How to make a high-fibre Indian breakfast bowl in 5 minutes
Let's be honest, most of us barely come close to the daily fibre our body actually needs. The average Indian adult requires around 25 to 30 grams of fibre a day, but typical breakfasts often fall short.
This quick and colourful Indian breakfast bowl is packed with fibre, super easy to put together, and genuinely enjoyable to eat. It takes barely five minutes, keeps you full for hours, and gives your gut a happy, healthy start to the day. Let's take a look at what goes into this simple, high-fibre bowl and why it works so well.
What you'll need
Soaked poha or cooked dalia, cooked moong sprouts or leftover black chana, chopped cucumber, tomato, grated carrot, a spoonful of curd or hung dahi, roasted peanuts or pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, black salt, jeera powder, and fresh coriander.
Optional add-ons include pomegranate seeds or a pinch of chaat masala for extra flavour.
How to make it
Just mix everything in a bowl till the flavours come together. No cooking and no complicated steps, just real, wholesome food. This bowl can easily give you around 10 to 12 grams of fibre in one go, depending on what you mix in. It's a great way to cover nearly half your daily fibre before the day even begins.
Why this bowl works
Fibre does more than just help with digestion. It supports blood sugar levels, feeds healthy gut bacteria, and keeps you from feeling hungry too soon. This bowl gives you soluble fibre from lentils and sprouts, and insoluble fibre from vegetables and grains.
That means your gut stays active and comfortable. Curd adds good bacteria, while the seeds bring in healthy fats. All of it together keeps you full and light at the same time.
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Time of India
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Power games: The few filmmakers who did deal with the subject, either directly or indirectly, faced bans and attacks For an industry that prides itself on chronicling the nation's struggles, Hindi cinema's silence about the Emergency is more revealing than any film could ever be. The 21 months between June 1975 and March 1977, when Indira Gandhi suspended civil liberties, censored the press, and jailed thousands without trial, were arguably the most consequential in India's modern political history. Yet, in the decades since, Hindi cinema—the self-appointed mirror of Indian society—has barely mustered a smudge to reflect it. This conspicuous absence did not arise from creative oversight or timidity alone. In the early decades of Independence, popular cinema was never truly free. Nehruvian socialism shaped public policy and the ideological contours of the industry. The so-called golden triumvirate—Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand—crafted personas that echoed Pandit Nehru's vision of the self-sacrificing, morally upright everyman. Dilip Kumar's dialogue seemed like leftovers from Nehru's speeches, Dev Anand's rebellious charm served the establishment's romantic socialism, and Raj Kapoor's everyman heroes peddled idealism to the masses. Such intimacy with power set the template. The state could inspire cinema, but never the other way around. When that same state turned authoritarian, the industry found itself unprepared and unwilling to challenge it. In the Emergency years, the machinery of coercion extended directly into the corridors of Bombay. V C Shukla, Indira's information & broadcasting minister, became infamous for exerting his influence over the film industry. Wielding the Maintenance of Internal Security Act like a scythe through the industry, the political establishment wasn't breaking new ground—it was merely weaponising an existing dependency. Kishore Kumar, the mercurial genius whose voice had soundtracked a generation's dreams, was banned from All India Radio and Doordarshan for refusing to perform at a Youth Congress rally. Dev Anand, tricked into attending a Sanjay Gandhi event and asked to praise his 'dynamism', found his films blacklisted when he refused to comply. When he sought an explanation from the I&B Minister, he was told with chilling matter-of-factness that it was 'a good thing to speak for the govt in power.' Shatrughan Sinha , then one of cinema's busiest stars, saw his films banned for the cardinal sin of supporting Jayaprakash Narayan. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Most Unwelcoming Countries in the World, Ranked BigGlobalTravel Undo Gulzar's 'Aandhi', merely suspected of drawing inspiration from Indira Gandhi's life, while most argued it'd taken a few chapters from the life of Tarkeshwari Sinha, was banned for the duration of the Emergency, releasing only after the Janata victory restored a semblance of democratic normalcy. 'Maha Chor' starring Rajesh Khanna casually inserted a 'Vote for Congress' graffiti into a musical sequence. Most telling was the fate of Amrit Nahata's 'Kissa Kursi Ka', a political satire that dared to mock the Emergency's absurdities. All prints of the film were destroyed allegedly by Sanjay Gandhi at a factory in Gurgaon. This was not subtext—it was brazen collusion between art and authority. Yet what happened after the Emergency lifted reveals the true depths of the industry's moral bankruptcy. When the time came to reckon with the period—its absurdities, its tragedies, its moral squalor—Hindi cinema fell silent. There was an almost immediate return to sycophantic normalcy. Feroz Khan's 'Qurbani' (1980), the biggest hit of the year when Indira Gandhi returned, opened with a short film eulogising Sanjay Gandhi, narrated by Khan himself as he dedicated his film to the memory of the 'Prince' and bowed in reverence to the 'Mother'. If films between 1977 and 1980 did not address the Emergency, to expect that to happen after Indira Gandhi returned would perhaps be hoping for a miracle. This wasn't just political calculation—it was the instinctive reaction of an industry that had learned to worship power. 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There are structural reasons for this reticence. Hindi cinema has always struggled with ambiguity, preferring neat endings where heroes redeem all. The Emergency, by contrast, offered no catharsis—only a nation capitulating to authoritarianism without resistance. The definitive Emergency film still eludes the screen even as we enter the fiftieth year of the Emergency. The exceptions remain sparse: Sudhir Mishra's 'Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi' would not arrive until 2005, nearly three decades later. Even then, it couched its indictment within the personal journeys of three idealistic young people, careful not to indict the broader complicity of society. Even today the few who try to confront the past are harassed —Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Indu Sarkar' provoked shrill attacks and legal threats simply for attempting a fictionalised retelling. The Emergency may have ended in 1977, but its most lasting victory was psychological: the creation of a cultural establishment that polices itself more effectively than any censor ever could. Perhaps it was simpler to pretend nothing happened. After all, if cinema cannot process a trauma, maybe the nation never really did. (Chintamani is a film historian and author)
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Kombucha can rebalance gut ecosystem in people with obesity: study
From Instagram reels to supermarket shelves, kombucha — the fizzy, fermented tea drink — has found a growing audience among health-conscious consumers in India. Promoted as a probiotic powerhouse, it's touted for its supposed benefits to digestion, immunity, and metabolism. According to one estimate provided by Indian company Sbooch, the kombucha market in India grew from $45 million in 2020 to $102 million in 2024. Yet much of the enthusiasm has outpaced science. While kombucha's traditional use and composition suggest potential health benefits, few rigorous studies have tested these claims in humans. Most research until now has focused on kombucha's biochemistry or has been limited to animal models. This is why a recent study in The Journal of Nutrition stands out: it takes a closer look at kombucha's effects on the human gut microbiome and how they matter for human health. 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What we know, what changed After eight weeks, the overall microbial diversity was largely unchanged but the abundance of certain bacteria had changed in ways that suggested kombucha may help positively rebalance the gut ecosystem. Notably, the population of Akkermansiaceae bacteria had increased in individuals with obesity. Previous research has linked this shift with better blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity. The levels of Prevotellaceae also increased, specifically in the obese group. Certain strains of Prevotella copri have similarly been linked to improved insulin sensitivity, hypertension, and inflammation. Both groups also reported higher abundance of Bacteroidota, which play significant roles in digesting complex carbohydrates. Bacteria associated with less favourable outcomes including Ruminococcus and Dorea declined, becoming similar to the normal-weight group by the eighth week. Ruminococcus gnavus has been positively associated with inflammatory bowel disease and liver fat accumulation, while Dorea with high BMI and cholesterol markers. In normal-weight participants, Parabacteroides increased modestly. Parabacteroides goldsteinii has been known to reduce tissue inflammation, ameliorating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and Helicobacter pylori infections. The populations of Exophiala and Rhodotorula, two fungi associated with cystic fibrosis and obesity respectively, decreased as well. While the study offers promising clues about kombucha's influence, especially for individuals with obesity, the researchers urged caution. The microbial shifts were modest and didn't improve metabolic markers like blood glucose, insulin, or inflammatory proteins. The team also pointed out that microbial responses vary by diet, genetics, and overall health, thus reducing the generalisability of the findings. And with a short duration and a modest sample size, the findings remain a proof-of-concept. The results are still valuable in what they reveal, however: kombucha does appear to nudge the gut microbiome in directions associated with better metabolic health after two months. Kombucha and India Whether the effects will hold for Indian populations remains an open question. Studies have indicated gut microbiota in India are unique. Indian guts, particularly among those consuming traditional plant-based diets, harbour more Prevotella, an inversion of the typical Western microbial pattern. Since consuming kombucha increased Prevotellaceae abundance in the study, it may not drive the same degree of change in local populations. Even within India, while North Indians have more Prevotella, South Indians carry a higher load of Bacteroides and Ruminococcus. Women from rural high-altitude areas have greater gut diversity than their urban counterparts. Ethnic tribes from Ladakh, Jaisalmer, and Khargone can be differentiated based on their gut microbiomes alone. Taken together, the new study is proof that no single brand of kombucha can claim to be 'good' for all consumers across geographies. The drink may support gut health but whether that translates to long-term metabolic benefits remains to be seen. Anirban Mukhopadhyay is a geneticist by training and science communicator from Delhi.
