Top 5 East Indian Diabetes-Friendly Breakfast Recipes

East Indian breakfast recipes for sugar patient

Each region has its own list of food items.  Geographical location also has its influences on it.  Today we have chosen 5 East Indian breakfast recipes for study.

East India is comprises of the states of West Bengal, Assam, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, and Orissa. This region is home to mountains and beaches.  East India has mainly three schools of cuisine— Northeastern, Bengal and Assam.  But the speciality of the food in this region can be described in one word 'simple'.

Top 5 East Indian Breakfast Recipes

1. Dhokar Dalna Recipe

We all know dals or lentils are good for diabetes. They are not only nutritious but help in maintaining sugar levels too. Hence we have chosen this first recipe named as "Dhokar Dalna' which can be considered as one of the best Indian breakfasts for diabetic patients.

Dhokar Dalna is a signature vegetarian Bengali dish.  This dish is made from lentil cakes prepared from chana dal and yellow split peas immersed in delicious Bengali style curry.

Recipe features 

This is a diabetes-friendly recipe.  FFD has given a little twist to this dish by eliminating the potatoes which helps in cutting down the extra carbs from it.

See the detailed recipe given below

Ingredients

For the Lentil Cakes

  • 2 Cups Bengal Gram/Chana Dal/Cholar Dal
  • 1 Cup Dried Peas/Matar Dal
  • 1 Tsp Cumin Powder
  • 1 Tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1 Tsp Chilli Powder
  • ½ Tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1 Tbsp Ginger Paste
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 Tbsp Mustard Oil (Vegetable Oil)
  • 1 Tsp Asafoetida
  • ½ Tsp Onion Seeds
  • 4-6 Green Chillies (Finely chopped)
  • Oil for shallow frying

For the sauce

  • 3 Tbsp Mustard or Vegetable Oil
  • 1-2 Bay Leaves
  • 3-4 Whole Cardamoms

Method

To make the lentil cakes

  • To make the lentil cakes mix the 2 kinds of dal and soak in water overnight.
  • Drain the water and grind the dals/lentils into a smooth paste.
  • Add coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger paste, and salt and mix well.
  • Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan.
  • Add asafoetida, onion seeds, and green chillies.
  • When they start to splutter, add the dal paste.
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until all the water evaporates and the mix starts sticking together and comes off the side of the pan easily.
  • Remove from heat and form the lentil cakes. Shallow fry the lentil cakes till golden brown (3-4 mins).

To make the sauce

  • To make the sauce heat oil in a pan and temper with bay leaves, cardamoms, ginger paste, and green chillies.
  • Add the puréed tomato and cook for 10-12 mins.
  • Add cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.
  • Cook for 10-15 more mins or until oil separates.
  • Now add the fried lentil cakes and stir lightly.
  • Turn off the heat and add garam masala powder.
  • Serve with steamed brown rice.

Notes:

Do not cook for too long after adding the lentil cakes to the sauce or they will break. The lentil cakes will absorb a lot of sauce, so make sure that you make extra sauce. Add some water to the sauce if necessary.

2. Gatte (Besan) Ki Sabzi

Gatte ki sabzi or Besan Ke Gatte Ki Sabzi is a traditional dish. It can be described as besan sausages cooked in a gravy that is spicy and yoghurt-based.  The recipe is generally made with curd as its base. It is the best breakfast for diabetic patients when we run out of veggies.

Recipe features

FFD has modified this recipe to make it completely vegan.  This is achieved by eliminating the milk curd from the original recipe.  Instead, we use onions and tomatoes to make the curry which is healthy for diabetics.  Its chief ingredient chana dal/besan puts it directly into a diabetes-friendly category.

Click here to know the detailed recipe

3. Chana Dal Kachori

This recipe can be one of the best breakfast recipes for Indian diabetics.

Recipe features-

Chana Dal Kachori's main ingredient is chana dal or Bengal gram which is rich in B-complex vitamins that help in glucose metabolism.  Plus it is rich in antioxidants and helps in reducing inflammation all good for diabetes.  This dal gives 13 g of protein in 100 g of serving which is very good.  FFD style chana dal kachori is made with very little oil as it is made in appe patra.  Plus use of wheat as an outer covering is eliminated.

Here is the detailed recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Split Chickpeas/ Chana Dal (Soaked in water for 3-4 hours or overnight)
  • 1 Medium Size Onion (Chopped finely)
  • 1 Inch Ginger (Chopped finely)
  • 7 Cloves Garlic (Chopped finely)
  • 3-4 Green Chillies (Chopped finely)
  • 1 Bunch Coriander Leaves/ Dhania Leaves (Chopped finely)
  • 1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
  • 1 Tsp Coriander Seed Powder/ Dhania Powder
  • 1 Tsp Cumin Powder/ Jeera Powder
  • 1 Tsp Turmeric/ Haldi
  • Oil
  • Salt

Method

  • Wash the soaked dal and grind it into a coarse (very important) paste using little water.
  • Mix all the ingredients listed above, except oil, to the dal paste.
  • Make small unevenly round spheres of the dal paste and cook them in appe patra using very little oil.
  • Serve with tamarind chutney or brown rice dal, or put it in gravy.

4. Nimki Recipe

Nimki, namak para or mathri is a crunchy savoury snack that can be considered as one of the diabetic friendly breakfast recipes if prepared in FFD style. Nimki is ribbon-like strips of pastry made up of refined flour, oil and water seasoned with ajwain and cumin seeds (jeera) in pure ghee (clarified butter) or any oil.  

Recipe Features 

FFD style Nimki preparation avoids use of vegetable oil or ghee as in traditional preparation.  Also, nimki is prepared with only besan or bengal gram flour and not refined flour.  All this puts this in the best breakfast for diabetic patient category.

See the detailed recipe below

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Besan/ Chickpea Flour
  • ¼  Tsp Jeera/ Cumin Seeds
  • ¼  Tsp Ajwain / Carom Seeds
  • ¼ Tsp Kalonji/ Nigella Seeds
  • ¼ Tsp Haldi/ Turmeric Powder
  • ½ Tsp Salt
  • 2 Tsp Cold/ Solidified Coconut Oil (Keep in Fridge)
  • Cold Water to Knead
  • Other Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp Cold/ Solidified Coconut Oil
  • ¼ Cup Besan
  • ¼ Tsp Salt
  • 2 Tsp Oil For Roasting

Method

  • Take 2 cups besan, cumin, carom, nigella, turmeric and salt in a big bowl and mix well by hand.
  • Add the solidified coconut oil and mix with fingertips to a bread crumb like texture.
  • Add cold water little by little, to mix and make a stiff dough.
  • Make a ball and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • In the meantime, take ¼ cup besan, salt and 2 tbsp solidified coconut oil and mix quickly by hand until well combined but not melted.
  • Keep in the fridge for 10 minutes.
  • Roll out the dough into a big circle and apply the oil and besan mixture to it all over the surface evenly.
  • Roll it up into a long tube and keep in the fridge for 5 minutes.
  • Cut the tube into 1 inch pieces and squish each piece into a flat peda gently, so that the coiled surfaces are seen on both sides.
  • Keep in the fridge until needed.
  • Remove two pieces at a time and gently roll each one into a 2.5 inch circle.
  • Roast each one, on one side on a hot tawa until just pink.
  • Keeping the roasted side in the middle/ top, fold the circle over in half and roast for half a minute.
  • Fold again in half keeping the roasted side on the inside to make a triangle.
  • Apply few drops oil and roast both sides of the triangle till crisp.
  • Similarly, make all the rest.
  • Can store these for a week.
  • Eat 4 pieces with green chutney, salad and sprouts.

5. Chana Ghugni

Kala chana is very good for health especially if one is diabetic. This recipe is not only very simple and easy to prepare but it is diabetes-friendly too.  It is one of the most popular snacks in eastern states. This recipe consists of boiled kala chana that is tempered with spices and topped with finely chopped onions served with dash of lemon juice, all very healthy.

Here is the detailed recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Black Dried Chickpeas/ Kala Channa
  • 1 Ginger (1 medium slice for boiling and 1 tbsp finely chopped for the masala)
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic (Finely chopped)
  • 1 Cup Onion (Finely chopped)
  • 1½ Tbsp Mustard Oil
  • ½ Tsp Cumin Seeds
  • 1 Inch Cinnamon Stick
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 1-2 Dried Red Chilli
  • 1 Cup Red Onion (Finely chopped)
  • 2½ Tsp Dry Mango Powder (Aamchur)

For Spice Paste

  • Pinch of Turmeric Powder
  • ½ Tsp Chilli Powder
  • 1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
  • 1½ Tsp Cumin Powder
  • 2 Tbsp Water

For Garnishing

  • 1 Onions (Finely chopped)
  • 4-5 Green Chillies (Finely chopped)
  • 1-2 Lime (Cut anyway to squeeze the juice on the cooked ghugni)

Method

  • Dash and soak the Kala chana overnight or for about 8 hours in water.
  • Pressure cook the chana with salt, ginger and turmeric.
  • Strain the mix, keep aside the stock.
  • Take a deep bottomed pan heat 1 tbsp mustard oil put cumin, dry chilli, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, fry for 2 min.
  • Then add chopped ginger, garlic, chopped onion fry for 7-8 mins.
  • Then add amchur powder and boiled kala chana.
  • Now add the stock.
  • Add water as per your choice.
  • Serve in bowls or a plate, garnished with chopped onions, green chillies and lime.
  • Traditionally, this is served with chooda ka bhooja or lightly spiced and roasted beaten brown rice.
  • I find this tastes great on its own too.

All the 5 East Indian Breakfast Recipes are good for diabetics.  These are simple to prepare and tasty too.  Since these are majorly dal based items, they can be had in the breakfast which helps in following the FFD rule of NO GRAIN IN BREAKFAST.

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Join our one-of-its-kind Introductory session i.e Discover Reversal Session and start your Diabetes Reversal Journey with us. 

FAQs

What is a good diabetes-friendly breakfast I can try from East India?

You can try East Indian breakfast options like Dhokar Dalna, Gatte Ki Sabzi, Chana Dal Kachori, Nimki, and Chana Ghugni. They are tasty, simple, and help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

Why is Dhokar Dalna suitable for me if I have diabetes?

Dhokar Dalna is made from lentils like chana dal, which help regulate blood sugar. Plus, the recipe eliminates potatoes to reduce extra carbs, making it healthier for me.

Can I prepare Gatte Ki Sabzi without curd to make it diabetes-friendly?

Yes, I can make Gatte Ki Sabzi without curd by using a tomato-onion gravy instead. This keeps the dish healthy and suitable for my diabetic needs.
 
How can I make Chana Dal Kachori healthier?

I can prepare Chana Dal Kachori in an appe patra with very little oil and avoid using wheat. The chana dal in the recipe is rich in protein and B-complex vitamins, perfect for diabetes management.

Is Nimki a good snack for me if I have diabetes?

Yes, Nimki can be a healthy snack for me when prepared with besan instead of refined flour and without oil or ghee, as suggested in the FFD recipe.

Looking for east Indian healthy Diabetes-friendly lunch & dinner Recipes? Visit here:1. East Indian Lunch Recipes


2. East Indian dinner Recipes