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Pakistani breakfast tray with khagina, parathas, sweet yogurt and cream

Pakistani Breakfast Platter (Khagina, Paratha, Meetha Dahi and Malai)

A classic desi weekend breakfast: spicy khagina (Pakistani scrambled eggs with onion, tomato, green chillies and lots of coriander), flaky whole-wheat parathas with desi ghee, chilled meetha dahi and creamy malai.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Pakistani
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the khagina
  • 6 eggs
  • 3 tbsp oil or ghee
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes chopped
  • 2–3 green chillies chopped
  • ½ tsp salt or to taste
  • ½ tsp red chilli powder
  • ¼ tsp haldi (turmeric)
  • ½ tsp zeera (cumin seeds) optional
  • ½ cup fresh coriander chopped
For the parathas
  • 3 cups whole-wheat flour (atta)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup water approximately, for kneading
  • 6–8 tbsp desi ghee for layering and frying
For the meetha dahi
  • 2 cups plain yogurt thick, chilled
  • 3–4 tbsp sugar or to taste
For the malai
  • 1 cup fresh malai or cream skimmed from boiled milk, or packaged cream
  • 1–2 tbsp sugar optional

Method
 

Parathas
  1. Mix the atta and salt, then add water a little at a time and knead into a soft dough. Cover and rest for 15–20 minutes.
  2. Divide into 6–8 balls. Roll one into a thin circle, spread ghee, fold into a square or triangle, and roll out again.
  3. Cook on a hot tawa until light brown spots appear, flip, spread ghee on both sides and press with a spatula until crisp and golden. Keep warm in a cloth.
Khagina
  1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the zeera and then the onion. Fry until soft and light golden.
  2. Add the tomatoes, green chillies, salt, red chilli powder and haldi. Cook until the tomatoes are soft but still hold some shape.
  3. Lightly beat the eggs and pour them in. Leave for a few seconds, then stir gently to make soft, chunky scrambled eggs.
  4. When the eggs are just set, add plenty of chopped coriander and mix. Turn off the heat so the khagina stays soft.
Meetha dahi and malai
  1. Whisk the chilled yogurt with sugar until smooth and creamy. Keep in the fridge until serving.
  2. Collect fresh malai from the top of boiled and cooled milk, or lightly whisk cream. Sprinkle with a little sugar if you like it sweet.
  3. Serve the hot parathas with khagina, meetha dahi and malai, with a cup of chai on the side.

Notes

Don't overcook the khagina; take it off the heat while the eggs are still soft. For crispier parathas, use more ghee and cook on medium heat. You can roll the parathas the night before and keep them in the fridge between sheets of plastic.