Savory French Toast | Pudla Sandwich

It's different than the traditional sandwich

Pudla Sandwich! Yes, that's what it's called in India. It's popular street food in Bombay. You will always find the stall very crowded where it's being served. Pudla or Poodla is a Gujarati word for Chilla and it means savory pancakes made with garbanzo flour or besan.

We also call it Chilla Sandwich or Bread Pakora Sandwich. This dish has a cult following. Trust me when I am saying that! While it's a popular Indian vegan breakfast recipe, we enjoy it as an evening snack too.

Resembles a French Toast

To make French Toast, you need to soak bread in a milk and egg mixture, then fry it in oil or butter. Plus, it's mostly sweet to taste because it's made with vanilla and sugar. However, this snack recipe is a leaner, savory, and vegan take on this recipe. Here the bread is dipped in a spiced garbanzo flour batter and topped with veggies and cheese.

This dish does remind me of Moong Dal Toast but since this one is not fried, this makes it to the weeknight menu while that suits the weekend/party menu! It also reminds me of my dad who would make us his version of French Toast on Sundays but without eggs. It would be sweet and delicious.

For convenience, I have split this Indian French Toast recipe into 3 parts.

To prepare the veggies

Chef Tip - There is no need to cook the veggies first. Just add them raw.

1. To a bowl, add finely chopped onions.
2. Add finely chopped bell peppers.
3. Add peeled and finely grated carrots and beets.
4. Then add corn and half of the chopped cilantro.
5. Add all the seasonings like garam masala, paprika, crushed black pepper, cumin powder, coriander powder, chaat masala (optional), and salt.
6. Mix all the ingredients together and keep them aside. You can also mix in a tablespoon of lemon juice.

1. Add garbanzo flour or besan to a mixing bowl. Then add crushed pepper, garam masala, paprika, turmeric powder, and cumin powder.
2. Then gradually add water to it and whisk it till all the flour gets dissolved and there are no lumps.
3. Add the ginger-garlic paste along with salt and mix it into the batter. The batter should be of coating consistency. That means, it should neither be too thick nor too thin.
4. Set the batter aside for now. In another bowl, mix shredded vegan cheese and the remaining cilantro. Keep it aside for now.

Make the first one for practice. You will get the hang of it as you go. Also, if you have prepared the batter and the veggies mixture in advance and have stored it in the fridge, get it out. Let it come to room temperature first.

1. Drizzle oil on a skillet and keep the flame low. Dip two bread slices (one after the other) in the batter and place them on the skillet next to each other. Chef Tip - No need to keep the bread slices soaked in the batter for long. Just dip, coat, and place on the skillet.
2. Add the veggie mixture over both slices.
3. Pour some batter between the two slices so that they get joined together. Also, lightly drizzle some batter over the veggies. Drizzle oil around the bread and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Using a wide spatula, carefully flip both slices to the other side. Let this side cook for another 2-3 minutes on low flame.
5. Flip it back to the side that has the veggies. Now sprinkle the cheese + cilantro mixture on top. Use the spatula to separate the bread slices.
6. Carefully fold one slice over the other. Press gently and cook for 30 seconds or till the cheese melts.

Serving Suggestions 🍽

Make as many as you need. Then cut them into halves or triangles and serve with some green chutney and/or tomato ketchup. It goes perfectly with Chai, Filter Coffee, or Dalgona Coffee.

If you love some fries or chips on the side along with your sandwich, here are some healthy alternatives for you - Baked Bagel Chips and Bread Crust Fries. You can serve this Pudla Sandwich/Savory French Toast for breakfast, as an evening snack, at parties, get-togethers, pack in lunchboxes, and/or for any other occasion.

Some drinks that can be served along with it are:

• Watermelon Juice
• Cucumber Chaas/Buttermilk
• Cherry Lemon Iced Tea

Top recipe tips 💭

You can also use yogurt or buttermilk instead of water when preparing the batter for Pudla/Bread Pakora Sandwich. It will give it a nice flavor. Adding 1-2 tablespoons of rice flour and semolina (rava) to the batter will give the coating a crispy texture when cooked.

Feel free to add vegan mayo, and mustard along with the cheese to make it more flavorful. Add/omit any veggies based on availability. Just remember to finely chop or grate the veggies.

Flipping these sandwiches requires little practice. It's ok if the mixture spills when flipped. You can put it back over the bread. If you are not vegan, you can use regular shredded cheese and cook this in regular butter.

If you are in a rush, you can always skip adding the veggies, and just dip the bread in the batter and cook it. Stuff it with cheese and enjoy a Cheesy French Toast! BTW, if you eat eggs, you can make this same recipe by simply swapping the batter with eggs. Just dip the bread in eggs and go along with the recipe.

Recipe FAQs 📖