21 breakfast recipes to get you through the lockdown

1/10

Day 1: Overenthusiastic oats idli 

You’ve probably recovered from the shock and trauma of spending 21 whole days inside your home. You’re also mildly excited.

So you walk out of your room, convinced you’re the queen of breakfasts. It’s time to make use of all the recipes you’ve bookmarked over the years.

Start easy and try something familiar with a healthy twist – idli made with oats.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oats
• 1/2 litre curd (slightly sour)
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp urad dal
• 1/2 tbsp channa dal
• 1/2 tbsp oil
• 2 tsp green chillies (finely chopped)
• 1 cup carrots, grated
• 2 tbsp coriander (finely chopped)
• 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp salt
• A pinch of fruit salt

Directions:

1. On a pan, dry roast the oats until they turn slightly brown and then powder the oats in a mixer.
2. In another pan, add oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, and roast until the mustard seeds begin to splutter and the dals toast.
3. To this, add the chopped chillies, coriander and grated carrots.
4. Add the turmeric powder and fry for a minute.
5. Add this spice mix to the powdered oats mixture, and add the curd to it to form a batter.
6. You can add as much curd to the mixture to achieve the consistency similar to that of idli batter, but do not add water.
7. Grease the idli steamer plates with oil and pour in the batter.
8. Steam the idlis for 15 minutes.
9. To know if the idli is cooked, poke it with a knife, and if the batter does not stick to the knife then it’s cooked.
10. Once done, remove the idlis and serve with chutney.

Recipe: Food.ndtv.com

2/10

Photo credit: The Girl Next Door/Instagram

Day 2: Puffed (and still quite chuffed) rice upma

After yesterday’s reality check that proved work from home actually involves working, the enthusiasm might’ve dipped, but today you’re all equipped with a healthy meal plan.

Your second innings breakfast is a fuss-free puffed rice upma, that you can prep the night before. This is also the closest you’ll get to eating chaat before noon without being at the receiving end of all those healthy Hetals’ disapproving tch-tchs.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup puffed rice
• 1 onion (sliced)
• 1 tbsp raw peanuts
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 green chilies
• 8 to 10 curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp urad dal
• 1/2 tsp chana dal
• 2 whole red chillies
• Pinch of hing
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Wash puffed rice and squeeze out the excess water and keep aside.If using thick puffed rice, soak in water for two to three minutes and then squeeze out the excess water.
2. In a pan add one teaspoon of oil, after oil gets hot, add peanuts. Once the peanuts turn golden brown, add the dals , mustard seeds, chili, curry leaves and hing.
3. Add sliced onion and sauté until golden brown. Then add salt and turmeric.
4. Add puffed rice and mix well. Finally add the lemon juice and mix.
5. Serve hot or cold.

Recipe: flavouredfusion/Instagram

3/10

Photo credit: Kajal's Kitchen/Instagram

Day 3: Tie-dye pinwheel puris

Pull out your “best mom in the world” sash. Not only will you manage to keep the kids engaged, but you can sneak some veggies into their breakfast without them getting a whiff of it.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch spinach
• 2 beetroots
• 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• 3 tsp oil
• 3 cups wheat flour
• 2 cups oil (for frying)

Directions:

1. Blend cleaned spinach leaves into a puree, and strain it.
2. Add one cup of wheat flour, some salt, and one teaspoon of oil into the spinach juice, and knead into a dough.
3. Grate the beetroot, strain it and extract juice. Add one cup of wheat flour, one salt, one teaspoon of oil, and carom seeds, and knead into a dough.
4. Knead plain wheat flour into a dough like you usually do for puris.
5. Take half of the spinach dough and roll it out using a rolling pin.
6. Do the same with the beetroot and plain dough.
7. Place all three rotis on top of each other – spinach at the bottom, plain in the middle, and beetroot on top.
8. Roll all of them together to make a tight roll.
9. Cut the roll into pinwheel-like structures.
10. Take a pinwheel and roll it out with a rolling pin. It should form a flat roti with green, pink and white spirals on it.
11. Fry puris in hot oil, and serve.

Recipe: Kajal’s Kitchen

4/10

Photo credit: Photo: Mytastycurry.com

Day 4: Barely-awake bread poha

It’s day four, and you’re beginning to feel like Tom Hanks from Castaway. Wilson, the football, has been replaced by Shyam the succulent, who is now all caught up with everything you’ve ever thought, felt, and experienced.

With the one teaspoon of enthusiasm you have left, head to the kitchen, grab everyone’s favourite carb – bread – and everything else you can get your hands on, and whip up some good ol’ poha.

Ingredients:

• Bread (sliced)
• 100 g paneer (cut into small pieces)
• 30 g peanuts (roasted)
• 100 g red onions (sliced)
• 200 g tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt
• 1 green chilli (finely chopped) (optional)
• 1 – 2 tbsp coriander (chopped)
• 50 g fresh pomegranate (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to the pan.
2. When mustard seeds start spluttering, add sliced onion to the pan, and cook for two to three minutes over medium heat till the onions become translucent.
3. Now add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt, mix well and immediately add chopped tomatoes.
4. Cook this masala for five to six minutes over medium heat till the tomatoes become soft. Add a tablespoon or two of water if required, and cook for two more minutes.
5. Now add cubed paneer and cook for one minute, then add cubed bread.
6. Mix everything together gently and cook for a minute or so.
7. Top with chopped green chilli, peanuts, fresh pomegranate, and chopped coriander leaves, and serve hot.

Recipe: Mytastycurry.com

5/10

Photo credit: Anjali's Kitchenette/Instagram

Day 5: Slightly-sinful sabudana thalipeeth (pancake)

Only fried food can make you feel whole now. The rom-com binges haven’t done much to curb your need for comfort food.

While dusting, you chance upon the Sanjeev Kapoor cookbook your mom handed to you the day you moved out of home.

So for the sake of nostalgia, and love for potato-induced naps, sabudana thalipeeth becomes your first lockdown cheat day pick.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sabudana (soaked)
• 3 tbsp peanuts (roasted)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp coriander (chopped)
• A pinch of sugar
• Salt to taste
• 2 green chillies
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 boiled potatoes
• Ghee

Directions:

1. Mix everything together to make a batter.
2. Make even balls out of the batter.
3. Add ghee to a plastic cling wrap and make patties out of the batter on top of it.
4. Flatten them out into pancakes.
5. Add ghee to a pan and heat it up.
6. Place your sabudana pancake with the help of the cling wrap (so it stays in shape) into the pan and fry until golden brown.

Recipe: Sanjeev Kapoor/Instagram

6/10

Photo credit: Nikldn/Unsplash

Day 6:  Bas hogaya banana pancakes 

The charm of work from home has worn off, and the pantry seems scantier than expected (thanks to your constant need to snack). The kids have begun to complain too.

Now you have to make a breakfast that is pantry-efficient, a crowd pleaser, and involves bananas (because after today those bananas won’t ripen anymore, they will RIP-en).

And that’s when the banana pancakes sweep in and save the day.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium ripe banana
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp flour

Directions:

1. Add the flour to a medium sized bowl, and keep it aside.
2. In another bowl, mash the banana. Add the mashed banana to the dry flour, mix well, while ensuring that there are no lumps.
3. Beat the egg in another bowl.
4. Add the whisked egg also to the banana flour mixture and combine all the ingredients to form the pancake batter.
5. Heat a non-stick pan and add one small ladle of batter onto it (if you are not using non-stick pan, you may need to grease the pan with a little oil or butter).
6. Cook on medium heat for about a minute, gently flip and cook the other side for another minute.
7. Serve the pancakes with toppings of your choice.

Recipe: Recipe-garden.com

7/10

Photo credit: Gobblegrams/Instagram

Day 7: Folds – the good kind and bad

Things almost seem mechanical now. And your arms are more toned than ever. The credit obviously goes to all the scrubbing, washing and folding of clothes that has begun to take up a chunk of your day.

The folding has also made its way into the kitchen. And you find yourself folding your roti to form a little parcel that holds within a delicious offering of spiced eggs.

Folds are making an appearance elsewhere too, but the pyjama dress code is helping you keep those a secret…for now.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp oil
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup onions (chopped)
• 1/2 cup tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 green chilli (chopped)
• Coriander (chopped)

Directions:

1. Add the wheat flour, all purpose flour, salt, two teaspoons of oil and half a cup of water into a bowl and mix.
2. Knead the dough, add one teaspoon of oil, knead again. Let it rest for five minutes.
3. In another bowl, break one egg, add the chopped onions, tomatoes, green chilli, and the coriander. Add salt to taste.
4. Beat the mixture with a whisk or mix well with a spoon.
5. Sprinkle flour on the surface where you will make the roti.
6. Divide the dough into equal balls and start rolling the roti.
7. Fry the roti in the pan and brush with oil before flipping.
8. Add the egg mixture on top of the cooked side and fold the sides of the roti to trap the mixture in an envelope.
9. When stable enough, flip and cook the other side.
10. Serve with a sprinkle of coriander.

Recipe: Gobblegrams/Instagram

8/10

Photo credit: Dan Counsell/Unsplash

Day 8: A bowlful of humble homemade granola

Eight days of lockdown have turned you into a grown adult. So you decide to make every fitness blogger’s favourite food that you can store for almost a month.

Also, it looks pretty in a bowl with yogurt and fruits, and a little Insta cred never hurt anybody.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut or olive oil
• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups of rolled oats
• 1 cup of sliced almonds
• 1 cup of raisins (whole) or other dry fruits (chopped)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 300°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 300°F.
2. Whisk the oil, honey, cinnamon, and salt together. Place the oil, honey, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Add the oats and almonds and stir to coat.
4. Spread the oats out onto the prepared baking sheet. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. If the granola is clumpy, use a spatula to press it into the pan.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Bake, stirring halfway through, for about 20 minutes total. The granola is ready when golden-brown and the almonds have toasted — it will still feel wet coming out of the oven but will dry as it cools.
6. Take it out of the oven, add the fruit, press down, and cool. Place the baking tray on a wire rack and sprinkle on the raisins or fruit. If you want clumps of granola, press and tamp down the granola before it cools, which will help it stick together. Cool completely before storing.
7. Store in an airtight container. Transfer the cooled granola to an airtight container for long-term storage at room temperature.

Recipe: Thekitchn.com

9/10

Photo credit: Photo: Anahita Dhondy

Day 9: Time for the not-so-terrible torai

You’ve consumed all the fun veggies and are slowly unearthing the vegetables you bought with the intention of being healthy without ever knowing or trying to know what one does with them.

Chef Anahita Dhondy‘s (Chef Partner at Sodabottleopenerwala) chilli garlic torai and its kick will snap you out of your slumber, so you can get some work done.

Ingredients:

• A few cloves of garlic
• 1 torai (diced)
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• Paprika
• Salt
• Pepper
• Ketchup
• Red chilli paste
• Jaggery
• Whatever vegetables you have (raw and chopped)

Directions:

• Scrape/peel off the skin of the torai
• Chop it up along with onion and garlic.
• Heat up the oil in a pan.
• Throw in the garlic and the onion and sauté till brown.
• Add in the torai.
• Add the chilli paste, paprika, salt, pepper, ketchup and jaggery.
• In another pan, sauté other vegetables.
• Mix contents of both pans and serve with toasted bread.

Recipe: Anahita Dhondy

10/10

Photo credit: Sai Teja Adiraju/Pexels

Day 10: Oats-coconut dosa to accompany leftover chutney

You have tons of oats but can’t bear the gluggy mess that is porridge. So you do what any intelligent person with leftover coconut chutney would do – make some dosa to eat with it.

And while you’re dunking your dosa into the cold, white chutney, make a mental note of all the hobbies you’ve ever wanted to try and give one a go later today.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup rava
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 inch ginger (chopped)
• 1 chilli (finely chopped)
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp coriander (finely chopped)
• oil

Directions:

1. Roast the rolled oats on low flame till they are crisp. Cool them and blend into a fine powder.
2. Transfer the powdered oats into a large bowl and add rice flour and rava.
3. Then add salt and water, whisk and mix well.
4. Now add ginger, chilli, onion, and coriander . Mix well and rest the batter for some time. Ensure that the rava has absorbed water.
5. The batter should be of a thin watery consistency.
6. Now carefully pour the dosa batter over very hot pan.
7. Lower the flame and cook until the dosa turns golden and crisp.
8. Serve hot.

Recipe: _veg_with_an_edge _/Instagram