Besan Bread Toast

Besan bread toast is a delicious north Indian breakfast made by dipping bread slices in a spiced besan (gram flour) mixture and then toasting/pan frying the bread crispy and golden brown. Easy, delicious and ready in 15-20 minutes! Absolutely amazing with with chai. Vegan and a perfect bread snack anytime!

Whenever we want a simple breakfast and a break from eggs bhurji or tawa egg fry, these easy besan toast come to the rescue. I love besan anything and these are my quick breakfast atleast once a week.

My kids are fond of sweet toast however, these savory toasts are hit with them especially if I add tomato ketchup on the side. These besan bread toast have a delightful combination of flavors and the taste gives you pakora (fritter) feels.

The besan toast recipe is pretty straightforward. The only thing to be kept in mind is the consistency of the besan batter for that perfect coating that wont make the bread soggy. Enjoy with green chutney, hot chilli sauce or if you are like me- I love these with achar. Don't forget the cup of chai!

Besan Bread Toast

• Is perfect for pure vegetarians or for anyone who does not eat eggs.
• Can be made in about 15 minutes (quick breakfast recipe).
• Uses pantry staples like bread, basic vegetables, spices and gram flour
• Can be packed in snack boxes, lunch box and for travel (they taste good at room temperature, however the texture won't remain crisp).
• Is healthy(ish) that bread pakora because we do not deep fry.
• Can be customized as you like - add vegetables like grated zucchini, or chopped spinach or methi or tomatoes, spring onions, colorful bell peppers etc .

Ingredients

How To Make Besan Bread Toast

1. Finely chop up the onions, green chillies and cilantro or any additional vegetables you want to add.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the besan, salt and all the turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin seeds, kasoori methi, chaat masala and ajwain. Add water to make a thick flowing consistency lump free gram flour batter.
3. Add the onion, green chilies & cilantro to the batter and mix well. (Set the batter aside for 10 minutes if you have time).

Batter Consistency

Check the consistency again. The besan mixture should not be runny or watery. Thin batter will make the bread soggy. A very thick batter wont cook properly and dry out. Batter should be thickish with medium flowing smooth consistency.  

4. Heat up a a tawa or cast iron pan on high.You could use a non-stick tawa too. Heavy pan is a better choice since it helps in crisping up the besan bread toast.
5. When the tawa is hot, lower the flame to medium and drizzle some oil.
6. Using tongs, dip the bread slices in the besan batter and place on the tawa. You will have to work quickly so that the bread doesnt get soggy.
7. Let cook for 3-4 minutes or until the bread begins to leave the pan. Once cooked, the bread will release from the pan on its own. If you touch a lot, the bread will stick.
8. Add drops of oil on uncooked side and using a flat spatula, flip it over. Cook the bread slice on medium heat until the bottom side turns golden brown and crisp.
9. Make sure both sides are evenly toasted.Serve warm.

Recipe Tips

• I prefer using using slightly thick bread slices since those do not get soggy easily.
• Bread - I like using white bread. You could use whole wheat bread or sourdough, however I would avoid rich buttery breads like brioche.
• You could use whole slices or cut the bread in half, dip in batter and then pan fry.
• Don't skimp on oil. You don't have to add a ton, my thumbrule is about ½ to 1 tablespoon per full bread slice. Besan tastes better when its cooked in slightly extra oil.
• Batter Consistency - Add a little water at first and mix well to form a smooth batter of medium consistency.
• Pan fry the toast on low flame or low medium flame with patience else the besan coating will remain raw.
• If your kids don't like crust, cut off the crust after crisping the besan toast.
• For extra crispy toasts, you could add some fine semolina or rice flour to the besan batter.