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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.
Why Make Indian French Toast?
- Easy to make
- Satisfying
- Made with healthy ingredients
- You can serve it any time of the day
- Features delicious Indian flavors
- Quick to make
What Bread Should I Use For Savory French Toast?▼
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 flavor, 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 flavors 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.
Tools Needed for Savory Indian French Toast
- Non-stick pan
- Microplane
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
- Mixing bowl
- Cutting board
- Basting brush
- Sharp chef’s knife
- Baking tray
- Fish spatula
Ingredients for Fluffy Masala French Toast
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 flavor with a hint of heat.
- Dill: Some chopped fresh dill to add some freshness to the custard.
- 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!
- Spices: Turmeric, ground coriander, and chili flakes.
- Salt: You always need salt! This helps brings out all of the other flavors.
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 flavor and color of the bread that you get by using butter, as you do in classic French toast.
- Toppings: Bacon, avocado slices, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh ground pepper.
How to Make Indian-Spiced 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 chili 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 colored 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.
Variations
Filling
- Chopped onions
- Chopped peppers
- Chopped tomatoes
- Minced garlic
- Cilantro
- Spices: Garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion Powder
Toppings
- Caramelized onions
- Perfectly Poached Eggs
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Chives
Serving Suggestions
You can serve your Savory 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:
Beverages
- Starbucks Dirty Chai Latte
- Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso
- Iced White Chocolate Mocha
- Cocoa Cappuccino
- Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte
Sides
For Dipping
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.
Other Incredible Savory Breakfasts!
- Authentic Croque Monsieur & Croque Madame
- McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin
- Instant Pot Devilled Eggs
- Mashed Avocado Toast with Fried Egg
- Tasty Paneer Paratha
- Cheesy Sautéed Mushrooms on Toast
- Healthy Veggie Pizza Bagel
This Is Not Bombay Toast: What Actually Goes Into the Custard
If you have eaten masala French toast in India you are probably picturing Bombay toast, which is bread dipped in egg beaten with green chilies, onion and cilantro. This recipe is not that, and I would rather say so than let you find out at the pan. The custard here is 4 eggs and 3/4 cup of milk whisked with 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of fresh dill, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander and 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. The dill and the Dijon are the parts that are mine rather than traditional, and they are the reason this tastes the way it does.
Those red pepper flakes are what make it a spicy egg mixture, and half a teaspoon is mild. If you are making this for kids, leave them out and nothing else about the recipe needs to change. You will also notice there is no measured teaspoon salt anywhere in that list. Salt goes in to taste, on purpose, because the toast is finished with grated Parmesan and bacon bits and both of those are already salty. A whisk moves the turmeric and coriander evenly through the milk fastest, but a fork does the same job if that is what is in the drawer. And if ground coriander is the one thing you are missing, cumin powder is the swap on the recipe card: the same warmth, a little earthier.
The Numbers: 30 Minutes on the Counter and 20 to 40 Seconds a Side
I mention further up this page that the bread needs to dry out, so here are the actual numbers. The 4 slices of sourdough go out on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour before you start anything else, which is why the total time on the card is 65 minutes for 15 minutes of cooking. Fresh bread straight out of the bag carries too much of its own water and goes to mush the moment it meets the custard, and that half hour is the whole fix.
Once the slices have dried, lay them in a baking sheet or casserole dish, pour the egg mixture over them and give them 20 to 40 seconds on each of the sides of the bread. Lift one: it should still hold its shape rather than fold. Then a teaspoon or two of butter in a non-stick pan on medium heat, first side to a light golden brown, flip, drop the heat and the second side the same. I reach for unsalted butter here for the same reason the salt is left to taste, which is that you want to be the one deciding how salty this ends up rather than the butter deciding for you.
Serve it sliced diagonally with fanned avocado, grated Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper. If you want something to dip into, a cilantro chutney alongside suits these spices better than anything sweet. This is a savory Indian breakfast, so there is no syrup anywhere near it.
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
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.
Stovetop
Rate this recipe ✦
20 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Rest
1 hr 5 min
Total
4
slices
easy
Level
Ingredients
Ingredients
Tap any quantity to scale
- sourdough bread
- eggs · make your own
- (180 ml) milk
- (8 g) Dijon mustardShop →
- (1 g) fresh dill
- (1 g) turmericShop →
- (3 g) ground corianderShop →
- (1 g) red pepper flakesShop →
- salt(to taste)Shop →
- butter(for cooking)
- Parmesan cheese(finely grated, for garnish)
- black pepper(freshly ground, to taste, for garnish)Shop →
- avocado(fanned, for garnish)
- bacon(cooked and crumbled, for topping — optional)
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 meantime, 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 meantime, 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 slices of bread on the pan. Cook on the first side until it is a light golden brown and then flip, lower the heat and 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 slices of bread on the pan. Cook on the first side until it is a light golden brown and then flip, lower the heat and cook the other side until light golden brown. Repeat the same for the remaining slices.
- 4
Slice the French toast diagonally in halves and serve topped with bacon bits, avocado, grated parmesan cheese and black pepper.
Slice the French toast diagonally in halves and serve topped with bacon bits, avocado, grated parmesan cheese and black pepper.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi
Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Recipe history
- April 16, 2026 — Reworked and refreshed for the 2026 relaunch — new photography, restructured and standardized ingredients & instructions.
Filed under
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