FRENCH TOAST - à la mon Style

MY IDEA OF A FRENCH TOAST

I don’t actually remember when I got this new idea of cooking something with a common name but which is not what it is supposed to be. So as I sat in my room as a teenager, busy with my books, my dad and brother come up to me and say, “Hey could you cook something in a jiffy for breakfast?”

My eyes rolled, as I had never cooked anything before, leave alone boil potatoes, which ended in roasted potatoes as I had forgotten what I had kept on the gas, and was busy dancing to my favorite song.  The smell of something burning in the kitchen ended with me getting a one-hour lecture from my mother, “Do this after your marriage and you will be roasted alive by your husband.” That was the saddest story of the crucified potato.

At this time, my mother had gone on a vacation to her parent’s place and my elder sister was too engrossed with her studies to even lift herself up to the kitchen.  That was I in the end to try my culinary skills.

So, backed with my courage and my nose high with self-esteem I nodded my head in affirmation and boldly announced, “Gentlemen, give me about half an hour to raid the kitchen.” The men were excited, as they wanted to see what would come out of the kitchen and from my extra skills.

I entered the kitchen with a fearful sigh.  I happened to see a pound of bread.  Hmm! Something can be done with this.  My small voice was screaming inside my head, “C’mon girl think, think!”   My time was short. So out came the milk, honey, sugar, Cardamoms, ghee, and last but most important the frying pan.

So folks this is how French toast was finally made  à la mon style!  No one was allowed to even peep into the kitchen when I was cooking for fear that if anything went wrong; it was on their heads.

Well, you need to take any number of bread slices that you wish (depends on how hungry you are!). Right? Then comes the sugar that was powdered. Next was the honey and Cardamom powder.  I mixed all these in a wide rimmed bowl.

As all this was getting prepared I got the frying pan on a medium flame with a little bit of ghee for roasting.  Deep inside, my prayers were getting frantic that all should go well. 

Well you need to take a flat plate or a saucer wherein you pour the milk mixture.  You dip each slice of bread on this and turn it over to the frying pan.  Wait for a few moments and then drizzle a little ghee at the edges.  Flip the bread slice to the other side for roasting. Once it gets a golden hue and slightly crisp, remove it from the pan and place it on a server.

Voila!!!  I jumped in joy and the next moment these men came barging to the kitchen thinking I was on fire. I politely admonished them, “Gentlemen, OUT you go.  It’s yet to be ready.”  By now their stomachs were giving the alarm signals.

But I finished a good count for them.  When I brought it to the table there was a questioning look on their faces – one looking at the other.

“B-r-e-a-d  T-o-a-s-t?????”  But the smell was too tempting.  The first bite revealed it all.  Amazing… was the joint chorus from them, so loud that my sis dropped her books to see what the commotion was.  By the time she could lay her hands on one simple bite all was over in a flash.  I became famous with my FRENCH TOAST – MY STYLE!!! Yippee.

So here’s the recipe for you guys.  Enjoy it and let me know.

Ingredients:

8 Bread slices (you may take as many as you like)

1 1/2 cups Milk (preferably cold)

2 tablespoons of honey

½ cup of powdered sugar

3 Cardamom pods, powdered

A little bit of ghee

Method:

Take a small mixing bowl and mix milk, sugar, and cardamom powder and honey well. Take a flat saucer or a plate and pour about ¼ cup of the milk mixture into it.  Keep it ready.

Heat a non-stick griddle and lightly grease it with ghee on a medium flame.  Take a slice of the bread and dip it in the milk. Now place it on the griddle and drizzle a little ghee all round the edges. Wait for a few moments and gently flip the slice to the other side.  Roast it to a crisp golden color on a medium flame.  When done, place it on Paper tissues for absorbing the excess ghee.  Now enjoy and let me know.

Hope you guys got it right!  Do wait for my next blog and a little more of my adventure on instant cooking ideas.