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Bright ideas for breakfast

Start the day with an energy packed meal

What to make for breakfast often poses a problem. Try these easy-to-make recipes with dal as a base.

Pongal

Ingredients

White rice: one cup
Masoor dal: half cup
Fresh ground pepper: quarter tsp
Whole peppercorns: quarter tsp
Salt: one tsp
Green chillies: four
A few curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida
Ghee: one tbsp
Oil: one tbsp
Green coriander: one tbsp

Method: Wash rice and dal and drain water completely. In a large saucepan, heat ghee and oil. Slit green chillies lengthwise.

Fry the green chillies, curry leaves, pepper powder and peppercorns.

Add the rice, dal and asafoetida to this and fry for 3 minutes.

Add four-and-a-half cups of water, salt and cover the saucepan.

Cook it on medium heat till rice and dal become very soft, stirring in between to avoid burning. Add more water if necessary. Garnish with coriander. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Idli Upma

Ingredients

Idlis:10
Oil: two tbsp
Urad dal: half tsp
Mustard seeds: half tsp
Channa dal: half tsp
Green chillies: three, chopped fine
Curry leaves: a few
Onion: one, chopped fine

Method: Take a pan. Pour oil. Add the mustard seeds, once they splutter add the two dals. Once the dals turn golden, add the chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves. When the onions turn golden red, add the crushed idlies and salt according to taste. Mix the ingredients well and switch off the gas. Tasty idli upma is ready.

Masala Utappam

Ingredients

For Masala
Potatoes: four
Ripe tomatoes: finely chopped, two
Big onion: finely chopped, one
Garam masala: half tsp
Chilli powder: one tsp
Oil: one-and-a-half tsp
Mustard seeds: half tsp
For Uttapam
Rice: one cup
Urad dal: half cup
Methi seeds: two tsp
Poha: three tsp
Method:

For Masala

Boil and mash potatoes and keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and when they crackle add chopped onion and tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes till the oil separates, then add mashed potatoes, a little water, chilli powder and garam masala. Cook for 10 more minutes.

For Uttapam

Soak rice, urad dal and methi in water for 7-8 hours and grind it into a smooth paste (a bit thicker than normal dosa paste) along with poha. Keep the ground paste overnight. Heat a pan with a little oil spread on it. Put the ground flour with a round spoon and spread it. After 10 seconds, put the prepared masala on the uttapam and spread it neatly. Five minutes later, flip the uttapam so that the masala gets stuck properly and leave it for two minutes.

Mixed Dal Dosa

Ingredients
Urad dal: one cup
Moong dal: one cup
Rice: two-and-a-half cups
Poha: half a cup
Maida: half a cup
Methi seeds: one tsp

Method: Soak the above ingredients for 6-8 hrs and grind it into a soft paste and ferment it for eight hours. Make dosa on a flat non-stick pan by heating the pan and applying oil on it. Pour 2 tbsp of this paste and spread to make it round. Apply a little oil on top and cover for a couple of seconds. Then when the base becomes golden brown, turn it over to the other side and flip it over again. Add aloo masala and roll the dosa for serving.

ALKA REDDY

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