Your first meal in the morning, breakfast, is the most important one of the day. The adage “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper” has become a celebrated idea because of how evergreen and timeless breakfast is as a concept. While the world is busy romanticising brunches and dinners, we’ve decided to pay homage to a mighty meal that helps you kickstart your day in the best way possible.

 

The King of All Meals The etymology of breakfast is as simple as the spelling. When you don’t consume food the entire night, technically, you’re fasting. So to break the fast - you have a hearty meal, hence the nomenclature. Coming back to the idea of eating like a king - the first meal of the day is crucial because it sets the mood for the entire day and fuels your body for the busiest hours. It is recommended that your lunch be light as a heavy one might make you feel sluggish and drowsy. You can end the day with a light dinner as people tend to be least active after night-time meals, leading to indigestion and a disturbed sleeping pattern if not having a light meal. This makes having a good breakfast more vital. Breakfast is such a versatile meal that if combined with a lazy Sunday, it becomes a brunch and fills your tummy with some lip-smacking dishes. All around the world, different cultures have extravagant breakfast platters where families get together and indulge in the food bonanza. So let’s start with the most celebrated breakfast platter in India - South Indian Breakfast Platter, followed by an English Breakfast Platter, Gujarati Breakfast Platter, Mediterranean Breakfast Platter and ending the segment with a Maharashtrian Breakfast Platter.

 

 

 

South Indian Breakfast Platter 

 

The Deccan showstoppers have a variety of breakfast dishes to choose from. No trip to the South of India is complete without these dishes and as a kid, my ultimate go-to dish was dosa. The simplicity of this pancake-crepe is so underrated. So versatile is this beautiful dish that Bangalore Comedian Kenny Sebastian dedicated an entire segment in appreciation of this established recipe. But there is more to this breakfast platter than just a plain-jane dosa. From a variety of Dosas, soft Uthappam, pillowy Appam, to steaming hot Idlis, they’ve got it all. These breakfast items became a part of our tradition around the 13th century, when one idli weighed around 2-3 kgs. The history of Sambar is also very interesting - rumour has it that Sambar came into existence when the great Maratha warrior, Sambhaji, came to the Deccan region and this lentil soup was made with tamarind in his honour. Hence the name, Sambar. But these aren’t the only dishes on this breakfast menu. Akki Roti, Neer dosa, Idiappam, Paniyaram, Adai, Kanchipuram Idli, Mysore Bonda, Benne dosa, Set dosa, medu vada, ghee roast dosa, upittu, pazham pori and the glistening Kesari Bhaat all these gems and more come in the South Indian breakfast collection. Every region has its own set of dishes. You can’t have just one. For eg, the Akki roti from Karnataka is a flaky rice batter pancake like dosai that is crispy and flaky whereas a pazham pori from Kerala is a sweet and savoury banana fritter that goes well with tea. A Benne dosa is different from a Neer dosa and a Set dosa is different from a ghee roast dosa.

 

 

 

English Breakfast Platter 

 

Vegetarian An English breakfast is a giant meal in itself. A loaded plate of it and you are done for the day. The popularity of the entire platter made way to the ‘all-day-breakfast’ restaurants where the marvellous platter got served throughout the day. The origins of the exuberant meal can be traced back to the 13th century. Back then, the popularity of this dish made it a national favourite. The idea behind it was to celebrate the Anglo-Saxon hospitality of the noble gentry. Through different eras, the English breakfast platter became a household name in the working class and slowly but surely, became a country staple. The English breakfast spread is so versatile that if you were to skip the meat options, you would still have a splendid serving of hash browns, sauteed mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, baked beans, with a side of eggs and toasted bread with butter or jam/marmalade. The eggs can be made as per individual preference, available in three variants - scrambled, fried or omelette.

 

 

 

Gujarati Breakfast Platter 

 

The famous line in the movie 3 idiots made it clear how funny the names of all Gujarati breakfast items are, but nobody can deny the tantalisingly unique taste of these dishes. This particular breakfast platter is a never-ending saga of sweet, savoury and spicy and that is because the community thrives on the idea of “live to eat”. Gujaratis are famous for their scrumptious spread of ‘nasto’ or snacks. From a variety of dhokla and khaman to thepla and debra, the list is endless. Khakhra, pudla, fafda, gathiya, dabeli, khichu, khandvi, patra, handvo, a range of muthiya or something as simple as poori bhaji - you will get it all. No breakfast session is complete without a hot cup of tea and these snacks. In fact, there are so many types of dhokla that you wouldn’t be able to wrap your mind around it(khatta dhokla, sandwich dhokla, nylon khaman dhokla, idada, rasawala dhokla, tam-tam) The surprise element here, and one that deserves mention is a breakfast dish called panki - which is a pancake steamed in a banana leaf. The paste is made by mixing different flours, curd, spices and greens like dill, spinach, coriander or mint and the resultant pancake is extremely delicious and filling.

 

 

 

Mediterranean breakfast platter

 

This healthy breakfast platter is making a lot of noise for all the right reasons, in fact, the Mediterranean diet has been heralded to be the healthiest amongst all. Mediterranean families often host a breakfast/brunch party on a Sunday and you will find a middle eastern grandma piling the table with a host of savoury treats. From umami spreads like the beloved hummus, the smoky baba ganoush, the zesty tahini to the tangy labneh, these dips are too good to pass over. Paired with them are the fluffy manakeesh with a healthy sprinkling of zaatar, pita bread, crispy and light falafels, a sprightly shakshuka or a filling frittata, olives and some fresh veggies and fruits and you have with yourself perfect pairings. The spread is so extravagant that usually, many middle-eastern families end up hosting a huge get together and invite all friends and family so that everyone can partake in the feast. The highlight of this breakfast meal is, of course, the creamy hummus. Made with chickpeas, garlic, cumin powder and a light drizzle of olive oil, the smooth and velvety hummus rules the party. Anything and everything goes well with this dip.

 

 

 

Maharashtrian Breakfast Platter 

 

This ‘desi’ breakfast platter is an ode to the glorious and brave Maratha clan. Their breakfast items are as feisty and fiery as them and once you start tasting them - we bet you, you won’t be able to stop. Sprinkled with flavoursome breakfast items like kothimbir vadi, sabudana vada, sabudana khichdi, bhajani chi thalipeeth, kaande pohe, bhaji pav, misal pav, vada pav, bhel puri, sev puri, puran poli, rava upma, zunka bhakar, ghavan etc. This vibrant breakfast platter has so many dishes but the flag bearer of this spread is the undisputed - ‘Vada Pav’. The entire state, especially the ‘sapnon ki nagri’ - Mumbai, functions on this sandwich. The zesty garlic chutney and the piping hot potato balls enveloped in a shiny and spongy mumbaiya ladi pav, this spunky breakfast item is a must-have. Rumour has it that it was invented by a guy named Ashok Vaidya around 1966 and he sold these gems at the Dadar station. The working class made it their staple go-to breakfast item as it was cheap and easy to eat and the rest is history.

 

 

 

Conclusion 

 

Life without breakfast is like a dhokla without tadka or an idli without chutney - in short it’s bland and boring. Breakfast is to us, is probably what an apple must have been to Sir Isaac Newton. You won’t come up with brilliant ideas on an empty stomach so a spirited breakfast is all you need, to be the next big thing! So go to the kitchen and make yourself a breakfast meal or grab a big bite with your friends at a breakfast place, whatever you do, don’t you dare skip it!