Indianized Big British breakfast -ideal for Sunday's, surprises, or simply if you want to eat fancy
Hi All,
Note:
1. This is perfect for a fancy breakfast/Sunday brunch or for surprising your spouse on any occasion or simply after a great night. Also its amazing for holidays like mother's or father's day or birthdays to thank them.
2. Please note that this is NOT an everyday breakfast and not at all healthy as it contains too much butter and processed foods .you can always make the frozen foods like tikkis or cutlets yourself the previous day to make them less junky.
3. Instead of baked beans , you can make mashed garlic potatoes. Simply boil some potatoes and garlic and mash them, add some salt pepper and thick cream or yogurt. Mix well and serve.
I have always fancied the big heavy British breakfast concept however it's just too much for an Indian, no Matter how non veggie he or she is, I mean no indian would prefer to have blood pudding(at least a vast majority of us wouldn't, in India nothing can be generalised). But the whole idea of eating a big hearty breakfast to start the day is interesting and a break from our daily idles and parathas...
I have put together a selection of items that is essentially Western but suitable for the Indian palette, most of these are packaged items so very less cooking which means a beginner can easily make this . I made such type of breakfast first when I was in my late teenage to surprise my mom for mother's day, of course my mom is a pure vegetarian so all the items were veggie, but over the years, I've discovered more varieties of items to include and after coming back to India, I refined the menu based on what's available in the Indian market.
British breakfast would essentially have a selection of meats, sausages, black pudding(optional but traditional),baked potatoes with beans, grilled tomatoes, eggs, breads/bread based pudding, grilled mushrooms and a big glass of classic British tea.
I will tell you a veg and non veg version in 2 menus. Only one part of the plate will be different the remaining part is common.
I will tell you a veg and non veg version in 2 menus. Only one part of the plate will be different the remaining part is common.
Serve in a large plate or on a breakfast tray.
Menu 1:
This is for the Non vegetarians
Arrange fried chicken sausage (chicken Frank's/hot dogs), fried chicken cutlets or kebabs (easily find them at the frozen section) to one side of the plate. Drizzle some ketchup or hotsauce on the sausages.
Menu2:
Arrange 2 fried alu tikkis, 2 vegetable cutlets or kebabs (easily find them at the frozen section) to one side of the plate.
Common part of the menu:
Slice two small tomatoes or 5 cherry tomatoes (really small ones which are pretty fancy and expensive), slice 3 button mushrooms (I would ask you to buy fancy ones like Portobello mushroom if you find them in your grocery store),also slice some meaty vegetable like zucchini or orange pumpkin into 1 inch thick broad slices. If you can find firm cheese like hallumi else take paneer, slice them to 1 inch thick long rectangles. You can use a griller or even a toaster to get perfect char marks, else a normal tawa is enough, put some butter on it and grill all the above one by one .Note that you can always add or delete the number of vegetables you grill. Plate them to one side as well . Tomatoes sit on top of the other items to add vibrancy.
Eggs:
Next into a slightly large bowl mix eggs(2 per person), add half a tumbler(100ml) milk, a spoon of butter, salt , pepper, beat the mixture with a fork for 3 minutes. Heat a pan with some more butter or oil , let it heat up and pour in the egg mixture . Now start scrambling the mixture till it thickens (it should be a little gooey as in not completely dry). Add this to a side of the plate.
Baked beans:
Baked beans come in cans and are easily available in the can section of supermarkets, however if you can't find them or you want to make them at home, simply buy white beans(substitute with Rajma, chickpeas)soak them overnight, boil them till very very tender, add them to a basic tomato sauce(either store bought, else simply grind some tomatoes to a puree, add salt pepper,a little sugar or ketchup), combine these two in a pot and simmer it for at least two hours on low heat... you see it's a tedious process, that is why I said you can use baked beans from can, alternatively you can make the quintessential indian dal (well not too dal,use Rajma or chawli or kidney beans)and serve that too. the idea is to serve something slightly thickened, this is usually a little sweet and not at all spicy so vary your dal accordingly. Add the beans near the egg.
Breads:
Now the bread needs to be fancy, if you can get it, buy whole multigrain bread or baguette or sourdough bread, if nothing is available normal brown sandwich bread is fine. Butter them(heavily) and serve as is or toast them a little. I usually see English muffins also on the plate, you can buy normal buns as well as serve. Place the bread on the plate normally you stack it near the plate if no more place is available.
Tea:
Now brew some masala chai indian style or a light black assam tea, add them to a big mug.
Final presentation:
On the breakfast tray or table, the plate would be in the centre. Add the bread to a side or in a smaller plate to one side , a small dish with some breakfast cream or simply butter, another small dish with jam(try to get orange jam). Place the big mug of chai to the other side of the plate.
Add a blueberry muffin or a sweet cake next to the tea.
Next arrange your cutlery (fork knife spoon ). Optional is to roll a delicate hanky or towel/tissue around the cutlery.
Complete the look with a tall glass or vase with a rose inside.
Menu2:
Arrange 2 fried alu tikkis, 2 vegetable cutlets or kebabs (easily find them at the frozen section) to one side of the plate.
Common part of the menu:
Slice two small tomatoes or 5 cherry tomatoes (really small ones which are pretty fancy and expensive), slice 3 button mushrooms (I would ask you to buy fancy ones like Portobello mushroom if you find them in your grocery store),also slice some meaty vegetable like zucchini or orange pumpkin into 1 inch thick broad slices. If you can find firm cheese like hallumi else take paneer, slice them to 1 inch thick long rectangles. You can use a griller or even a toaster to get perfect char marks, else a normal tawa is enough, put some butter on it and grill all the above one by one .Note that you can always add or delete the number of vegetables you grill. Plate them to one side as well . Tomatoes sit on top of the other items to add vibrancy.
Eggs:
Next into a slightly large bowl mix eggs(2 per person), add half a tumbler(100ml) milk, a spoon of butter, salt , pepper, beat the mixture with a fork for 3 minutes. Heat a pan with some more butter or oil , let it heat up and pour in the egg mixture . Now start scrambling the mixture till it thickens (it should be a little gooey as in not completely dry). Add this to a side of the plate.
Baked beans:
Baked beans come in cans and are easily available in the can section of supermarkets, however if you can't find them or you want to make them at home, simply buy white beans(substitute with Rajma, chickpeas)soak them overnight, boil them till very very tender, add them to a basic tomato sauce(either store bought, else simply grind some tomatoes to a puree, add salt pepper,a little sugar or ketchup), combine these two in a pot and simmer it for at least two hours on low heat... you see it's a tedious process, that is why I said you can use baked beans from can, alternatively you can make the quintessential indian dal (well not too dal,use Rajma or chawli or kidney beans)and serve that too. the idea is to serve something slightly thickened, this is usually a little sweet and not at all spicy so vary your dal accordingly. Add the beans near the egg.
Breads:
Now the bread needs to be fancy, if you can get it, buy whole multigrain bread or baguette or sourdough bread, if nothing is available normal brown sandwich bread is fine. Butter them(heavily) and serve as is or toast them a little. I usually see English muffins also on the plate, you can buy normal buns as well as serve. Place the bread on the plate normally you stack it near the plate if no more place is available.
Tea:
Now brew some masala chai indian style or a light black assam tea, add them to a big mug.
Final presentation:
On the breakfast tray or table, the plate would be in the centre. Add the bread to a side or in a smaller plate to one side , a small dish with some breakfast cream or simply butter, another small dish with jam(try to get orange jam). Place the big mug of chai to the other side of the plate.
Add a blueberry muffin or a sweet cake next to the tea.
Next arrange your cutlery (fork knife spoon ). Optional is to roll a delicate hanky or towel/tissue around the cutlery.
Complete the look with a tall glass or vase with a rose inside.
Note:
1. This is perfect for a fancy breakfast/Sunday brunch or for surprising your spouse on any occasion or simply after a great night. Also its amazing for holidays like mother's or father's day or birthdays to thank them.
2. Please note that this is NOT an everyday breakfast and not at all healthy as it contains too much butter and processed foods .you can always make the frozen foods like tikkis or cutlets yourself the previous day to make them less junky.
3. Instead of baked beans , you can make mashed garlic potatoes. Simply boil some potatoes and garlic and mash them, add some salt pepper and thick cream or yogurt. Mix well and serve.
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