Indian Breakfasts Just Made It To The Global Hotlist

There are two kinds of people in the world: the ones who politely nibble on avocado toast, and the ones who wake up ready to wrestle a plate of chole bhature before 10 a.m.

Fortunately, TasteAtlas—the global food-and-travel guide with a passport full of flavour—seems to appreciate the latter.

In its freshly released list of the 50 Best Breakfasts in the World (June 2025 edition), three Indian heavyweights made it to the morning mainstage: Misal Pav (rank 18), Paratha (rank 23), and Chole Bhature (rank 32). Somewhere in Delhi, a bhature just puffed up in pride.

A spicy lentil stew, a flaky pan-fried flatbread, and a chickpea gravy served with deep-fried bread just schooled the world on how to do breakfast properly. Let’s break the fast.

Misal Pav: Spice, Crunch, Chaos, Repeat

Spicy, crunchy, tangy, and unapologetically red, Maharashtra’s iconic breakfast got a glowing review from TasteAtlas, who called it “a work of art”. It’s a fiery concoction of sprouted moth beans simmered in a red-hot gravy, layered with crunchy farsan, chopped onions, coriander, and a squeeze of lime, it’s served with buttered pav so soft it could negotiate a peace treaty.

TasteAtlas calls it a “culinary spectacle.” In Mumbai, it’s just called Monday.

Misal isn’t polite. It’s bold, it’s messy, and it’s unapologetically Indian in the best possible way.

Paratha: The North Indian Love Language

Coming in at number 23 is Paratha—India’s answer to anyone who thinks plain toast is a breakfast. A North Indian staple with a choose-your-own-adventure vibe, parathas are either stuffed to the heavens or dripping with ghee (or both, if you’re doing it right). Aloo, paneer, gobhi, mooli—you name it, we’ve rolled it in dough and pan-fried it.

ParathasYouTube

The paratha isn’t fancy. It’s familial. The kind of thing that shows up on a steel plate in a grandmother’s kitchen just as easily as it does on a hotel brunch spread. It’s the edible equivalent of a warm hug—unless you grew up in a Punjabi household, in which case it’s a tactical meal plan designed to knock you out till dinner.

Chole Bhature: Delhi’s Power Move

And then there’s Chole Bhature. The dish that demands a Sunday. The chickpeas are slow-cooked in a masala-rich gravy, the bhature puffed and deep-fried to golden perfection. Add in some pickled onions, a squeeze of lime, and green chutney, and you’ve got the kind of breakfast that dares you to go back to cereal.

Ranked 32nd, this one’s not for the faint of palate. It’s indulgent, oily, heavy—in all the best ways. The meal often ends with a nap. And absolutely no regrets.

Sure, Turkey’s Kahvalti and Serbia’s Komplet Lepinja may have taken the top two spots—but let’s be real, can their breakfasts cause a food coma and a spiritual awakening? Doubtful.

Honestly though, I'm still hurt that our typical South Indian breakfast — the infamous dosa, sambar, idli — didn't make it to the list.

But hey, there's always next time.