Name: Vegan French Toast
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup besan (fine gram flour); ½ cup water; ¼ cup red onion (finely diced); 1 green chili (finely chopped); 2 tablespoons cilantro (finely chopped); ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon garlic paste; 1 teaspoon ginger paste; ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional); oil for cooking; 2 bread slices (hearty white or other firm bread **)

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Here is a savory vegan French Toast with a spicy twist! This EASY and delicious Indian style masala toast recipe uses protein-packed gram flour instead of eggs and is perfectly spiced with onions, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and chilies.

Vegan Masala French Toast served with tea

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Besan
Tips
Instructions
Serving
Storing
Recipe

Vegan french toast is something so many people requested that I was happy to create this recipe. A few months ago I shared my Masala French Toast recipe that SO many of you enjoyed. I got several requests for an egg-less version and so here it is! This perfectly spiced vegan variation uses a besan (gram flour) batter for earthy delicious flavors.

Besan

The secret to making a savory french toast is the Besan or gram flour.

Besan or gram flour is a fine flour made of chana dal or split brown chickpeas. It is much finer than the chickpea flour available in US grocery stores. Gluten-free, protein-packed besan is a staple in Indian cuisine. It is a key ingredient to make delicious pakoras and also desserts such as Besan Laddu.

When mixed in water, the besan batters makes for a perfect base to use in place of eggs for breakfast recipes such as vegan omelets (Besan Chella) as well as in savory masala toast.

Ready in under 20 mins, this Indian style masala french toast is also perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner. A healthier version of Indian Bread Pakora, this pan-fried savory masala toast uses very little oil and tastes incredible with all of the warm spices. Although enjoyed hot, they also taste good at room temperature and are perfect for school or work lunches.

Masala French Toast Served with ketchup & chutney

Tips

Here are some of my pro tips to make the best savory vegan french toast:

Preferably use a day old firm bread for this recipe. I like the pepperidge farmhouse hearty white bread and Arnold’s rustic white bread
Chop the onions and chilies as finely as you can, this way they will stick easily to the bread
Whip up the spicy batter in a wide bowl in which you can easily soak the bread
Use a non-stick frypan to shallow fry the toast. Alternatively, you can also use a cast iron pan for this recipe

Instructions

Here are my step-by-step instructions with photos to show you each step. All of the steps and the ingredients are in the printable recipe card just a little further down in this post.

Add besan to a wide mixing bowl and break any lumps (photo 1).
Stir in half of the water and mix well to form a smooth paste and then add the remaining water to make a flowy batter (photo 2).
Add salt, turmeric, green chili, ginger and garlic paste, onions, and cilantro (photo 3).
Mix well. Optionally you may stir in red chili flakes for extra spice (photo 4).

Dip one sliced bread in the batter and press down with a spoon so the bread soaks the batter. Turn the bread over gently, press down and spoon over some batter on the top side (photo 5).
Heat a non-stick skillet at medium heat and spread 1 teaspoon of oil. Place the soaked bread slice on the skillet and spread over 1 to 2 spoonfuls of batter on top. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the bottom side is golden brown (photo 6).
Carefully flip over the bread and cook on the other side for 3 to 4 minutes. Add a teaspoon of oil to the sides of the bread (photo 7).
Take out and when both sides turn golden brown (photo 8).

Serving

Serve hot with ketchup, spicy green chutney, and a hot cup of Ginger Chai in the cooler months or a glass of chilled lemonade when the weather is warmer.

Storing

Although the savory french toast is best served immediately, you can also make them ahead. They will stay good at room temperature for a day or keep them refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. Reheat on a stovetop pan.

Did you enjoy this quick and easy Indian Breakfast? Here are some more vegetarian breakfast recipes to try:

Poha – Savory flattened rice cooked with onions, potatoes, and warming spices
Thalipeeth – Delicious Maharashtrian savory multigrain pancakes
Chutney Sandwich – Easy to make famous Bombay sandwich
Methi Thepla – Savory fresh fenugreek parathas with sweet potatoes
Kale Parathas – Savory Indian flatbreads are the best way to eat kale
No Ferment Dosa – Easy & healthy twist to South Indian Dosa recipe

Recipe

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