Recipes: Breakfast with a Twist
Coconut french toast (pictured above)
A lovely weekend breakfast dish; easy but really special. Brioche is the best bread to use in my opinion, as the resulting toast is both buttery and soft on the inside and lightly crisp on the outside, but your everyday loaf of bread would be just fine, too. Desiccated coconut is one of my storecupboard staples and here it adds a lovely texture as well as its sun-drenched, coastal flavour. If I am making this for guests at a weekend brunch, I add fresh seasonal soft fruit on the side as well as a little Greek yogurt and a handful of Jaggery Caramelised Walnuts (see below).Ingredients
2 large eggs
200ml whole milk
3 tbsp sugar (use only 2 tbsp if you are going
to serve these with syrup)
6 good tbsp desiccated coconut
2 tbsp vegetable oil
couple of knobs of unsalted butter
4 slices of brioche, or everyday bread
Jaggery caramelised walnuts
Method
Whisk together the eggs, milk and sugar. Spread the desiccated coconut on a small plate.
Heat the oil and butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium flame. Dip one slice of bread in the batter for about 30–40 seconds, pressing lightly to help the bread absorb the custard. Transfer to the plate of desiccated coconut and press gently, turning to coat both sides. Place straight in the hot pan, and repeat with the other slices.
Cook over a moderate flame for about two minutes, or until golden, then carefully flip and brown the other side. Serve hot from the pan, or keep warm in a 180°C/350F/gas mark 4 oven while you cook the rest.
Jaggery caramelised walnuts
Makes a small batch
I love these scattered over sweet breakfasts, or as a snack when I want something sweet but healthy. Jaggery is a completely unrefined sugar, sold in blocks and renowned for its healthy properties. It is full of iron and other minerals and believed to keep your lungs clean. The best quality is dark and hard, but larger supermarkets sell a softer jaggery which also works here.
Take 80g of jaggery and chop or pound it into smallish pieces. Place in a frying pan and cook over a medium-low flame, stirring often, until it melts and starts to get more glassy and less cloudy; this only takes a few minutes. Stir in 80g of walnuts, stir to coat well and cook for another minute. Pour out on to a sheet of baking parchment, or an oiled plate, and separate the walnuts. You have to work quickly as the jaggery will start to harden. (If so, return to the pan and heat a little to melt it again.) Allow to cool and harden. Store in an airtight container.
Smoked trout with kedgeree pilaf
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tsp vegetable oil, plus more for the eggs
11⁄2 tsp cumin seeds
50g butter 1 largish onion, finely chopped
4 fat garlic cloves, chopped
3⁄4 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
Salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper
300g basmati rice, washed well
350g hot-smoked trout fillets, at room temperature
4 eggs
juice of 1⁄2 lemon, or to taste
Small handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Method
A pilaf version of the famous Anglo-Indian brunch dish. The Memsahibs of the Raj adapted kedgeree from a very basic rice and lentil dish, khichri, incorporating their beloved smoked fish and eggs. It is delicious, comforting and a great midweek dinner. This is a lightly buttery and gently spiced version. I like a fried egg on top, but boil and quarter them if you prefer.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan. Add the cumin seeds and, once they darken, add the butter and onion. Sweat until the onion is soft but without colour. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, or until it smells cooked.
Add the spices to the onion pan with some seasoning and cook for 30–40 seconds. Add the drained rice and stir to coat in the flavourings, then pour in 600ml of water. Bring to the boil and allow to bubble for a minute, then reduce the heat to its lowest and cover the pot with a lid.
Cook for seven to eight minutes, then check a grain of rice. If it is cooked, turn off the flame, place the trout on top to warm through, cover and leave the rice to steam for five minutes or so.
Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a large frying pan and fry your eggs as you like them.
Gently stir the lemon juice, trout and parsley into the rice, using a fork and leaving the trout in large flakes. Serve portions topped with a fried egg.
Spicy Scrambled Tofu
Serves 1
Ingredients
1 tsp ghee or vegetable oil
1 green chilli, pierced with the tip of a knife (optional)
½ small onion, peeled and finely chopped (around 3 tbsp)
½ small clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
½ medium tomato, chopped
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground turmeric
salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g firm tofu, chopped into small pieces
small handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Method
This dish is a great breakfast or brunch dish for kapha body types, as it is warming and nourishing, but light. For kapha and pitta, tofu is a better protein than eggs and a great start to a busy day. I eat this with a little plain wholemeal toast or as part of a meal with flatbreads (it goes really well with the Spinach and Onion Flatbreads on page 141, shown here in the photo). This dish is good for vata body types if they find it easy to digest tofu (not all do).
Heat the ghee or oil in a small non-stick frying pan. Add the chilli and onion and sauté until golden at the edges. Add the garlic and cook for 30-40 seconds. Add the tomato, spices and seasoning and cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened.
Add the tofu and a splash or warm water, then cook for 5 minutes, breaking up and squashing the pieces so the tofu resembles scrambled eggs (I use the back of my wooden spoon, but a potato masher would probably be quicker). Sprinkle over the coriander and serve hot.
Vitality Porridge
Serves 1
Ingredients
30-40g rolled oats
220-280ml milk, water or a mix of both (I use half soya milk and half water)
1 piece of broken star anise (optional)
½ - 1/3 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
sweetener, such as agave nectar, maple syrup, raw cane sugar or honey, to taste
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, ground flax seeds or pistachios
Method
In the West porridge is a standard breakfast, enjoyed for the heart-healthy properties of oats. From an Ayurvedic point of view it is a warming, nourishing breakfast that is easy on the stomach. When you bring milk to a boil and add a spice, you make it easier to digest, although if your system is feeling a little sluggish, it would be better to choose a grain milk, such as rice, soya or almond milk, or cook with plain water. It is hard to determine quantities here- you should eat until you feel about half full. I am normally hungry in the mornings and I cook about 35g, but see how you feel and adjust the quantities accordingly.
Bring the oats, milk, water and star anise (if using) to a boil in a small saucepan. Simmer until the oats are soft- mine take about 5-6 minutes but other brands may take longer. Add a little more liquid if necessary.
Stir in the cinnamon, vanilla extract and seeds or nuts, sweeten to taste and serve.
Smoked Trout Kedgeree: ANJUM’S QUICK & EASY INDIAN by ANJUM ANAND, published by Quadrille (£18.99) Photos ©LISA LINDER
Coconut French Toast: ANJUM’S INDIAN VEGETARIAN FEAST by ANJUM ANAND, published by Quadrille (£19.99, hardback) Photos ©EMMA LEE
Spicy Tofu & Vitality Porridge: Eat right for your body type by Anjum Anand (Quadrille, £9.99) Photography by Lisa Linder