Indian for Breakfast

Start your day with ginger, cilantro, and more savory flavors.

When I say, "A short stack, two eggs over easy, hash browns, toast, bacon or sausage, coffee, and OJ," you know exactly what I'm talking about: American breakfast, found at diners from coast to coast. Did you ever wonder, though, what's served for breakfast in other countries? Sure, we have a vague notion that the French start their day with a croissant and strong coffee, but how about in Germany? Mexico? China?

I started pondering this question last fall while leafing through my friends Suvir Saran and Raquel Pelzel's new book, American Masala. For some reason, I didn't expect to find a chapter about breakfast in their book about Indian food. But there it was, and it sparked the idea for this column.

SPICY TOMATO, ONION, AND CILANTRO OMELETS
SERVES 4

Eggs figure into the breakfasts of many counties, often with local additions. This recipe is adapted from Curried Flavors, by Maya Kaimal MacMillan (Abbeville Press).

9 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

If you wish to serve all of the omelets at once, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 250 degrees.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, salt, and black pepper to combine; set aside. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and browns slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir the onion mixture into the egg mixture and set aside.

Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel, add 11/2 teaspoons of oil, and return it to the medium heat. When the oil is hot, pour in about one-quarter of the egg mixture and tilt the pan to cover with egg. Cook, without stirring, until eggs begin to set, about 30 seconds. With a silicone spatula, lift an edge of cooked egg, then tilt the pan so that uncooked egg runs underneath. Repeat this process, working around the edge of the pan. Sprinkle about one-quarter of the tomato and cilantro evenly over half of the eggs in the pan and continue cooking, using the spatula to loosen the edges, until the surface of the eggs is almost dry, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. Slide the omelet halfway out of the pan onto a serving platter (or plate, if serving immediately) and tilt the skillet so that the top of the omelet folds over itself neatly. Either serve at once or keep warm in the oven while preparing more omelets.

For each subsequent omelet, wipe the skillet clean, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil, return it to medium heat, and repeat the process.

SAVORY SPICED FARINA WITH CASHEWS AND BANANAS
SERVES 4

In India, this dish is called uppuma (pronounced OOP-mah), and it takes farina - you may know it as Cream of Wheat - in a whole new direction. This recipe also is adapted from Curried Flavors.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup raw cashews, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
4 medium bay leaves
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 1/2-inch by 1 1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 cup plain, non-instant farina
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 banana, peeled and thinly sliced

In a medium skillet set over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. When it stops foaming, add the cashews and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring constantly, until the nuts are dark golden brown, about 1 minute. Pour the cashews into a bowl and set aside.

Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the oil to the skillet and return it to medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves and cook, stirring constantly, until the mustard seeds begin to pop, about 40 seconds. Add the onion and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add the farina and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, until the farina is light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the water and lemon juice and cook, stirring constantly, until the cereal thickens. Remove from heat, stir in the reserved cashews, and serve at once, topping each portion with some banana slices.

POTATO AND PEA POHA
SERVES 4

Adapted from American Masala, by Suvir Saran with Raquel Pelzel (Clarkson Potter). Garnish this dish with any Indian-style chutney that suits your taste.

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 large onion, halved pole to pole and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 medium jalapeno pepper, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas
1 large ripe tomato, cored, seeded and roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cups thick-flake poha, rinsed in cold water and drained
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and mustard seeds darken and begin to pop, about 40 seconds. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 3 minutes.

Add the potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potato cubes begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the turmeric and jalapeno pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and browned, about 5 minutes longer. Add the peas and tomato and stir to mix, then gently fold the poha into the mixture, taking care to avoid breaking the flakes.

Once the poha is incorporated, drizzle the water around the edges of the skillet, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, without stirring, until the poha is tender and heated through, about 5 minutes longer. Add the lime juice and 6 tablespoons of cilantro, carefully stir to incorporate, and serve at once with the lime wedges and sprinkled with some of the remaining 2 tablespoons of cilantro.

Send comments or suggestions to Adam Ried at cooking@globe.com.

Correction: Because of a reporting error, the title of a cookbook of Indian recipes in Sunday's Globe magazine Cooking column was incorrect. The correct title is "Curried Favors."