Lentils are considered as a nutritious and hearty breakfast since they offer a rich source of protein, fiber, and all the essential nutrients. Lentil dishes provide sustained energy for an entire day. Whether you prefer traditional dishes or continental fusions, here are twenty lentil recipes to kick-start your day :
1.Lentil Breakfast Burrito
Cook a cup of lentils in two cups of water till it is tender. Saute onions, bell peppers, and garlic for five minutes. Then, add cooked lentils, cumin powder, salt, and pepper. Cook again for another five minutes. Warm whole wheat tortillas and fill them with the lentil mixture. You could also add scrambled eggs, more vegetables, and cheese in the filling. Roll the tortillas and serve it along with a sauce.
2.Masoor Dal Cheela
Soak some red lentils for a few hours and blend it into a batter. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, finely chopped onions, green chilies, and coriander leaves into the batter. Mix well and adjust the consistency with a bit of water. Pour a ladleful of batter onto a hot pan and spread it out thinly. Once the edges lift up, flip the cheela and cook the other side. Serve with chutney.
3.Lentil Breakfast Salad
Mix cooked lentils and chopped fresh vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers in a bowl. Add a bit of lemon juice and season everything with salt, pepper, chaat masala, and cumin powder. Next, add finely chopped green chilies, mint leaves, and coriander leaves. Finish with some olive oil. Toss everything until it gets combined well together.
4.Dal Stuffed Paratha
Cook the lentils until they are soft and mash them. Mix it with finely chopped onions, green chilies, ginger, garlic, salt, garam masala, and turmeric. Prepare a dough with flour, water, salt, and oil. Shape it into balls and flatten into discs. Place a spoon of the lentils in the center of the disc. Fold the edges and roll it out again. Apply ghee on both sides and cook it until golden brown spots form.
5.Lentil Porridge
Cook soaked lentils so that they become soft and tender. In another pan, cook onions, garlic, and ginger with carrots, peas, potatoes, and tomatoes. Next, add salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, and coriander powder. Simmer it all together until it achieves a stew-like consistency. Garnish it with coriander or curry leaves.
6.Dal Dhokla
Soak the lentils for a couple of hours. Grind it into a smooth batter and let it ferment overnight. Season it with turmeric, green chili paste, ginger, and salt. Pour the batter on a greased tray and steam in a cooker. To ensure that it’s cooked, insert a toothpick inside and check if it comes out clean. After it’s done, let it cool before pouring the tempering made of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and green chilies over the dhokla. Cut it into squares and garnish with fresh coriander.
7.Chickpea And Lentil Soup
Saute onions, garlic, and ginger in hot oil for two minutes. Add carrots, bell peppers, peas, potatoes, and tomatoes into it. Cook until the vegetables become tender and add the soaked chickpeas and lentils. Season everything with cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Finally, add the vegetable broth and bring it to a boil. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
8.Moong Dal Dosa
Soak a moong dal for a few hours and blend it into a batter by adding a bit of water to achieve a runny consistency. Season it with salt, cumin seeds, green chilies, ginger, and asafoetida. Pour a ladle of batter on the pan and spread it in a circular motion. Cook until the edges of the dosa turn golden and crispy.
9.Adai
Soak some rice and a combination of lentils like chana dal, toor dal, urad dal, and moong dal in water. Then, grind it into a coarse batter. Mix chopped onions, green chilies, curry leaves, grated coconut, cumin seeds, asafoetida, and salt into it. Spread the batter on a pan like you would a thick pancake. Cook until it turns a light brown on both sides.
10.Pesarattu
Soak green gram for a few hours and grind it into a batter along with water, ginger, and green chilies. Add chopped onions, cumin seeds, and salt into it. Heat a pan, pour the batter, and spread it out thinly. Drizzle oil around the edges and cook till the bottom gets golden brown. Flip and cook the other side briefly. Serve hot with chutney or sambar.
11.Dal Khichdi
Soak rice and split lentils. In a pot, saute cumin seeds, finely chopped onions, green chilies, ginger, and garlic. Then, add diced tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder, and asafoetida. Cook until the tomatoes become mushy. Next, add the rice and lentils. Pour enough water to cover the entire mixture, keep the lid, and simmer until the water is fully absorbed. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves.
12.Sprouted Moong Salad
Soak a handful of moong beans overnight. Then, drain the water and let it sprout for a day. Next, mix the beans with fresh vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and bell peppers. For flavor, add chopped green chilies, salt, pepper, chaat masala, and lemon juice. Toss everything together evenly. You can also use pomegranate seeds and grated coconut.
13.Dal Bhurji
Saute diced onions, dried red chilies, mustard seeds, and ginger-garlic paste till the onions get caramelized. Next, add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they get softened. Season with turmeric, red chili powder, and garam masala. Cook this mixture until the raw smell disappears. Finally, add the soaked lentils and simmer for ten minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve along with roti or rice.
14.Lentil Omelet
It is a vegan alternative to the traditional omelet with eggs. Soak yellow lentils for a few hours to soften them and blend to turn it into a batter. Season with salt, turmeric, cumin, and chopped coriander. Next, add diced vegetables like onions, tomatoes, spinach, and bell peppers to the lentils. In a pan, drizzle some oil. Pour the batter and spread it evenly and cook until the surface sets. Then, carefully flip it and cook the other side.
15.Dal Uttapam
Soak together rice, urad dal, chana dal, and toor dal for a couple of hours. Grind it into a runny consistency and let it get fermented overnight. Spread the batter on a hot pan so as to create a thick pancake. Sprinkle diced onions and tomatoes on top of it and slightly press them into the batter. Cook until golden brown, and flip to cook the other side. Serve it hot with chutney.
16.Moong Dal Chilla Sandwich
Soak yellow moong dal for a few hours and blend it along with ginger, green chilies, cumin seeds, and salt. Pour this batter onto a greased pan and cook until it gets golden on both sides. This chilla acts as a substitute for bread. Start by spreading green chutney onto the chilla. Then, layer it with thinly sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, mushrooms, and cover it with another chilla. Cook the sandwich for five minutes and serve with sauce and mayonnaise.
17.Dal Makhani
Soak urad dal and rajma overnight. In a pan, saute onions, garlic, ginger, and green chilies in hot oil. Next, add pureed tomatoes and cook until the oil separates. Season using cumin, turmeric, and garam masala. Next, add the lentils, the beans, and a bit of water. Simmer the entire mixture for ten minutes. Garnish with a generous amount of fresh cream and coriander leaves.
18.Onion Sambar
Cook toor dal till it becomes tender. Temper mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves until they splutter. Add whole onions and saute them till they are caramelized. Next, add tomatoes, turmeric, sambar powder, tamarind water, and red chili powder. Stir well to blend all the flavors. Add the cooked dal and a little bit of water to achieve the consistency of a sambar. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
19.Lentil And Mushroom Toast
In a pan, add soaked lentils and press using the back of a spatula to make it mushy. Saute onions, garlic, and sliced mushrooms in oil. Cook the mushrooms until they release moisture. Next, add the lentils, salt, pepper, and mix thoroughly. Toast a few slices of bread until crispy. Top it with the lentil mushroom mixture and a sprinkle of fresh herbs. You can also include more vegetables.
20.Dal Bharta
Cook the lentils till they are tender and mash them. Saute finely chopped onions until they become golden brown. Next, add garlic, ginger, desired seasoning, and chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes soften, and then add the lentils. Simmer for a few more minutes so that it becomes thick. Garnish with chopped onions and coriander leaves.
