Ingredients
Bread
- 8 slicesof day-old bread
- or 4 pain maison, split
- or any stale white bread
Batter
- 3eggs
- 150 mlmilk
- 3 tablespoonsplain flour
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- 1/2 teaspoonblack pepper
- 1spring onion, finely sliced
- 1green chilli, finely chopped
- a handful of chopped coriander
To fry
- oil, for shallow frying
To serve
- chatini coco, coconut chutney
- or tomato chutney
- chilli sauce
- hot tea
Directions
- Cut the bread into thick slices. Leave the crusts on the slices. They help hold the slices together. Beat the eggs in a wide shallow bowl. Add the milk and whisk it in well. Whisk in the flour in gradually. Work out every lump as you go.
- Add the salt and the black pepper. Stir in the spring onion and the chilli. Add the chopped fresh coriander. It should be thin enough to coat the bread.
- Add a splash more milk if it is thick. Add a spoonful of flour if it is watery. Lay a slice down into the batter. Let it sit for a few seconds only. Turn it over and coat the other side.
- Lift it out and let the excess drip off. Do not soak it through completely. Heat oil in a wide pan to a shallow depth. It should come about half a centimetre up.
- Heat it until a drop of batter sizzles at once. Lay the slices in without crowding the pan. Fry them for about three minutes.
- Turn them over as they colour. They should be golden and crisp at the edges. Press one gently with a spatula. It should feel set rather than squashy.
- Cut one open to check the first batch. Lift them onto kitchen paper to drain. Serving them is done piping hot. Cut them into halves or quarters. Serve chatini alongside for dipping. Put chilli sauce on the table. Hot tea is the usual drink with them.
Technique
- Pain maison is the everyday Mauritian bread roll, which goes stale within a day in the heat, and this dish was invented to use it up.
- The batter is savoury rather than sweet, with chilli, spring onion and coriander in it, so this is not French toast under another name.
- The bread must not be soaked through, since a saturated slice falls apart in the pan and stays wet in the middle.
Substitutions
- Any stale white bread works in place of pain maison.
- Water can replace the milk for a lighter and plainer batter.
Variations
- Some stalls add grated cheese to the batter.
- A version with more chilli is made for those who want heat.
- Gateau piment and samosas are sold at the same tea stalls.
History
A cheap Mauritian snack of the tea stalls, invented to use up yesterday’s pain maison.
Frequently asked questions
What is Dipain frire?
Dipain frire is a street food from Mauritius: slices of bread dipped in batter and fried, eaten with chutney. A cheap Mauritian snack of the tea stalls, invented to use up yesterday’s pain maison.
How long does Dipain frire take to make?
Dipain frire takes 10 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Dipain frire?
Yes, within limits. Any stale white bread works in place of pain maison. Water can replace the milk for a lighter and plainer batter.
What is the most important thing to get right in Dipain frire?
Lift it out and let the excess drip off. Do not soak it through completely. Heat oil in a wide pan to a shallow depth. It should come about half a centimetre up.
