Bengali-Style French Toast | Recipe

Ask most college students or officegoers and they will all have their own favourite kakur dokaner dim pauruti (uncle’s shop egg and bread). This is a popular morning street food that people from all walks of life eat, be they taxi or delivery drivers about to start their shifts, students, office workers or tourists. There are many variations of the history of this dish, but as it is very similar to French toast, many say it dates to colonial times. Traditionally, milk bread is used, which has a sweet taste similar to brioche. I have fond memories of eating dim pauruti on shiny silver paper plates at a café on Camac Street, just as the saree shops were opening, surrounded by all the office workers quickly eating up to get to work on time.

Ingredients

• 4 thick slices of brioche loaf
• 4 eggs
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 1 handful of finely chopped coriander (use the stalks too – they’re full of flavour)
• 1 chilli, finely chopped
• 3-mm piece of fresh ginger, grated (about ¼ teaspoon)
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon rapeseed (canola) oil
• ketchup, to serve

Method

Toast the brioche slices to lightly brown each side and set aside.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk, then add all of the other ingredients except the butter and oil.

Heat the butter and oil in a medium-large frying pan (skillet) (large enough to fit all the brioche slices in a single layer, although you can cook them individually if you wish) over a medium heat for about 1 minute, then gently pour the egg mixture into the pan. Cook for 1 minute, then place the brioche toasts on top of the egg mixture in each quarter of the pan, making sure they don’t overlap.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and leave to cook for a further 

4 minutes until the mixture has fully cooked through.

With a wooden spatula, cut the brioche omelette into quarters between each toast, if needed.

Serve two toasts on each plate with the cooked egg side facing upwards. Squeeze a bit of ketchup onto the side of the plate and enjoy!