This savory take on the breakfast staple is just as fluffy and appealing as traditional French toast, but with loads more flavor. It’s inspired by Bombay toast, a savory breakfast from India. Here, the bread is soaked in an egg and half-and-half mixture spiced with ground coriander, ginger, turmeric, cumin, and black pepper. Onion, Fresno chile, and cilantro also boost the egg mixture for an ultra-flavorful custard for soaking day-old sliced bread. Instead of pan-frying each slice, the bread is tucked into a dish and baked until golden. Chutney on the side is a non-negotiable as its sweetness balances out the savoriness of the dish.
Any soft loaf of bread will do, but note that crusty bread won’t get as fluffy and soft around the edges. Brioche or challah bread will take this recipe to new heights in richness.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 1-lb. loaf day-old soft white bread, sliced 3/4 in. thick
- 10 large eggs
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (from 1 onion)
- 2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 medium Fresno chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (about 2 Tbsp.)
- Chutney (such as mango or mint), for serving
Directions
- Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange bread in baking dish, overlapping slices (they should fit snugly in dish).
- Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in half-and-half, cilantro, onion, salt, turmeric, coriander, pepper, cumin, ginger, and chile until well incorporated. Pour egg mixture over bread slices, pressing gently to submerge. Let soak until bread absorbs most of egg mixture, at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. (If soaking longer than 1 hour, cover and refrigerate; let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.)
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake until golden and puffed, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot with a drizzle of chutney.
