puree and it becomes Chura Aam
3.: Choora Ka Bhuja .( Toasted Rice flakes) Heat a spoon of mustard oil. Add half a handful of chopped onion and a finely chopped green chili. Add two handfuls of thin pressed rice ( chura) and two pinches of salt. Stir and cook till rice is crisp.
4.: Khichidi (Rice and lentil porridge) Basic Recipe : Mung dal Khichidi In a pressure cooker with lid open, heat a spoon of ghee. Add a pinch of cumin, a bit of cinnamon, a clove, a pinch of chopped ginger, a bay leaf, a slit green chili, a pinch of turmeric & three pinches of salt. Add half a cup of mung dal and a half a cup of rice. Add four cups of water. Close and pressure cook for three whistles. Let cool and open cooker. Mix well and serve with its companions yogurt, papad, ghee or pickles. (khichdi ke chaar yaar - dahi, papad, ghee aur achaar). Use tuvar / masoor / chana dal or a combo of all.
5.: Roti .(Unleavened flatbread ) Take a cup of whole-wheat flour. Mix in three pinches of salt. Gradually add water ( around ½ cup) and knead to a soft dough. Pinch off lemon sized balls, roll them into thin rounds and cook both sides on a hot skillet till brown spots appear. (Toast both sides over naked flame and you have a phulkha). Mix in gram flour, chili powder and turmeric powder and it becomes a missi roti. Serve with dal / curry.
6.: Sattu Paratha.( Unleavened flatbread stuffed with spiced gram flour) ) 1.Take a handful of sattu flour. Mix in half a spoon of mustard oil, a grated onion, a pinch of grated ginger, amchoor, two pinches of salt and chili powder. 2. Mix well and shape into lemon sized balls. Roll a tomato sized ball of whole-wheat dough into a thin disc. place the sattu ball in the center, gather the edges of the dough and pinch, sealing in the sattu. 3. Press gently into a thick disc. 4. Roll into a thin sheet. Cook both sides on a hot skillet.
7.: Litti .( Roasted buns stuffed with spiced gram flour) Follow steps 1 to 4 in the recipe for Sattu Paratha. Make half a dozen discs and place all on a hot skillet. Cook both sides on medium flame till the surface browns. Or bake in an oven till surface browns. Or deep fry both sides till golden. Serve with Chokha / Bhartha.
8.:. Dal Poori (Deep fried stuffed flatbread) Basic Recipe : 1. Take half a cup of channa dal. Add a cup of water and pressure cook for three whistles. Drain water. 2. Add dal to a blender with a pinch of cumin, a dry red chili, a pinch of turmeric powder, two pinches of garam masala and salt. 3. Blend to a coarse paste. 4. Shape into tight lemon sized balls. 5. Roll a tomato sized ball of whole-wheat dough into a thin disc. Place the channa ball in the center, gather the edges of the dough and pinch, sealing in the dal. 6. Press gently into a thick disc. 7. Roll into a thin sheet. Deep fry both sides.
9.: Kachouri (Deep fried dumplings) Basic Recipe : Take a handful of whole wheat flour. Mix in a handful of gram flour ( besan), four spoons of oil, a pinch of ajwain and two pinches of salt. Gradually add water and knead into a soft dough. Pinch off lemon sized balls. Roll into palm sized discs and deep fry both sides in oil. Serve with Ghughni / chutney. ( Replace flours with Suji for Suji Kachori)
10.: Dal Pitha (Boiled & Stir fried dumplings ) Follow steps 1 to 6 exactly in above recipe for Dal Poori. Bring six cups of water to a boil. Add the discs and cook for 10 minutes. Drain water. Let cool and cut into pieces. Heat a spoon of ghee. Add two pinches of mustard seeds, a pinch of curry leaves and asafetida. Add chopped pithas and stir fry for a minute. Serve with chutney.

1001 Muesli Recipes

This cookbook lists 1000 Budget friendly Muesli recipes . Click the image to view and print the cookbook.

This One pager for Anu, whose idea resulted in this cookbook. 

Muesli is a breakfast cereal usually made from rolled oats, fruit and nuts, eaten mixed with yogurt or milk. Introduced by a Swiss physician in 1900, it soon became a popular breakfast cereal in the west. Filled with fruit, whole grains and nuts, muesli is a healthy way to start the day.

The original Bircher - Benner Muesli recipe: A spoon of rolled oats, a spoon of lemon juice, a spoon of sweet cream, a spoon of crushed nuts (hazelnuts / almonds) and a grated sour apple - all mixed together.

Cereal flakes are made by steaming and flattening cereals. This process partially cooks the cereal. Though corn flakes are the most popular, all cereals can be flaked/ rolled. All of these can be mixed in with muesli.

Toasting cereals : Heat a pan. Add a handful of rolled/ flaked cereals. Stir and toast 5 minutes on medium heat.

                               

Probably because most consumers do not realize how simple it is to make Muesli, manufacturers make a killing on it. A kg of packaged Muesli  nearly 10 times the cost of the ingredients.

With dry fruits / nuts, rice flakes, corn flakes and oat flakes being available at dirt cheap rates, all you need to do is to mix them up to have your own muesli. Muesli lasts for months and needs no refrigeration. So you can easily mix up a big batch on a lazy Sunday and live off it for months. If you mix in some powdered milk while mixing muesli, all you need to do is to add water while eating. This then becomes an ideal travel / camping food and an emergency meal. Have a small pack in your office / car / briefcase and you have food security! Just three handfuls of muesli can power your body for a full day!

Fresh fruits can really liven up muesli. Use loads of fresh, seasonal fruits with muesli and you’ll never go back to oily / heavy breakfasts again!

1001 Quickie Breakfasts

Quickie Breakfasts
I've been a big fan of quick breakfast recipes, which can be cooked under five minutes. The trick is to use ready to eat food ( Bread/ corn flakes / puffed rice ) or preprocessed food ( Rice flakes/ couscous ) or leftovers ( idli / parota / pasta). Just flavour these and throw in some veggies , stir fry all together and your breakfast is ready in a jiffy. And this goes as my entry for  for Divya's Show me your breakfast event & The Singing Chef's Weekend Express Breakfasts.

Here are the model recipes for 1001 Quick breakfasts with detailed recipes and great photos

Priya's Aloo Poha
Padma's Atukulu Upma
Raaga's Mixed Vegetable Poha
Anuradha's different take on Rice flakes
Kanda Poha recipe with a writeup on rice flakes
Vanaja's Kurmura Ugrani
Laavanya's Idli Upma with a nice technique to crumble Idlis
Meena's Pasta Upma
Jasmine's Cuscous Upma
Mahima's Kothu Parota
Preeti's Cornflake Upma
Deepa's Bread Upma

Full Meal Salads

This cookbook lists 1000 simple salads that can serve as a full meal. Ten different bases are paired with ten different additives and ten different dressings to create a thousand different salads. Easy salads like Panzella (recipe # 023), Tabuleh (recipe # 343):: Pasta Salad (recipe # 612) :: Corn Salad (recipe # 412) :: Couscous Salad (recipe # 228) can be quickly created using this cookbook.

The base:
A variety of cereals / cabbohydrate sources like beans & potatoes as listed in column 1 can be used as a base
The additives :
Almost anything edible can go into a salad. Some common additives are listed in column 2.
Dressing :
Dressing acts as the sauce and makes the salads extra delicious. A variety of simple dressings listed in column 3 can be used.

Cooking Couscous (Semolina granules) Pour one cup of boiling water to one cup of readymade, quick cook couscous. Cover for five minutes. Fluff up with a fork.
Cooking Bulgur (steamed, dried & crushed wheat). Add three cups of boiling water to one cup of bulgur. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain water.
Cooking Corn: Microwave whole corn with husk, on the highest setting for 2-3 minutes. Let cool. Remove husk and silk. Use a sharp knife and cut down the sides, cutting out the kernels.
Cooking Potato: Peel and chop potato into cubes. Microwave covered for 3 – 5 minutes or add to boiling water and cook for 3 – 5 minutes till they are tender. Drain water.
Cooking Pasta: Add a handful of pasta in a liter of boiling water with four pinches of salt. Stir. Cook for 4 – 8 minutes, stirring occasionally till it is done. Drain and rinse in cold water.
Cooking Rice: Add a cup of rice and two cups of water to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook on medium flame for two whistles. Let cool. Puffed rice / rice flakes need no cooking.
Cooking Millets : To three cups of water, add three pinches of salt and a cup of hulled, ready to cook millets ( Pearl / Foxtail / Proso / Finger millet). Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes till all water is absorbed. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool.
Cooking Barley: To three cups of water, add three pinches of salt and a cup of pearl barley ( hulled, fast cooking barley). Cook on medium heat for 10 – 12 minutes till all water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and let cool.

Salad Tips :
• Mix in dressing just before serving
• Hollowed out fruits like water melon / squash serve as great salad bowls.
• The base should not be cooked very soft as it will absorb the dressing and become mushy. A slightly undercooked base is perfectly okay.
• New potatoes are perfect for salads.
• Remove as much water from the base as possible before mixing it into the salad. You can use large paper towel lined pans for this purpose.
• All salads above can be served cold or at room temperature.

The ‘Indian fried dressing’ or Tadka adds a lot of crunch and a burst of extra flavour to any of the salads above. Heat a spoon of oil, add a pinch of cumin / mustard. Mix in with the salad just before serving.

And that's my second submission for Divya's Show me your breakfast event.