8 Perfect savory breakfast ideas from Sri Lanka

fried egg and bread pklatter

Summer around the corner I feel like I am craving more savory breakfasts. Me and my husband stop over to have some good hash browns, steak tips or eggs and baked beans at our favorite local diner after dropping kids at school at least twice a month. It has become a routine over the years. It was quite common to have breakfast with a kick in my home and naturally most of my memories are wrapped around that. you could call it a dinner for breakfast, the way we Sri Lankans eat it. I thought what better way to start the month of June would be to share some savory breakfast ideas from my menu book. I hope you will enjoy and support this post.

#1 Sri Lankan Milk Rice make a perfect savory creamy breakfast

Sri Lankan new year spread

Milk rice had to be my all-time favorite savory breakfast from Sri Lanka. With creamy, velvety smooth rich coconut milk flavor in every bite, this Sri Lankan special occasion breakfast is good starter to your day with much needed energy kick and nutrients.

My favorite pairings to have on the side of Kiribath aka milk rice is sour tuna fish curry, Sri Lankan dried fish tempered, or pounded onion Sambal.


#2 Savory Mung bean pancake or Dosa is delicious and nutritious savory breakfast for summer mornings

savory breakfast pancake

Savory pancakes are always much more exotic than the sweet ones in my book. Although I love both kinds. My favorite savory pancakes are mung bean pancakes.

Although Dosa is traditionally made with black lentils, I love the nutty flavor of mung beans and spicy kick with simple fry and chili flakes.

Lentil pancakes are great to pair with yogurt raita and salsa to make perfect cooling effect in your summer breakfast


#3 Breakfast fried rice from leftover rice my favorite savory breakfast

image of duck curry fried rice

I could write all day about tempered rice for breakfast. This is something that my mom made for breakfast without fail, if she had leftover rice from the previous day. We had leftover rice so often available to turn in to other delicious recipes. Most popular savory fried rice probably is egg fried rice.

But making a fried rice for a savory breakfast can be so versatile. Flavors you can combine needs to be from the meals what your family love to eat. I have a picture of duck curry fried rice I made a few weeks back. Also, Apple and ham fried rice, curry fried rice with yellow curry powder and strawberry fried rice were huge hits from my recent creations.

Breakfast fried rice tastes best when it carries a light and refreshing blend of flavors. A light touch of vegetables along with protein with a light hand of seasoning is the way my family loves. An extra bonus point to this delicious savory breakfast for using up rice and leftover veggies and reducing food waste.


#4 Green Porridge is my special occasion savory breakfast drink.

Image of Sri Lankan green breakfast porridge

Sri Lankan green porridge or commonly named in Sri Lanka as Kola Kanda is one of my favorite healthy breakfast drinks. It takes time love and effort to make it from scratch, which is the best way to do it. But nowadays, you could order this wonder savory breakfast drink sachets to be rehydrated in an instant.

In New England, I have found collards and kale along with little parsley makes best green porridge. It just gives perfect earthiness to the creamy balance and flavor that I am so used to.

Breakfast green porridge is made as a smoothie textured drink with juices from greens, coconut milk, and soft and mushy rice with a nice balance of flavors and aromas of ginger, salt, black pepper and cinnamon. This symphony of balance will make you want to go for seconds every time you finish your cup.


#5 This perfect make ahead flatbread is my go-to savory breakfast

image of flatbread and eggs and tomatoes on a plate

Flatbread is so versatile and can be paired with breakfast lunch or dinner as we please. They can be made to your favorite flavors and recipes are so customizable. I usually make my flatbreads with shredded vegetables an egg and yellow curry powder. I call it enriched breakfast flatbread. Instead, the flatbread just salted scraped coconut, this flatbread has grated carrots, very finely chopped red onions, green beans, while of leek, curry leaves and green chili.

The vegetables are salted and infused with yellow curry powder before they go into flour, add an egg and a little bit of oil and just enough water until everything comes together in a nice dough. Roll out thick and cut generous Flatbreads. Cook on medium to low until cooked through. Use a grill press if you have and it will give a nice even browning. Perfect filling and nutritious breakfast on the go from the island of Sri Lanka.


#6 Sri Lankan fish buns is a good savory breakfast mid-morning snack as well as a filling lunch all in one

image of Sri Lankan fish buns in a bin

Think about a sub or burger in a bun. That is what is great about Sri Lankan fish bun. Dough for the bun is similar to the milk bread recipe. slightly sweet fragrant fluffy but firm. It can withstand to curries or fish-based stuffing without becoming soggy. In Sri Lanka, filling is made spicy with a kick from red chili flakes with fish and potato-based filling. This is how we Sri Lankans have made it our own. Ours is spicy, peppery, and deliciously warm.

#7 String hoppers breakfast is the ultimate festive breakfast for me

The meal speaks for itself. It is festive and yet humble. Making a string hopper meal for breakfast is truly a labor of love. Make the dough, form string hoppers into a steaming mats and steam for few minutes until cooked through and firm. String hoppers are done. The entirety of making string hoppers involves soaking the rice overnight. Pound it into a powder, steam the rice powder for few minutes before even mixing the dough.

Things have evolved since then to be more efficient ways to make string hoppers. My process is that I mix store brought rice flour with hot salted water with some oil in it to make a sticky dough. Then I work quickly to form string hoppers and steam them. My favorite accompaniment to string hoppers meal is potato curry and spicy fish curry / red lentils curry with coconut Sambal or yellow tuna curry with pounded chili onion relish.


#8 Chickpeas or mung beans tempered is every bit of savory breakfast I want to swear by

image of boiled chickpeas in bowl

Ultimate simple and easy to make and serve savory breakfast in my home is Sri Lankan tempered chickpeas. Just soak and boil chickpeas and follow with a quick stir frying with onions, ginger garlic and yellow curry powder. Any curry powder of your choice will work here because flavors do need to be what you love.. Simple yet delicious.

Serving chickpeas or mung beans as a savory breakfast is as common as breakfast fried rice or flatbread in Sri Lanka. Sometimes pulses are replaced with root vegetables like sweet potato, casava, jackfruit. Root vegetables often times served with tempered dried fish or anchovies and make up a similar meal. Typically, the legume or the main root vegetables are served with grated fresh coconut and a spicy onion salsa. Mild sweetness from grated coconut, helps cut back some of heat from the salsa, while cooked pulses or root vegetable brings up the body.


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