Skipping Breakfast and Lunch - A BIG NO NO

I am sure many of my friends skip lunch, at least most of the people I know do so. I recently read an article and according to that, it is very unhealthy to skip breakfast and lunch. In fact, it says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Having breakfast in the morning is the key to perform better physical ad mental activity. People who have a healthy breakfast are able to maintain a more healthier weight than those who do not. And I feel this all makes sense! Since, if you skip breakfast, you keep feeling hungry all day and eventually end up gorging food when its time for dinner!

I never miss breakfast, and the day I do, I literally can not stand on my feet! I think this is all because of my mother, who has spoilt me as people say (:P), but I believe its more like a good eating habit. So, now when I am here in the US, away from home and all my luxuries of just sitting on the dining table ready to eat food, I have to cook my own breakfast and being a graduate student, I definitely do not have the time to cook a royal breakfast :P, but I got some ideas for a quick and almost healthy breakfast. So here are some of my breakfast ideas :

IDEA 1: Cereals!! ( Easy and healthy!)
IDEA 2 : A glass of milk ( with Nesquick :D) and toasted bread slice with a turkey slice and a cheese slice and an orange.
IDEA 3: Toast and Omelet. I don't think there is anyone who does not know how quick it is to make an omelet!
IDEA 4: Banana and glass of milk.
IDEA5: Bagel with cream cheese
IDEA 6: Toast and peanut butter
IDEA 7: Boiled eggs
Keep suggesting ideas, I really want to increase this list :)

Also, keep this is mind that having breakfast might make you hungry earlier in the day, this only means that your metabolism has been stimulated and you body needs more food. So, wait till its time for lunch. And yes, skipping lunch is also unhealthy. You need lunch to feel good and all afternoon. I will post more health benefits of having lunch and some cool and quick lunch recipes.

South Indian

If people are expecting me to cook south Indian food from scratch, then this is probably the wrong place! But if students like me are reading this, then it should be obvious that I am planning to cook South Indian food from the ready made Dosa dough available at Patels. But yes, I have cooked Sambhar and the coconut chutney from scratch!

Making the dosa is pretty simple. You just have to follow the instructions at the back , and look how yummy these dosas look in the picture below :

But, the 'Sambhar' was a challege! But I am sure that I did a pretty good job in making sambhar for the first time. So, here goes the recipe. Please people, suggest me some improvements!

Ingredients:

2-3 Tsp Sambhar Masala

2 cups Vegetable I used: Carrots, Peas, Potatos, french beans. You might also want to use other veggies like brinjals, pumpkin, drumstics etc. depending on personal choice (and availability!)
1/2 cup tuvar daal
1/2 Tsp Fenugreek seeds
3 dry red chillies
1 Tsp Urad Daal
8-10 Curry Leaves
1/2 Tsp Mustard seeds
1 Pinch hing powder
2 Tbs Tamarind paste
1 or 2 Tbs Oil

Method

1) Boil Tuvar daal, vegetables and salt according to taste together in a pressure cooker and then mash partially.

2) In a pan, heat oil, add the fenugreek leaves and fry till they look reddish, then add the urad daal and saute until color change.

3) Now, add Mustard seeds, hing powder, red chili and curry leaves and let them splutter.

4) Just add this mixture of spices along with the sambhar masala and the tamarind paste to the boiled tuvar daal and keep on ow fire for about 20 minutes till a nice consistency is achieved. Add water if the sambhar seems too thick.

I think this sambhar did not turn out to be all that spicy but still was pretty decent. I am gonna try again and keep trying till I get that perfect Sambhar!

Now, we have sambhar, dosa ready, we can NOT miss the coconut chutney!!

Ingredients:

1 cup Grated coconut
2 dry red chilies
1 Tsp Mustard seeds
2 tsp urad daal
5 curry leaves
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander ( optional, but i really like to add this )
A pinch of hing powder
Oil

Method:

1) Blend coconut, coriandder leaves, salt in a blender and add a little water if too thick.
2) Heat oil, add mustard seeds, red chili, urad daal, hing, and fry for a minute and add curry leaves.
3) Add this mixture of spices to the blended coconut mixture.

Enjoy!

Well, now when I made all this, I felt Hey! This meal can not be complete without the Aloo (potato) masala for the dosas!!

Ingredients:

1) Boiled potatoes
2) All ingredients of coconut chutney above except the grated coc0nut.
3) 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder

Method:

1) Extremely simple!
2) Mash partially the boiled potatoes with a fork.
3) Just make the mixture of spices in oil as above.
4) Add the mashed potatoes to the mixture of spices, add the turmeric powder and salt and saute for 2-3 minutes

And you all have to believe me that the person for whom I cooked all this food was definitely in a bliss ( I hope!!!!). No, but seriously, you all got to try out all this!