Atreyee Poddar
By the second week of November, the breakfast routine tends to fall apart. It’s dark at wake-up time, the kitchen floor is freezing, and a biscuit eaten over the sink starts to look like a meal. It has about 1 g of protein, and hunger is back by 11. A better morning doesn’t take much. These five are warm, quick enough for a weekday, and heavy on protein.
Moong dal chilla stuffed with paneer
Soak the dal the night before or you’ll regret it. Blend it with ginger and a green chili, spread it thin on a hot tawa, and put crumbled paneer inside with a squeeze of lemon. One of these is a snack. Two is breakfast. Roughly 15-20 g of protein.
Egg bhurji on toast
Onion, tomato, chili, two or three eggs, and about eight minutes. Don’t overthink it. Cook the onions longer than feels necessary, because that’s where the flavor comes from. Use paneer instead of eggs if that’s your thing. Roughly 15-18 g.
Oats and quinoa porridge
Oats alone get soggy and dull. Adding a spoonful of quinoa gives it some texture. Cook both in milk, then top with walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and a blob of peanut butter that melts into the bowl. Skip the honey if you’re using dates. Roughly 15-20 g.
Besan cheela with curd
This is the one I’d pick on a lazy day. Besan, a handful of chopped spinach or methi, a pinch of ajwain, and some water to loosen it. The curd on the side matters. It adds protein and cools down the chili. Roughly 18-22 g with the curd.
Sattu paratha
Sattu is roasted chickpea flour, and anyone from Bihar will tell you it’s been doing this job for generations. Mix it with onion, mustard oil, lemon, and green chili, stuff it into dough, and cook as usual. Slightly more effort than the others, but it keeps you full until mid-afternoon. Roughly 12-18 g.