I have a distinct childhood memory of my mother serving us a bowl of cornflakes and milk with a sliced banana. “Hurry up and finish it, it’s good for you,” she would say, which explains my aversion to cereal. I can handle oats but cornflakes are like sloppy seconds, suitable for geeks with attention-deficit issues. Nutritionists tell us that breakfast should be our most important meal of the day which is why we should ramp up on protein and fibre and dial down on carbs and sugar. If you really want to be a part of the cancel culture, start with cornflakes.
South Indian all the way
I love a South Indian breakfast: nothing beats fluffy, mallipoo idlis, served with freshly ground coconut chutney, seasoned with mustard and curry leaves and molaga podi with gingelly oil. The sambar made in Chennai is spicy and redolent with the flavour of hing but cross the Hosur border and Tambrahms will scream, “Aiyyo” because a generous dollop of jaggery has been added to the pot. The only two vegetables that should feature in sambar are drumsticks and sambar onions: do the math. A masala dosa contains roughly 350 calories which is why it should be a weekly indulgence rather than a daily staple. A Mysore masala, with its distinctive smear of garlic-chilli paste on the inside, will rock your socks off. The late matinee idol, Ambarish would turn his nose up at upma, but a well-made khara bath can be quite delicious. Lemon rice shavige, especially the version made at Bull Temple Road is a feast for evolved palates. A healthier option is pessaratu, made with green gram dal and served with chutney made of raw peanuts, tamarind and red chilli. In North Karnataka, jolada roti, made with sorghum aka jowar, served with the spicy peanut chutney known as Shengdana, is the go-to breakfast staple.
If you happen to be in Coorg, breakfast is an elaborate affair with akkirotti, a dry chapathi made with rice flour, served with a ball of chutney, made with fresh coconut and bird eye chilli or if you’re lucky, with leftover pandi kari.
Fat chunks of pork, simmered in a savoury melange of coriander, shallots, chilli, pepper, mustard, ginger, garlic and turmeric with a splash of kachampulli, smoky vinegar with the consistency of treacle; it’s so lethally addictive I’m surprised the NCB hasn’t made out a case for banning it!
In my hometown of Mangaluru, our favourite breakfast was kanji, a simple gruel of boiled rice served with leftover fish curry and a slice of koloso-ambo, mango pickled in brine in earthenware, with chopped onion and green chilli and coconut oil on the side.
Then there was biscut rotti, a deep fried savoury puri stuffed with a secret mix of spices, served with fresh chutney. Locals relish bunsu; literally buns made with flour and bananas, which sounds rather gross but they taste pretty good. Goli bajjis, made with maida and jeera is another coastal favourite while nothing can beat the sheer simplicity of neer dosa. Prepared by a master chef, a neer dosa has the consistency of the finest Venetian lace, the gossamer quality of a butterfly’s wings and the ability to harmonise with the most temperamental partners: a vegetable gassi, fiery chicken curry or even a pork baffat. To each of her ardent suitors, a neer dosa sluttily whispers, “We will, we will rock you.”
In God’s own country, one is spoilt for choice: appams with crisp brown edges and pillowy soft centres, served with mutte roast or stew, iddiappam with potato curry, puttu with kadala curry made with Bengal gram, doshe (never dosa) with chutney or a fisherman’s brekker of kanji with crispy salt fish or dried prawn chutney.
Vellayapam, a spongy cross between an appam and a dosa, is a Syrian speciality, often served with beef curry.
Karikku dosa, made with tender coconut and rice is seriously delicious, especially with tomato chutney, while those with a sweet tooth will relish Ela Ada, a steamed rice parcel stuffed with jaggery and grated coconut.
A hearty affair
In Rajasthan, breakfast is potato or onion kachori, washed down with a steaming glass of saffron milk and a jalebi. Ideally, this should be followed by a session of mud-wrestling. Gujaratis enjoy methi thepla with pickle or dhokla while Punjabis relish their pronthe (parathas) — cauliflower or radish, subtly enhanced with anardana (dried pomegranate seed) dry mango powder, lots of chilli, garlic and coriander stuffed in a paratha that’s topped with a big chunk of butter and served with a katori of fresh, creamy dahi on the side and of course, homemade achar.
If you’re looking for a variation on the full English, try a sourdough open-face sandwich instead of bacon and eggs. Power toppings include bacon and avocado, anchovy, hard-boiled eggs and olive, chicken liver pate with onion marmalade, Parma ham and burrata with rocket, feta and tomato, roast brinjal with pickled onions, artichoke with dill and gherkins… you get the picture? Just pick out a good loaf of sourdough, lightly toast it and allow your imagination to run riot. Ragi bread with peanut or almond butter and a dollop of fresh honey or gooseberry preserve tastes divine. If you are exceptionally adventurous try a Thai breakfast of Jok Moo, congee with pork, Nam sup, a sour soup or Tom chuet, which is a clear vegetable soup, very light and flavourful, served with noodles. Of course, there are a zillion options to choose from ranging from fish balls, boiled pig’s blood, mushrooms, chicken and pork ribs but my favourite is the one served at the Debo Café in Hua Hin with an intensely flavourful broth, glass noodles, bok choy, bamboo shoots, fish balls and a fiery homemade nam pla. When you finish you will feel like you’ve been through a workout: hot, sweaty and in need of a massage. The Japanese breakfast of miso soup followed by an omelette is ideal for those inclined towards clean, umami flavours, while the Chinese breakfast of congee is flavourful, filling and ticks all the boxes from a nutritional POV. The French breakfast is basically coffee and croissant but if you are in rural France, you must try the rillettes: a richly seasoned meat paste of pork, duck, rabbit or poultry best eaten with a crusty baguette. Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper is sound advice!
(The author is an old Bengalurean and impresario of comedy and musical shows who considers himself fortunate to have turned his passions — writing and theatre — into a profession.)