5 best South Indian breakfast recipes that will upgrade your mornings

From soft and fluffy thatte idlis to the classic dosa-sambar combination, these delicious South Indian breakfast recipes are perfect to start your day with.

If there's one regional cuisine that steals the breakfast show in India, it's got to be South Indian. Boasting a mix of delicate and punchy flavours, the different varieties of idlis, vadas, dosas and sambars are widely popular throughout the Indian subcontinent. If you're looking for some delicious South Indian breakfast recipes, that are easy to whip up in your kitchen and can even be substituted for a light lunch, we've got the round-up from Mumbai-based Madras Diaries for you. 

Recipe: Thatte idli

Ingredients:

• 5 cups idli rice

• 2 cups urad dal

• Oil for greasing

• Salt to taste

Method:

1. 1

   In a large mixing bowl, soak idli rice for five hours. In another bowl soak urad dal for three hours. Drain off the water from urad dal and blend to smooth paste, adding water as required.

2. 2

   Transfer the smooth and fluffy batter of urad dal into a large bowl. Transfer the rice batter to the bowl of urad dal batter. Mix well making sure everything is combined.

3. 3

   Now cover and rest in a warm place for 8-10 hours or till the batter ferments. After eight hours, the batter should double and you should see air pockets, indicating that it's well fermented.

4. 4

   Add 1½ tsp salt to the batter and mix well. Mix gently without beating the air out.

5. 5

   Now grease the thatte idli plate with oil. Scoop the batter into idli plate greased with oil. Arrange the idli plate on to the stand.

6. 6

   Steam for 20 minutes on medium flame, or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve with podi, coconut chutney and sambar (recipe below).

Recipe: Benne dosa

Ingredients:

• 3 cups dosa rice/sona masuri rice

• ½ tsp methi/fenugreek seeds

• 1 cup urad dal

• 2 cups puffed rice, washed and squeezed

• 1½ tsp salt

• Oil for roasting

• Butter for roasting

Method:

1. 1

   In a blender, add one cup soaked urad dal to smooth paste adding water as required. Transfer the smooth and fluffy batter of urad dal into a large bowl.

2. 2

   In the blender, blend three cups of dosa rice, ½ tsp methi to a slightly coarse paste adding water as required. Transfer the rice batter to the bowl of urad dal batter.

3. 3

   Take two cups washed and squeezed puffed rice in a blender and blend to smooth paste. Mix well making sure everything is combined well.

4. 4

   Now cover and rest in a warm place for 8-10 hours or till the batter ferments and doubles. Add 1½ tsp salt to the batter and mix well.

5. 5

   Heat the griddle and pour a ladleful of batter. Spread out in a circular motion, slightly thicker than regular dosa. Spread a teaspoon of oil on sides of dosa.

6. 6

   Now add one tablespoon of butter around all the sides of dosa.

7. 7

   Roast the dosa to a golden brown on both sides. Serve hot with sides of choice.

Recipe: Rawa upma

Ingredients:

• 1 cup semolina (rava/sooji)

• 1 1/2 tbsp oil

• 1 tsp urad dal

• 1tsp Bengal gram dal

• 4 curry leaves

• 2 green chillies, slit

• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions

• Salt to taste

• 50ml milk

• 1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped

Method:

1. 1

   Toss the semolina in a kadhai and dry roast on a medium flame for 4-5 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Keep aside.

2. 2

   Heat the oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds.

3. 3

   When the seeds crackle, add the urad dal, Bengal gram dal, curry leaves and green chillies. Sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.

4. 4

   Add the onions and sauté on a medium flame for 1-2 minutes.

5. 5

   Add the roasted semolina, three cups of hot water and salt and mix well and cover with a lid and cook on a slow flame for 3-4 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

6. 6

   Add hot milk, mix well and cook on a medium flame for another minute, while stirring continuously.

7. 7

   Serve the upma immediately, garnished with coriander.

Recipe: Sambar

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup toor dal (thuvaram paruppu)

• 2 drumsticks, cut into two-inch pieces

For the masala paste

• 2 tomatoes

• 2 tsp peanut oil (1 tsp + 1 tsp)

• 5-6 small onions (Indian shallots)

• 1/2-inch piece cinnamon

• 4 dried regular red chillies (Guntur variety)

• 3 Byadagi red chillies

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds

• 1 tbsp chana dal

Other prep

• ½ tamarind, lime-sized

• 1/4 cup fresh coconut

For the sambar

• 1 tsp peanut oil

• 10 small onions (Indian shallots)

• 1.5 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tbsp jaggery

• 2 tsp sugar

Final tempering

• 2 tsp ghee

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

• 2 green chillies, slit

• 2 sprig curry leaves

• A pinch of asafoetida (hing)

Method:

1. 1

   Wash and soak half a cup of toor dal in 1.5 cups of water for 20 minutes. Pressure cook the dal with the water for six whistles.

2. 2

   Remove from heat and wait for the pressure in the cooker to release naturally. Use the back of the tumbler to mash the dal. Set the dal aside to a bowl.

3. 3

   Add in the drumsticks. Add one cup of water. Cook for 2-3 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure in the cooker to release naturally. Set aside. Dal and drumsticks are done.

For the masala paste

1. 1

   Heat a teaspoon of peanut oil in a pan and add in the chana dal, coriander seeds and the cinnamon. When the dal is slightly brown, add in both the varieties of chillies. Sauté for a few seconds. Remove the fried ingredients and set aside on a plate to cool.

2. 2

   In the same pan, add in a teaspoon of peanut oil. Add in the shallots (small onions) and the chopped tomatoes. Sauté for a few minutes till the tomatoes are cooked and soft.

3. 3

   Now grind all the fried ingredients together in a mixie with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Other prep

1. 1

   Soak half a lime size tamarind in a cup of water for 20 minutes. Once the tamarind has been soaked, squeeze it between the fingers to release all the juices. Strain the juice and set aside. Discard the pith and seeds.

2. 2

   Grind a quarter cup of fresh coconut with half a cup of water to a paste. Set aside. One can also use desiccated coconut if you don't have fresh coconut.

For making the sambar

1. 1

   Heat oil in a pan and add in the sliced small onions (Indian shallots). Sauté for 2-3 minutes till the onions are soft. Add in the tamarind extract.

2. 2

   Add in the salt, turmeric powder, sugar and jaggery. While jaggery gives the earthy note, the sugar amps up the sweetness without overpowering.

3. 3

   Add in the ground masala paste. Wash the blender with a cup of water and add it to the pan. Always wash the blender and add it to the pan so you are not wasting any of the masala that is stuck in the blender. Let the sambar simmer for 10 minutes. While simmering, if you feel that the consistency is too thick or the masalas are scorching at the bottom, feel free to add a little more water.

4. 4

   Add in the cooked dal, drumsticks and the ground coconut paste. Simmer for around 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame.

For tempering

Heat ghee in a small kadai. When the ghee is hot, add in the mustard seeds, slit green chillies, and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in a pinch of asafoetida. Add in the tempering to the sambar.

Recipe: Medu vada

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole white urad dal

• ½ tbsp black pepper

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1/4 inch piece ginger, finely chopped

• 1 sprig curry leaf, finely chopped

• 2 green chillies, finely chopped

• 3/4 tsp salt

• A big pinch of asafoetida

Method:

1. 1

   Soak the urad dal for 4-5 hrs. Grind into a fine paste in the grinder. Rest the batter for one hour. Check for salt.

2. 2

   Add the curry leaf, ginger, black pepper, salt, green chilli, asafoetida and blend well.

3. 3

   Using damp hands, take a small ball of the batter in your hands and shape it like doughnut using your thumb.

4. 4

   You can also do this on a plate or a plastic sheet. Slide the vada into the oil carefully and fry till golden brown. Serve hot.

Thanks for Reading

Picture Source Shutterstock