Cheap Indian Breakfast Food Ideas that Students Find Delicious!

Ankita Kamat

Wondering what is the cheapest breakfast for students? Want to try delicious and cheapest Indian breakfast ideas for students?

In my current blog, I’ve come with a perfect list of best and cheap breakfast ideas for students.

25 Cheapest Indian Breakfast Ideas for Students to Cook on Budget

Prepare these tasty and cheap breakfast for Indian students-

1.

Quick Bread Upma on Your Budget for Student Breakfast

Making bread upma is easy and cost-effective for students. Make toast of bread slices and keep aside. Saute mustard seeds, udal dal and then add green chili, curry leaves, hing, chopped onion, ginger, tomato, salt, chili powder.

You can add 3-4 tablespoons of water. Then make pieces of roasted bread and add to the mixture. This is a perfect spicy breakfast for students on budget.

2.

Cheapest Indian Sandwich for Students for Morning Breakfast

Indian sandwiches are budget-friendly and students love to eat them for breakfast. Saute mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chopped onions, tomatoes, green chilies and boiled potatoes with turmeric.

Take budget-friendly bread slices and toast them with oil or butter. Spread green chutney and then potato bhaji on bread and have delicious yet cheap breakfast.

3.

Prepare Cheap and Best Methi Thepla for Morning Breakfast

Thepla is an inexpensive breakfast option for students. Mix whole wheat flour with besan and add easily available budget-friendly spices like garam masala, chili powder, turmeric and salt.

Knead into a dough by adding chopped methi(fenugreek leaves) and curd or water. Make balls and roll out. Cook on a griddle with oil. Serve budget-friendly thepla with curd or yogurt.

4.

Budget-Friendly Pav Bhaji is Lip Smacking Breakfast for Students

Indian pav bhaji is a mouth-watering breakfast idea for students on budget. Sauté chopped onions, tomatoes, green peas, boiled cauliflower, boiled potato. 

Add pav bhaji masala and cook. Mash this mixture and serve with butter-toasted buns. Use onions, coriander leaves for garnishing. Students enjoy this yummy budget-friendly breakfast.

5.

Budget-Friendly Vegetarian Tomato Omelet for Morning Food

Indian tomato omelet is a cheap and tasty vegetarian breakfast. Mix besan (gram flour), chopped tomatoes, onions, green chilies, cumin seeds, salt and garam masala by adding water.

Spread 1-2 tablespoon oil on a pan and then spread batter. Cook both the sides to make the tomato omelet crispy. Eat with green chutney. This is a crispy and budget-friendly vegetarian tomato omelet for a morning food that students like to eat.

6.

Oats Idli is Cost-Effective Breakfast Option for Students

To make cheap Indian oats idli for students, you need budget-friendly ingredients like oats flour, curd, rava. Also, you can add cheap vegetable options like chopped beans or carrots. Mix all the ingredients and prepare the batter. Cook idlis in molds.

Serve instant oats idlis with budget-friendly and tasty chutney. Enjoy delicious breakfast as a student on your budget.

7.

Low-Cost Homemade Indian Banana Buns for Student Breakfast

Banana buns are one of my favourite budget-friendly breakfast dishes. Mash ripe bananas and mix with wheat flour, add sugar, salt, and baking powder. 

Knead into a soft dough and make small balls and roll out. Deep-fry and enjoy it for breakfast with your favourite budget-friendly flavoured yogurt.

8.

For Students Instant Rava Idli and Sambar is Tasty and Low-Budget Breakfast Option

For making budget-friendly rava idli, mix roasted semolina (rava) with curd or yogurt, and water with salt and baking soda. Add batter to idli molds and cook.

For making tasty sambar you need budget-friendly ingredients like lentils, veggies, tamarind, spices, mustard seeds, curry leaves. So, prepare this economical dish for student’s breakfast which does not need fermentation.

9.

Tasty and Cheap Masala Upma for Indian Students

For students, masala upma is an economical and quick breakfast choice. Quickly fry mustard seeds, urad dal,  ginger garlic paste, cinnamon, chilies, curry leaves, chopped onions, tomato, carrot, green peas,. 

Add roasted semolina (rava), water, and salt. Cook it well and garnish with cilantro. Spicy upma is ready to serve on your budget.

10.

Sabudana Khichdi is an Indian Breakfast to Cook on Your Budget

Soak tapioca pearls (sabudana) for around 4-6 hours. Drain it and keep aside.

Saute cumin, green chilies, curry leaves, turmeric and dry roasted peanuts. Add soaked sabudana, salt, and cook. Enjoy budget-friendly sabudana khichdi for morning food as a student.

11.

Poha is a Perfect Budget-Friendly Breakfast for Youngsters and Students

To make budget-friendly poha, wash and drain flattened rice(poha). Fry mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, curry leaves, onions, green chilies and potatoes in a pan with a tablespoon of oil. 

Add soaked poha, salt, and lemon juice. Mix gently, garnish with cilantro. This is a tasty Indian breakfast which you can prepare with a few budget-friendly ingredients as a student.

12.

Potato Paratha is a Budget-Friendly and Fulfilling Breakfast Dish of India for Students

Potato paratha is a cost-effective breakfast that you can prepare with easily available ingredients. 

Just mash boiled potatoes and mix with ginger, garam masala, and stuff in wheat dough. Roll into parathas and cook on a pan. Serve tasty and budget-friendly parathas with your favourite chutney or curd. 

13.

Make Cost-Effective Crispy Medu Vada for Breakfast

Indian medu vada is a popular breakfast which is budget-friendly to prepare. Soak urad dal, grind it into a thick batter. Add salt, chopped green chilies, and cumin seeds. 

Apply oil or water to palms and give donuts shapes to batter. Then deep-fry. Serve with chutney. This is a crispy budget-friendly breakfast that tastes great.

14.

Ragi Malt is Low-Budget Indian Breakfast Idea for Students

Roast ragi flour (finger millet) until fragrant. Boil water, add the flour, stirring to avoid lumps and add salt, buttermilk, cook until thickened.

Take a separate pan and add a tablespoon of oil, saute cumin seeds, curry leaves and add this to the ragi buttermilk mixture. Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy healthy ragi malt for breakfast as a budget-friendly dish

15.

Indian Poori Bhaji is Cost-Effective Breakfast Food for Students

Poori bhaji is a delicious Indian dish and students like to eat it for a morning breakfast. For making Poori, mix wheat flour with water, salt, and oil. Knead into a dough, roll out and fry small rounds until puffed. 

For bhaji, saute mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chopped onions, tomatoes, green chilies and boiled potatoes with turmeric. Serve hot and tasty breakfast.

16.

Make Oats Upma for Breakfast with Cheap Ingredients

Oats upma is an affordable breakfast to prepare at your convenience. Dry roast oats, set aside. Saute mustard seeds, urad dal, chopped green chilies, onions, and budget-friendly veggies which you like.

Then add roasted oats, water, and salt. Cook until oats absorb water. Garnish delicious oats upma with cilantro. This budget-friendly breakfast is easy for Indian students.

17.

Instant Rava Uttapam is an Economical Breakfast Food

For making budget-friendly rava uttapam, take semolina (rava) and mix with curd or yogurt. Add salt, chopped onion, green chilies, tomatoes and capsicum. 

Spread this batter on a hot griddle, cook both the sides by flipping. Students love to taste rava uttapam with chutney.

18.

Make Oats Poha for Morning Food on Your Budget

For budget-friendly Indian oats poha, just sprinkle water on oats and keep aside. Saute mustard seeds, curry leaves, chopped onions, tomatoes. Add oats, salt, turmeric, and mix well. 

Use cilantro for garnishing and serve hot. Making oats poha is not only budget-friendly but it also tastes good and healthy. This is a perfect breakfast idea for students on budget.

19.

Cost-Effective Masala Dosa for Fulfilling Breakfast for Students

Soak rice and urad dal overnight, then grind into a batter. Ferment for 6-8 hours. Add salt and water as per requirement, and mix. Cook on a hot pan by spreading batter.

Prepare potato masala filling, place on a dosa and fold, and serve with chutney. This economical South Indian classical breakfast which is easy to prepare with accessible cheap ingredients. Students like this delicious breakfast.

20.

Budget-Friendly Besan Chilla is a Frugal Breakfast Idea for Students

Take a bowl and mix gram flour with carom seeds (ajwain), turmeric, and salt. Add chopped onion, green chilies, tomato, ginger and prepare thick batter. 

Heat a skillet and spread a tablespoon of oil, pour batter, cook. Flip and cook the other side as well. Enjoy this economical and tasty dish with pickles or curd.

21.

Ragi Idli for Breakfast to Cook on a Budget for Students

Ragi idli is healthy as well as cost-effective breakfast. Soak urad dal and rice, blend with ragi flour(finger millet). Ferment overnight and then add salt, water, and keep aside for sometime to set it.

Spread batter into idli molds, and steam for 10-15 mins. Serve tasty, budget-friendly idli and chutney. You can also make budget-friendly sambar for idli.

22.

Semiya Upma is an Economical and Best Option for Morning Breakfast

Semiya upma is a quick Indian recipe which is economical as well. Dry roast semiya(vermicelli) and keep aside. Take a pan and saute mustard, cumin seeds, udal dal. 

Then add hing, chopped onion, green chilies, and curry leaves. You can also add green peas and carrots if you like. Add water, salt and cook. Then add roasted semiya and stir well. Budget-friendly semiya upma is ready to eat for breakfast.

23.

Gobi Paratha for Morning Food with Cheap Ingredients

Mix whole wheat flour with grated cauliflower(gobi). Add cumin seed powder, finely chopped onion, salt, and oil. 

Knead into a dough by adding water. Make balls and roll out, cook on a griddle. Budget-friendly gobi paratha is ready to eat with yogurt or chutney.

24.

Dosa is Low-Budget Breakfast Idea Which is a Tasty Breakfast for Students

Dosa is south India’s popular budget-friendly breakfast. To make dosa, soak rice and urad dal overnight, then grind into a batter. Ferment for 6-8 hours. Add salt and water as per requirement, and mix.

Spread batter on a hot pan, cook and flip and make it crispy. Serve with coconut chutney. Making this economical recipe needs cheap ingredients.

25.

Ragi Dosa is Cost-Effective Food to have During Breakfast as a Students

You need fewer budget-friendly ingredients to make ragi dosa for breakfast. Soak urad dal, rice, and fenugreek seeds, blend with ragi flour. Keep it overnight overnight. Add salt, water, and mix well. 

Spread batter on a hot pan. Cook on both sides till it becomes crispy. Enjoy healthy budget-friendly Indian breakfast with curd.

I hope you liked the list of morning meals. Try all these tasty and cheap Indian breakfast ideas for students. Let me know which is your favourite budget-friendly breakfast? 🙂

Ankita Kamat

I'm Ankita Kamat, the creator of Frugal Beat, a blog dedicated to frugal living. Join me in exploring practical ways to save money, reduce waste and live a purposeful life. Let's embrace frugality as a lifestyle together.