The term “Bisi Bele Bath” translates to hot lentil rice dish. “Bisi” is a Kannada word meaning “hot” (temperature), “Bele” translates to lentils and “Bath” denotes a gooey dish cooked by immersing the ingredients in water. This is a very famous breakfast dish in Karnataka.
The Minapa or Dibba Rotti is an Andhra delicacy. A thick, savoury pancake with a crisp crust, it can be had for breakfast or as an accompaniment to a main dish. In this recipe, the traditional homemade rice rava (made from coarsely ground rice) is replaced with little millet rava.
Appams, a traditional dish consumed in Kerala, are the perfect, fluffy accompaniment to any meal. Both light and nutritious, they are usually made with ground and fermented rice. Substituting the rice with fermented kodo in this recipe improves the absorption of nutrients present in the millet.
Muthiyas are a classic Gujarati dish made by steaming and frying dough into fist-shaped dumplings, from which they derive their name. They are usually eaten for breakfast, or as a snack. Here, they are made with jowar flour.
Poha is a breakfast dish eaten across large parts of central and western India. Traditionally made with flattened rice flakes, poha is usually cooked with onions, green chillies, and peanuts. Regional variations ensure that it tastes just a little different if you have it in say, Indore, Pune, or Ahmedabad. This version, which replaces the rice with jowar flakes, is just as satisfying.
Raab is a famed Marwadi drink, made with millets like jowar or bajra. The millet flour, mixed with yoghurt, is cooked to a kadhi-like consistency for a refreshingly cool drink in the summer, or a warming soup in the cold Rajasthani winters.
Ganji Annam is a rice porridge from Andhra Pradesh that is traditionally made by fermenting cooked rice overnight, with additions like yoghurt, carom seeds, and slit green chillies. Here, the rice is substituted with foxtail millet to make a filling breakfast that is as easy on the stomach and it is comforting.
A filling Bengali breakfast, these fluffy, savoury, pancake-esque snacks replace wheat flour with foxtail flour, making for a lighter, and more nourishing dish