Bombay Savory French Toast

In India and elsewhere on the Indian subcontinent, British English is the style; thus, "savory" is spelled "savoury." This is a good breakfast or lunch dish, and  remember, on the Indian subcontinent, not only is the word spelled "savoury," but "chili powder" is made from hot chilies, and it is "hot," to varying degrees. It is not like American chili powder, which is typically mild unless specified as hot. Chop the onion and chili pepper very finely, so that they will stick to the bread slices and so they will cook properly.

 

Often served with masala chai* or ginger chai.**

 

Ingredients (for 4 pieces of toast):  

4 slices whole wheat or multigrain bread (or regular white bread)

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons finely chopped onion (red or white)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 finely chopped chili pepper (like jalapeno, or for hotter use serrano)

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne or Indian chili powder)

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons chopped coriander (also known as cilantro) 

oil for frying (using a nonstick skillet will help keep oil use to a minimum, but 1/2 teaspoon per slice is a good place to start; otherwise, I'm not listing a definite amount on the oil, that is up to you to decide)

ketchup on the side for serving, or serve with a green chutney,*** which is another way it is served by Indians

 

In a shallow dish, mix together everything except the bread slices. Soak each bread slice in the mixture on both sides, pressing down so that the onion, garlic and chili pepper in the egg and milk mixture can stick to the bread slices. Use a nonstick skillet with just a little oil over medium heat. Add a slice or two of soaked bread to the hot skillet and spoon a little of the onion/garlic/chili/cilantro on top. After 60 to 90 seconds, the bottom should be browned, so you can carefully turn the bread slices over to cook the other side. Definitely check after one minute to see if the toast is browned (cook a few more seconds, if needed). Repeat the process for the next two slices, including adding a little fresh oil. 

 

* For Masala (spiced) Chai, here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/08/chai-pronounced-like-cheye.html 

** For Ginger Chai, here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2022/04/indian-ginger-chai.html

*** For green chutney, here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/10/indian-green-chutney.html

WORD HISTORY:

Whether-This is actually a compound word that usually functions to show alternatives or choices, and it goes back to the Indo European interrogative root "khwa/khwe," which meant "who, which one," and the comparative suffix "theraz" (which showed contrast). This gave Old Germanic "(k)hwatharaz," which meant "which of alternatives, seemingly implied to be "two;" thus, "which of two (choices or alternatives)." Its Old English offspring was "hwether/hwaether," with the meaning "which of two, which one of two, whichever of two;" and we still tend to use it in the sense of choice/alternatives along with "or:" "I'm not sure whether we should go this way or that way," for instance. "Hwether/hwaether" then became "whether," where it has remained for upwards of a thousand years. Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "weder," which has kept the "choice" meaning involved in the word, but in German that choice is on the negative side, as the word means "neither," Low German once had a form, but it is no longer used, which is also true of Frisian, Dutch "weer," but it is archaic and it means "again," from the idea of "which of two;" thus, "again." In English, we combine the word with "or," as "whether or," and German uses "weder noch," with "noch" meaning "again," but hundreds of years ago in German, they often said "weder" twice in sentences, so the expression changed to "weder noch (again)," get it? Danish has "hver," meaning "everyone, each," Norwegian has "kvar" meaning "every, each," and Norwegian also has "hver" from Danish, as Danish has had a huge influence on Norwegian, Icelandic has "hvor" meaning "which or whichever (of two), each," Swedish has "var," meaning "each, every," but it is an older form, as is "varken," the negative form; and as such, they are not common in the modern language. The Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic and Swedish forms generally go back to the Old Norse form "hvaðarr" (=hvatharr), which was then contracted to "hvárr."