Replace your bread-and-eggs recipe with these 12 Kashmiri breakfast recipes

Kashmir cooking has a rich heritage of dishes that have attracted influences from across the continent and have evolved over time. The moves are perfected by talented chefs. Kashmiris don't traditionally have a hearty breakfast, but they sure love their bread, which remains the most filling and cheapest breakfast in the region. They are famous for their local bakery kandurwan, which has specific bread for every meal and season. There’s nothing better than fresh bread baked from the oven in Kandurwan and a steaming cup of mid-day tea in the wee hours of winter. Here are some unique Kashmiri breakfast recipes that will tantalize your taste buds and satisfy that early morning tummy growl.

12 Breakfast Recipes from Kashmir

Midday Tea

This pink Kashmiri milk tea is made with green tea, milk, salt and baking soda in a traditional cooked in a metal container. The baking soda is used to brighten the pink color, if you really want that Kashmiri flavor, leave out the sugar. Recipe here

Chhir Chot

This is a traditional Kashmiri pancake made with rice flour and ajwain seeds. Delicious pancakes go great with a steaming cup of Kahwa coffee. Try it here

Kahwa

This aromatic concoction is made from green tea boiled with saffron, cinnamon, cardamom and rose petals. Served with sugar or honey, this tea instantly warms the body and is an excellent treatment for the common cold and itchy throat. Recipe here

Girda

Girda bread is a popular tandoori breakfast bread made from dough that rises overnight and is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Best slathered in melted butter or jam. Recipe here

Lavasa Masala Tchot

This puffy puffy bread made from maida is filled with delicious masala fillings that will keep you entertained until lunch Feel full and happy. Recipe here

Bakarkhani

It is a layered bread made by repeatedly stretching the dough while adding generous amounts of ghee and then baking it in an oven. It is a favorite breakfast treat and is traditionally given as a souvenir gift when bringing “good news” to the in-laws. Try it here

Chochwor

desi donut is a pocket-sized round bread with a hard surface and covered with sesame seeds, which can be paired with a steaming cup of lunch Enjoy with tea. Recipe here

Harisa

This is a favorite winter lamb recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. At its heart, this is a breakfast recipe, so it's no surprise if you want to eat this meaty curry and steaming czot at every meal of yours. This is a hearty breakfast, and don’t confuse harissa with a hot sauce from North Africa. Try it here

Ross

A favorite for special occasions, this sweet bread is studded with dried fruits, black cardamom seeds, poppy seeds and of course the crowd-pleasing of sugar and ghee. Recipe here

Sheermal

It is a dry, crumbly sweet bread that has a long shelf life, as long as you keep it. Literally translated as "rubbed milk," this milk-based sweet bread is made from maida, yeast, sweetened milk, saffron, and cardamom. Try it here

Porathe

Oddly, this flatbread doesn't have fillings as you would expect and looks like a giant poori. Sold near Sufi shrines in Kashmir, it must be served with steaming halva. Recipe here