There is nothing like a hot cup of Indian tea to kickstart your day. Whether you prefer it with milk, sugar, masala (spiced) or plain, tea is a versatile beverage that can be enjoyed in many ways. But what makes tea even more enjoyable is the right breakfast dish to go along with it.
From Paranthas and Poha to Vada Pav, India’s diverse culinary heritage offers a range of delicious breakfast options to suit every palate. Here, we will talk about the top 10 breakfast dishes that you can pair with your hot cup of Wagh Bakri chai. These dishes are flavourful, quick to prepare and easily available outdoors too.
All set to make your morning tea time a memorable experience? Let’s go!
Table of contents
Upma
Upma is a hearty and wholesome breakfast dish that originated from South India. To make Upma, you need to roast some semolina or sooji in a pan until it turns golden brown and aromatic. Heat some oil in another pan and add some mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies, ginger and salt. When the seeds start to crackle, you can add some water and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and slowly add the roasted semolina, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. You can also add some chopped vegetables, nuts and daal of your choice to make it more nutritious and colourful. Cover the pan and cook for a few minutes until the Upma is soft and fluffy. It goes well with the rich and aromatic Wagh Bakri Premium Leaf Tea. You can enjoy it with coconut chutney, pickle, sambar or simply with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Poha
Poha is a popular and easy-to-make breakfast dish that originated from Maharashtra. To prepare Poha, you need to wash some flattened rice flakes and drain them well. Then, you need to heat some oil in a pan and add some mustard seeds, curry leaves, peanuts and green chillies. When the seeds start to splutter, you can add some salt, sugar and turmeric powder and mix well. Next, you need to add the soaked rice flakes and toss gently until they are coated with the oil and spices. Cover the pan and cook for a few minutes until the Poha is soft and moist. Poha’s texture, with its tangy and spicy flavour pairs perfectly with a cup of Indian tea. Poha also comes in different variants, for instance, there's Bataka Poha which also consists of tiny diced potato cubes, onions and peas, making it more filling and tasty. You can garnish Poha with chopped coriander leaves, grated coconut, squeezed lemon juice, sev or serve it with dahi or raita.
Bun Maska
Bun Maska is a classic and comforting breakfast snack that originated from the Irani Cafes in Mumbai. It is basically soft, fluffy buns sliced from the centre, occasionally toasted and then slathered with a generous amount of butter or cream, also known as maska, on the insides of both slices. Bun Maska has a melt-in-your-mouth texture with a sweet and buttery flavour, complementing the warm and spiced Indian tea (chai). Bun Maska is a simple and satisfying snack that can be enjoyed with or without any accompaniments. You can dip the bun in the tea or spread some jam on it for extra sweetness.
Chilla
Chilla is a thin and crispy pancake made from a batter of gram flour or besan. Chilla is a quick and easy breakfast dish that originated from North India. To whip up Chilla, make a smooth and runny batter of besan, water, salt and spices of your choice. Then, you need to heat a non-stick pan and drizzle some oil on it. Next, you need to pour a ladleful of batter on the pan and spread it evenly to form a thin circle. You can sprinkle some chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies, coriander leaves or any other vegetables of your choice on top of the batter to make it more flavourful. Cook the Chilla on both sides until it turns golden and crispy. Repeat the same process with the remaining batter. Chilla has a smooth yet savoury flavour, that goes well with the Wagh Bakri Premium Spiced Tea. Chilla is also a gluten-free and vegan dish. You can serve Chilla with green chutney, tomato sauce or some dahi too.
Parantha
Parantha is a delicious and versatile breakfast dish that originated from North India, especially Punjab and Haryana. Start by kneading a soft and smooth dough of atta (usually whole wheat flour) and salt, with water and ghee or oil. Divide the dough into equal-sized balls and roll them out into thin circles. Next, apply some ghee or oil on one circle and fold it into a triangle. You can repeat this process to make more layers or use a different shape like a square or a circle. You can also stuff the Parantha with various fillings like aaloo (potatoes), gobhi (cauliflower), cheese, paneer and radish by placing some filling on one layer and covering it with another. Seal the edges and roll out the stuffed Parantha gently. Cook the Parantha on a hot tawa (griddle) until golden and crisp on both sides. Flip and press the Parantha with a spatula and apply some ghee or oil on both sides. Its flaky and buttery texture with a savoury and satisfying flavour pairs wonderfully with a cup of Indian tea (chai).
Daliya
Daliya is an old-school Indian breakfast dish made from cracked wheat or broken wheat. It is also known as bulgur, lapsi or fada in different regions of India. To make Daliya, you need to roast some cracked wheat or broken wheat in a pressure cooker until it turns golden and fragrant. Add some water, salt and sugar and cook it for a few whistles until it becomes soft and mushy. This is how you can make a sweet porridge out of Daliya. You can also add some milk, nuts and dried fruits to make it more creamy and rich. Alternatively, you can make an Upma out of Daliya following the earlier method, by adding some oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies, onions, tomatoes, peas, carrots and other vegetables of your choice. You can enjoy it with a cup of Wagh Bakri Premium Spiced Tea.
Thepla
Thepla is the gift of Gujarat to Indians all over the world! It is a delicious flatbread that goes well with a cup of Indian tea (chai). To make Thepla, mix some atta, spices, herbs and dahi in a large bowl and knead it into a soft and smooth dough. Divide the dough into small balls to roll them out into thin circles (flashback to parantha?). You can also add some Methi (fenugreek) leaves or grated Doodhi (bottle gourd) to the dough to give it more flavour and nutrition. Next, you need to heat a tawa (griddle) and cook the Thepla on both sides until golden brown spots appear. You can apply some oil or ghee on both sides to make it more crispy and tasty. Thepla ane chaa (Thepla and Tea) is something every Gujarati swears by to fuel their mornings. So much so that you will spot them carrying Theplas with them on trains and flights. (PS: waiting for the day the International Space Station asks Houston to send Theplas to space)
Waffles
Okay, now something from beyond the borders of India. Waffles! A popular sweet-ish breakfast dish that originated in Europe, waffles are made from a batter of flour, milk, sugar and baking powder. It is then cooked in a special appliance called a waffle maker or a waffle iron. The waffle maker creates a chequered pattern on the waffle, making it crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. While in Europe and the Americas, people prefer a glass of milk or coffee with their Waffles, we have tried having waffles while sipping on chai and trust us, we loved it!
Rusk/Toast
Growing up in India, you may have called it by many colloquial names, i.e. Toss, Russ, Resk (looking at you, our Malayali brethren) or just toast. Okay, okay... wrong pronunciations aside, this is something a lot of Indians love to eat dipping in their chai in the morning just like the English love to do with their biscuits in tea. In India, rusk is also called a toast and it's something you can buy from a bakery.
Vada Pav
This is every Mumbaikar's favourite breakfast. Being a fast-paced city, nobody has the time to make a full breakfast meal in the morning as one has to rush to the railway station to catch a 'Local' (train) to their workplace. This handy snack consists of a deep-fried Vada (potato dumpling) placed inside a soft bread bun, called Pav, spiced with laal sookhi chutney (red chutney) and green chilis. Vada pav is a filling, flavourful and inexpensive snack sold out of the numerous street-side stalls and shops dotting the lanes of the metropolis. People on their way to work grab a vada pav and cutting chai outside the railway stations, just minutes before their train arrives.
There you have it – an irresistible lineup of breakfast delights that pair perfectly with your favourite tea Wagh Bakri tea. So what are you waiting for? Shop premium tea on buytea.com.
FAQs
1) What is Indian tea called?
Indian tea is called chai, which is derived from the Chinese word cha for tea. Chai is a generic term for tea in India and can refer to different types of tea. The most common and popular type of chai in India is masala chai, which is made by brewing black tea with milk, sugar and spices, such as cardamom and ginger.
2) Which tea is native to India?
The tea plant that is native to India is Camellia sinensis assamica, which is also known as the Assam tea plant. It is a large-leafed variety of tea that grows in the tropical and subtropical regions of India, especially in the state of Assam. Assam tea is known for its strong, malty and full-bodied flavour and is often used for making masala chai or blended with other teas.
3) What is the most famous tea in India?
The most famous tea in India is Darjeeling tea, which is grown in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, in the foothills of the Himalayas. Darjeeling tea is considered to be the “champagne of teas”, as it has a unique and delicate flavour, aroma and colour, that varies depending on the season and elevation of the tea gardens.
