Spice up your mornings with this easy Indian-spiced French toast recipe. Bold flavors, simple steps, and a satisfying hot breakfast ready in minutes. Your new favorite way to start the day.
Believe it or not, I had only made French toast a couple of times in my life before 2023. Now, over the span of 5 months, this is the THIRD French toast recipe I’ve shared! I’m quite proud of myself! We’ve got my Perfect French Toast Recipe for Two which is amazing for Valentine’s Day or just a romantic breakfast in bed! I enjoyed making this so much that I was excited to try an Overnight Baked French Toast! Believe it or not, the Overnight French Toast tastes so different from a classic French toast, but I totally love it in its own way, and it’s awesome to prep in advance!
Now, as much as these sweet breakfast choices are easy to make and super delicious, if you’re like me, you may actually prefer to start your day with a savory option! While preparing these French toast recipes, I knew right away that I wanted to try out a savory French toast recipe. While I wasn’t sure exactly how I would execute it, it was a must-make! I go into more details how having a theme can inspire you to try out new recipes and explore your potential in the kitchen in my Make Cooking Fun!!free motivational guide! In my case, French toast in all forms has been all the rage! Got any other French toast suggestions I should try out? Be sure to let me know in the comments!
Ready to make a breakfast to remember? For the softness of a classic French toast with Indian flavors, this Savory Indian-Spiced French Toast is the perfect opportunity for you to put your heart on a plate as part of your one-month Live to Cook challenge! Get started for free by signing up to my email newsletter, plus get all of my new recipes delivered straight to your inbox!
To see all the steps in details in how this Indian-Spiced French Toast comes together, then don’t forget to watch the video! If you aren’t already, I would appreciate it if you could please subscribe to my YouTube channel, and please hit the bell button so you’re notified when all of my video recipes go live! I love to record the recipes to complement the written ones so you have all the tools you need to guarantee success - especially for this very special occasion! Let’s get cooking!
What Is Indian Savory French Toast?
This Indian Savory French Toast is exactly what it sounds like! You could also call this a Masala French Toast, where our French toast is not sweet but instead gets its flavors from classic Indian spices and has savory toppings. We still follow the same procedure as with a traditional sweet French toast by making a custard and soaking slices of bread in it, then pan-frying the soaked bread, and finishing it up with toppings!
is French Toast French?▼
Actually believe it or not it’s not! French Toast actually originated in Rome - it was discovered from a cookbook waaaay back in the first century called Apicius. In this book, the bread was sweetened with honey. As the dish developed in the Middle Ages, French toast in France was referred to as “pain perdu,” which translates to “lost bread.” This is reference to using stale bread to make the dish, since the bread’s use in eating is “lost.” The term “French toast” was coined in around the seventeenth century, referring to bread slices soaked in a mixture of wine, sugar and orange juice. Check out more details about the history of French toast on MasterClass.
You want to go for a thick and dense type of bread in order to absorb the custard well. Here are some options that are perfect for this Indian French Toast recipe:
white sourdough bread
brioche bread
challah bread
baguette
Texas toast
If all you have available is white sandwich bread then feel free to go with it - just make sure that your bread is thick enough for the custard!
Why Do We Use Eggs and Milk For French Toast?▼
We love French toast because of the soft and fluffiness of the bread. Using full fat milk is great to use for the custard, acting as a batter to coat and soak into the bread. Eggs help to bind everything together. Milk is also key to help prevent the bread from drying out when it’s cooking on a pan.
Is It Better to Use Butter Or Oil For French Toast?▼
Either choice is fine, but my personal preference is butter! Cooking your Savory Indian French Toast with butter will result in a wonderful golden brown crust that has tons of flavour, and you’ll just have buttery goodness throughout.
If you want a dairy-free alternative to butter that’s loaded with mono-unsaturated fats, then olive oil or avocado oil are great choices. While you won’t get a help give a crispier texture to the toast than butter. Since this is an Indian French toast, cooking the bread with ghee would also be fantastic!
The Trick to Make Perfect French Toast
The key for perfect French toast really boils down to what kind of bread you’re using! A high quality dense and thick bread will yield incredible results and prevent sogginess! Additionally, it’s ideal to let the bread dry out to really soak in the custard. If your bread is already quite old, then that’s perfect!
What’s The Most Common Mistake when Making French Toast?▼
I used to believe that the longer you soak the bread in the custard, the better. On the other hand, if your bread is too soft, then you’ve got a problem! You need the bread to still hold its body and shape while having had enough time to absorb all the flavours from the custard. As a result, you don’t need more than about 10 minutes of soak time for a bread that’s of normal thickness.
How to Avoid Soggy Indian French Toast?▼
This is the result . Make sure to keep a close eye and soak your bread for just long enough based on the thickness of the bread you’re working with. You know it’s soaked for long enough by checking that the slice holds its shape after soaking it on each side.
Can This French Toast Recipe Be Gluten-FreE?▼
Yes it sure can! Simply find a gluten-free version of one of the thick-cut breads I’ve recommended above.
How Can I keep the French Toast Warm?▼
To keep the cooked French toast slices warm as you make the others, I recommend you heat your oven at about 200F. Place the cooked French toast slices on a baking tray and keep the tray in the oven while you’re finishing up cooking the remaining slices of bread.
The FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD with all ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later can be found at the bottom of this post, or you can press the “Jump to Recipe” button. You can also scale the recipe based on how many slices of toast you want to make so that you’ve got the right amount of batter!
For the Custard
Eggs: The key to create the custard! Use whole eggs.
Milk: While you could use dairy-free milk, my go-to choice is full fat milk to create a rich and flavorful custard.
Dijon mustard: A little bit of Dijon into the custard adds a sharp and tangy flavour with a hint of heat.
Dill: Some chopped fresh dill to add some freshness to the batter.
Green chilies: Add more or less or even omit depending on how spicy you want your French toast to be. Green chilies are a staple in Indian cooking!
salt: You always need salt! This helps brings out all of the other flavours.
For the Savory French Toast
Bread: A nice thick bread is essential for the best French toast. I’m using white sourdough bread in this recipe.
Butter: To cook the French toast. You could use ghee if you’d like, but I love the flavour and colour of the bread that you get by using butter, as you do in classic French toast.
Set the bread slices out on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour to allow them to dry out. If you’re already using stale bread, you don’t need to do this step.
In the meanwhile, prepare the egg mixture by whisking together eggs, milk, Dijon mustard, dill, turmeric, coriander, red chilli flakes and salt.
Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat and in the meanwhile transfer slices of bread to a baking sheet or casserole dish and then pour in the egg mixture.
Dip the bread for 20-40 seconds on each side. The bread should still be able to hold its shape and not be completely soggy.
Melt a teaspoon or two of butter in the pan and add the slice of bread on the pan. Cook on the first side until it is a light golden brown and then flip, lower the heat cook the other side until light golden brown. Repeat the same for the remaining slices.
Slice the french toasts diagonally in halves and serve topped with bacon bits, avocado, grated parmesan cheese and black pepper.
Enjoy!
Extra Tips to Make the Best Savory French Toast
The soak time really depends on the thickness of your bread and whether or not it’s stale or dried out. If you soak your bread for too long, you’ll have a soggy mess. Ensure you keep a close eye and soak just enough so that when you lift the slice, it doesn’t fold easily.
If you want an extra boost of protein, you can top your French toast with a great source of protein such as a sausage or an Indian style pulled chicken. I plan on sharing a recipe for this, so be sure to comment if you want it!
I love having a soft and gooey inside of French toast. If you prefer a French toast that’s more well done, after your slice coloured on each side on the pan, transfer it to an oven at 350 F for 7-10 minutes or until the middle is completely set.
You can serve your Savoury French Toast in so many ways to make a balanced, satisfying and special meal! Here are some components you can mix and match to create your unique meal:
Can I Make Indian Masala French Toast Ahead Of Time?▼
While I do recommend you serve your Indian-Spiced French Toast fresh, if you have leftovers you can easily store the pieces in an airtight container. Be sure to store the cooked French toast pieces without any toppings or else they will make your French toast soggy! I wouldn’t keep cooked French toast for longer than about two days due to the milk and eggs in the batter.
You can reheat your Indian French Toast either in the oven or in the microwave - of course, the microwave will be much quicker! To reheat in the microwave, ensure your slices are on a microwave-safe plate. It should only take about 30 seconds to a minute to have your French toast completely warmed through, depending on how many slices you’re reheating and how thick the slices are. If you’re not pressed for time and want to ensure your French toast keeps its shape and doesn’t run the risk of getting soggy, you can reheat the French toast slices on a baking tray in the oven at 200F. It may take 5 to 10 minutes to have your French toast pieces be completely warmed through.
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Start Your Day Right with Savory Indian-Spiced French Toast
Spice up your mornings with this easy Indian-spiced French toast recipe. Bold flavors, simple steps, and a satisfying hot breakfast ready in minutes. Your new favorite way to start the day.
black pepper(freshly ground, to taste, for garnish)Shop →
avocado(fanned, for garnish)
Instructions
1
Set the bread slices out on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour to allow it to dry out. In the meanwhile, prepare the egg mixture by whisking together eggs, milk, Dijon mustard, mustard, dill, turmeric, coriander, red pepper flakes and salt.
Set the bread slices out on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour to allow it to dry out. In the meanwhile, prepare the egg mixture by whisking together eggs, milk, Dijon mustard, mustard, dill, turmeric, coriander, red pepper flakes and salt.
2
Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat and in the meanwhile transfer slices of bread to a baking sheet or casserole dish and then pour in the egg mixture. Dip the bread for 20-40 seconds on each side. The bread should still be able to hold its shape and not be completely soggy.
Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat and in the meanwhile transfer slices of bread to a baking sheet or casserole dish and then pour in the egg mixture. Dip the bread for 20-40 seconds on each side. The bread should still be able to hold its shape and not be completely soggy.
3
Melt a teaspoon or two of butter in the pan and add the slice of bread on the pan. Cook on the first side until it is a light golden brown and then flip, lower the heat cook the other side until light golden brown. Repeat the same for the remaining slices.
Melt a teaspoon or two of butter in the pan and add the slice of bread on the pan. Cook on the first side until it is a light golden brown and then flip, lower the heat cook the other side until light golden brown. Repeat the same for the remaining slices.
4
Slice the french toasts diagonally in halves and serve topped with bacon bits, avocado, grated parmesan cheese and black pepper.
Slice the french toasts diagonally in halves and serve topped with bacon bits, avocado, grated parmesan cheese and black pepper.
Nutrition per serving
507
Calories
19g
Protein
23g
Carbs
38g
Fat
3g
Fiber
4g
Sugar
1475mg
Sodium
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