Cheesy Bombay Toast
My family didn’t really eat anything sweet for breakfast, so French toast was a rarity in our home. Instead, we ate Bombay toast, made using a similar method as French toast except the bread is soaked in eggs mixed with turmeric, cumin, coriander, cilantro, diced chiles, and onions.
Ingredients
- 1 medium shallot
- 1 medium red or green serrano pepper
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper, or 1 fresh Thai chile if you want it spicier
- 1/2 medium bunch fresh cilantro
- 6 large eggs
- 1/4 cup whole or 2% milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
- 2 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 6 (1/2-inch thick) slices challah or brioche bread, preferably stale, divided
- Cilantro chutney, for serving
- Prepare the following, adding each to the same 8x8-inch or other 2-quart baking dish: Peel and small dice 1 medium shallot. Trim and halve 1 medium serrano pepper and 1 medium jalapeño pepper (or Thai chile) lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds, then finely dice the peppers. Finely chop the leaves and tender stems of 1/2 medium bunch fresh cilantro leaves until you have 1/2 cup.
- Add 6 large eggs, 1/4 cup whole or 2% milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt , 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric, and 1/4 teaspoon chili powder if using. Beat with a fork until the spices are fully incorporated and the mixture is a little frothy.
- Grate 2 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese on the large holes of a box grater (about 1/2 cup). Add to the egg mixture and whisk until combined.
- Melt 1/2 tablespoon of the unsalted butter in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Meanwhile, add 2 slices of the bread to the egg mixture and let soak for 10 to 20 seconds per side depending on how stale it is. Use the fork to make sure that both sides of the bread have a good amount of the shallots, peppers, cilantro, and cheese pressed into it.
- Add the bread slices to the pan. If the top of the toast doesn’t have much of the cheese mixture, add more on top of the bread with the fork. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip the bread, add 1/2 tablespoon of the butter to the pan, and cook until the second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and repeat soaking and frying the remaining 4 slices in the remaining butter. Serve with cilantro chutney.