Breakfast of champions

One doesn’t need an occasion to enjoy breakfast in bed. But this Women’s Day, you can treat the women in your house to a king, or rather, queen-sized meal to kickstart the day

No Egg French Toast

Ingredients

• Milk - 1 cup
• Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 3 tbsp
• Salt - a pinch 
• Bread: 8 slices
• Butter: To fry
• Icecream/maple syrup/honey: To top 

Method

•  Mix all the ingredients to make a fluffy, creamy batter
•  Dip the bread slices for five seconds in the batter
•  Preheat a non-stick pan on medium heat
• Place the soaked bread and turn over after two minutes, until you get a golden colour on each side
• For more crispiness, put some sugar in the pan to caramelise, and place the toast in it both sides, for 10 seconds per side
•  Serve with honey/maple syrup/vanilla ice cream

- Sougata Halder, executive chef, Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park

Fruity French Toast

Ingredients

•  Milk - 275 gm
• Maple syrup/honey/jaggery syrup - 60 ml
•  Vanilla extract - 1 ml
•  Eggs - 2 
• Salt - 1 gm
•  Bread slices - 6 
• Strawberry or fruit compote - 3 tbsp
•  Butter - 60 gm
• Icing sugar (optional) - 60 gm or as required
• Fresh whipped cream (optional) - 3 tbsp
• Fresh soft fruits like berries, banana, mango (optional)  - as per taste

Method

• Whisk the milk and maple syrup or the sweetener of choice.
• Add vanilla extract and mix well. Pour into a large shallow plate.
• Whisk the eggs lightly with the salt. Pour into another large shallow plate.
• Apply a thin tablespoon of compote on a slice of bread and cover with another to make a sandwich. Cut into triangles. Repeat for the rest of the bread slices.
• Heat a non -stick pan and add a little butter
• Dip the sandwich in the milk to soak briefly, then quickly dip both sides into the egg and place on the hot buttered pan. Cook a few minutes on each side till golden brown.
• Plate the French toast, topped with some whipped cream , fresh soft fruit of choice and a dusting of icing sugar.

- Mandaar Sukhtankar, corporate chef, Windmills

Avocado toast

Ingredients

•  Ripe avocado - 150 gm
•  Lime juice - 5 ml
•  Salt/Kosher salt - 3 gm
• Cherry tomato - 25 gm
• Small red onion chopped - 40 gm
•  Jalapeno chopped - 20 gm
•  Garlic chopped - 15 gm
•  Cilantro chopped - 20 gm
•  Balsamic reduction - 5 ml

Method

• In a bowl mash avocado using fork.
• Add lime juice, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, garlic and mix well.
•  Spread mixture on bread slice and garnish using avocado slices and cilantro.
• Sprinkle balsamic reduction (vinegar) on top and serve.

- Altamsh Patel, Executive Chef, Oakwood  Premier Prestige Bangalore

Fried Eggs with Sundried Tomato Cous Cous

Ingredients

• Fresh free range organic eggs - 2 
• Cous cous - 100 gm
• Roasted almonds slivers - 1 tbsp
• Black olives chopped - 1.5 tbsp
• Sundried tomato (in oil) - 1.5 tbsp
• Extra virgin olive oil - 1 tbsp
• Olive oil pomace - 1.5 tsp
• Italian basil leaves - 4-5 
• Lime juice - ¼ tsp
• Black pepper freshly milled - ¼th tsp
• Himalayan salt - ½ tsp
• Water/vegetable stock - 120 ml

Method

• Add the cous cous in a medium-sized mixing bowl
• Boil the water/ vegetable stock, add it to the cous cous and immediately cover with a fitting lid, leave aside for about 15 minutes.
• Chop the black olives, sundried tomato, roasted almond slivers and fresh Italian basil, freshly squeezed lime juice. Add it to the cous cous followed by extra virgin olive oil, some fresh milled black pepper a few pinches and Himalayan salt to taste.
• Transfer the ready cous cous into a small katori/ fancy ramekin dish/ glass bowl small to the brim. Keep a serving plate on top and invert the bowl onto the plate. Gently remove the dishing bowl/ ramekin.
• Take a small non stick pan, add some pomace olive oil, break in the whole eggs into the pan and place the pan on medium fire or on a induction plate at medium temperature setting.
• Let the white of the eggs completely coagulate. Season with fresh milled pepper and Himalayan salt to taste.
• Now slide the fried egg sunny side from the pan to partially on top of the cous cous. Garnish with some fresh basil leaf, roasted almonds and extra virgin olive oil drizzle. Serve hot.

- Udayshankar Shenoy, chef, Lazy Suzy