Savoury French Toast Indian Style (Spicy Masala Egg Toast)

Nothing like a spicy and savoury French Toast-Indian Style! You can eat them for breakfast or even a snack.

Savory French Toast (Indian Style Masala Egg Toast)

Savoury French Toast (Indian Style Masala Egg Toast):
Ingredients: (Serves 4)

• Whole Wheat Bread-8 nos.
• Egg-4 nos
• Onion- 1 medium (finely chopped)
• Tomato(optional)- 1 small (finely chopped)
• Cilantro- 3tbsp (finely chopped)
• Red chili powder- 1/2- 1 tsp (or as per your heat tolerance)
• Coriander powder- 1 tsp
• Cumin powder-1/2 tsp
• Turmeric-1/2 tsp
• Milk-3 tbsp (or water)
• Salt: to taste
• Oil: 3 tsp

Method:

1. Break the eggs into a bowl, add the spice powders, salt and milk (or water) and mix well.
2. Pour a little onto a flat saucer.
3. Heat a tsp of oil in a non-stick sauce pan.
4. Dip the bread into the egg mixture on both sides, then place into the pan one by one.
5. Sprinkle with the onion,tomato and cilantro on the top and flip carefully and cook till done on both sides.
6. Repeat for the rest.
7. Serve the savoury French Toast hot with ketchup or chutney(optional).

Note:
You could replace the spices (red chili, cumin, coriander powder)with green chilies.

Savoury French Toast (Indian Style Spicy Masala Egg Toast)

Mixed dal dosa/ Adai (Mixed lentils and rice crêpe)

Mixed dal Dosa/ Adai

What does one call a 'dosa' in English-is it a crêpe or a pancake? Oh but wait a minute-'crêpe ' is actually French in origin,so does that make the English translation of the 'dosa' a 'pancake'? Can't I just call it a 'Dosa', or hasn't Indian cuisine (or to be more precise-South Indian cuisine) gained enough popularity for foodies world over to know what a 'dosa' is? Well,as Shakespeare would have put it: "What is in a name, that which we call a 'dosa', by any other name would taste as great" ;-)!!
I was craving for some crispy dosas as I hadn't made them in a long time. But,with the weather no longer conducive for fermenting the batter, I had to think of something which didn't need fermenting. That's when my mom suggested the mixed dal dosa-or "Adai" as it's called in Tamil Nadu. Mom suggested soaking equal quantities of all the dals/split lentils that I had at home along with equal amounts of rice. There are so many different recipes for this mixed dal dosa/ Adai,but here's how I made it(with whatever ingredients were available at home last night):

Ingredients for Mixed Dal Dosa/Adai: (Serves 4)

• Raw rice: 1/2 cup
• Channa dal: 1/2 cup
• Urad dal(split black matpe beans): 1/2 cup
• Mung dal: 1/2 cup
• Masoor dal(pink lentil): 1/2 cup
• Tur dal (split pigeon peas)
• Cooked rice OR beaten rice(poha): 1/2 cup
• Ginger: 1" piece
• Dry red chillies: 4-5 (or to taste)
• Salt: to taste
• Water: 1 cup

Method:

1. Soak all the dals and the raw rice for at least 4-6 hours.
2. Grind all the ingredients together with a cup of water till you get a fine paste ( pancake batter consistency). If using beaten rice/poha-soak it for 15 minutes before grinding.
3. Pour a ladle of the batter on a hot 'tawa' or non-stick pan,and spread into a thin dosa.
4. Cover for a minute,then carefully flip it over to cook the other side.
5. Serve the mixed dal dosa/ Adai piping hot with chutney and/or sambar.

Mixed Dal Dosa or Adai

Question: What is the difference between a 'pancake' and a 'crêpe ' and what is the more befitting translation for the 'dosa' ?