15 Indian Breakfast Foods That Are Vegan And High In Protein

Protein is an important macronutrient for overall health. It is also the most hyped macronutrient with many health insecurities built around the amount your body needs versus the amount you get. It often becomes a point of contention between vegans and non-vegans.

Protein comes from plant and animal sources, but popular health culture tells us to look to animal sources dismissing the plant options. Nature doesn’t segregate. Nature gives everything as a complete package.

To give you a perspective, the carbohydrate-laden potato, and Vitamin C-rich orange have protein too. The main difference is animal sources are complete proteins (all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot make and must come from food) while plant sources are often incomplete sources.

But if you eat balanced, diverse, and healthy plant-based meals throughout the day, you will get adequate protein for your body with all nine essential amino acids.

The crucial difference between these two sources of protein that impact heart and digestive health is that plants give you proteins with lots of fiber and no saturated fats or sodium. You can get your protein punch without the cholesterol.

Vegan First is barging into your kitchen today to make your morning breakfast decision an easier one—healthy, high protein, vegan breakfast options for you and your family.  (No, these aren’t exotic dishes with names we cannot pronounce, but regular Indian high-protein vegan breakfast dishes.)

Starting with the ubiquitous… 

1. BESAN CHILLA

This is a savoury pancake/uttapam dish made from besan or gram flour mixed with spices, vegetables and water.

Besan Protein Profile: 22g per 100g

2. MATTAR POHA TOPPED WITH GROUNDNUTS

This is a savoury dish made with poha or flattened rice, onions and spices. Instead of potato, adding peas gives it a protein punch. Top with groundnuts and get even more protein.

Peas Protein Profile: 5g per 100g

Groundnut Protein Profile: 26g per 100g

3. THALIPEETH

This is a dosa like savoury dish made by adding lentil, millet, wheat and rice flours to spices and vegetables.

Lentils Protein Profile: 9g per 100g

Millet Protein Profile: 6-12g per 100g

Besan Protein Profile: 22g per 100g

Wheat Protein Profile: 13g per 100g

4. KHAMAN DHOKLA

Dhokla is a savoury cake! The batter is made by mixing besan or gram flour with spices.

Besan Protein Profile: 22g per 100g

5. PAO TONAK AND OR MISAL PAV

Both dishes are a lentil side served with bread—pao or pav. Tonak is made with red cowpeas or dry green peas. Misal is made from moth beans. 

Red Cowpeas Protein Profile: 8g per 100g

Moth Beans Protein Profile: 8g per 100g

6. ADAI OR DAL DOSA

Adai is a dosa like savoury dish made with lentils. A mixture of soaked toor (pigeon peas), channa (bengal gram), yellow moong (split and skinned green moong) and rice is ground into a thick batter with spices. 

Toor Dal Protein Profile: 22g per 100g

Channa Dal protein Profile: 13g per 100g

Yellow Moong Protein Profile: 23g per 100g

7. PESARATTU OR MOONG DAL DOSA

Pesarattu and adai are siblings from across state borders. Pesarattu is a dosa like savoury dish made with whole green moong and spices. Similar to adai, the lentil is soaked for 6-10 hours, then ground into a thick batter with spices, and ladled onto a tawa. 

Green Moong Protein Profile: 23g per 100g

8. RAGI MUDDE AND RAGI KALI

Ragi or finger millet balls made with ragi flour and eaten with a liquid gravy side bas saaru. 

Ragi Protein Profile: 13g per 100g

9. MILLET IDLI

Idlis are usually high in rice content, but by switching all or 2/3rd of the rice content with millets, it becomes a high protein dish.   

Millet Protein Profile: 6-12g per 100g

10. PUTTU KADALA CURRY

Puttu is made with ground rice steamed with coconut. This is served with Kadala Curry made with whole bengal gram. 

Bengal Gram Protein Profile: 9g per 100g

11. MASALA VADAI OR PARRUPPU VADAI

A crispy fried vadai made with channa dal (bengal gram) and spices. It is also known as Parruppu (dal) vadai. 

Channa Dal Protein Profile: 13g per 100g

12. SINDHI KOKI OR MATTAR PARATHA

Sindhi koki is made with whole wheat flour and besan or gram flour mixed with chopped onions and spices. Mattar parathas are parathas with a spicy peas filling.

Wheat Protein Profile: 13g per 100g

Besan Protein Profile: 22g per 100g

Peas Protein Profile: 5g per 100g

13. UPMA WITH DALIA (BROKEN WHEAT)

Dalia upma is made with broken wheat, vegetables and spices.

Dalia Protein Profile: 12g per 100g

14. KHURA (BUCKWHEAT CHILLA)

Buckwheat or kuttu pancakes are made with buckwheat flour and beer. The beer can be replaced with water.

Buckwheat Protein Profile: 13g per 100g

15. RADHABALLAVI

Radhaballavi are puris made with a stuffing of ural dal (black gram) or channa dal (split chickpea). Traditionally made with maida these puris can be made with whole wheat flour. These puris are usually served with Dum Alu. 

Wheat Protein Profile: 13g per 100g

Dal Protein Profile: 13g per 100g

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