It’s no secret that we love Dishoom and its legendary bacon naans – we even talked to co-founder Shamil Thakrar all about it – and now that the Dishoom cookbook has come out, we had a go with another one of the breakfast dishes. Kejriwal, which is fried eggs on chilli cheese toast, is a favourite dish of the Willingdon Club in Bombay and allegedly named after the member who kept asking for it at the club because his wife wouldn’t let him eat eggs at home. Not only is it super easy to make – you don’t even have to put the eggs in the oven if you don’t have an ovenproof pan – it’s so tasty that you’ll never go back to regular cheese on toast again.
What You Need
80g mature Cheddar, grated
1 or 2 thick slices of white bloomer, sourdough or brioche (depending on size and level
of hunger)
2 spring onions, chopped
1 green chilli, very finely chopped
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 or 2 large eggs (one per slice of toast)
Coarsely ground black pepper
What You Do
1. Let the grated cheese come up to room temperature; it needs to be quite soft and workable. Heat the oven to 240°C/Fan 220°C/Gas 9. Place a baking tray inside to warm up.
2. Toast the bread until very lightly browned on both sides. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the topping.
3. Put a small handful of the grated cheese (roughly 10g), 1tsp chopped spring onion and a pinch of green chilli to one side, to be used when you fry the egg(s).
4. Crack the egg(s) into a cup or small bowl, being careful to keep the yolk(s) intact.
Not strictly necessary – you can crack them directly into the pan but just don’t bust the yolk.
5. Put the remaining cheese, spring onions and green chilli into a bowl, add plenty of black pepper and mix well. Using the back of a spoon (or your fingers), work the cheese mixture into a paste by pressing it firmly into the side of the bowl.
6. Spread the cheese mix evenly over the toast and press it in, using the back of the spoon, to create a firm, even layer that goes all the way to the edges of the toast. Place on the tray in the oven and cook for 6–8 minutes, until deep golden and bubbling.
7. While the chilli cheese toast is cooking, warm a frying pan over a high heat and add the oil. Gently tip the egg(s) into the hot pan and add some black pepper. Top with the reserved grated cheese, spring onion and green chilli. Place the frying pan in the oven and cook for 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the egg white(s) are cooked but the yolk(s) are still runny.
8. Carefully slide the egg(s) onto the cheese on toast and serve right away, with plenty of tomato ketchup.