Chilli Cheese Toast

India's cafe classic: green chile and onion under a molten cheese blanket on thick toast.

12 min2 servingsIndian472 kcal/serving23g protein
Chilli Cheese Toast — Indian recipe, finished and plated

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Ingredients

  • 4 slices Bread
  • 120 g Melting cheese
  • 2 Green chili
  • ¼ Onion (optional)
  • 2 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
  • 15 g Butter (optional)
  • ¼ tsp Black pepper (optional)

Method

  1. Grate the cheese coarsely into a mixing bowl.
  2. Mince the green chiles and finely chop the onion and cilantro.
  3. Mix the grated cheese with the chiles, onion, cilantro, and black pepper until evenly combined.
  4. Heat the grill (broiler) on high with a rack near the top.
  5. Butter the bread slices lightly, then pile the cheese mixture on top, spreading it right to the edges so they don't burn.
  6. Grill the topped slices until the cheese bubbles and browns at the corners, about 5 minutes — check after 3.
  7. Cut the toasts into halves and serve hot, chai in the other hand.

Nutrition per serving

472Calories
23gProtein
33gCarbs
28gFat
5gFiber

Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.

About Chilli Cheese Toast

Chilli cheese toast is an Indian cafe and Irani-restaurant staple: thick bread piled with a mixture of grated melting cheese, minced green chilies, onion, and cilantro, then run under the grill until molten and blistered. It belongs to the quick-bites tradition of Indian snacking, the kind of thing eaten at a corner Udupi place or knocked together at home when hunger strikes between meals. The green chile is the signature, bringing a fresh, direct heat rather than the layered spice of a curry. At barely twelve minutes start to finish, it is fast food in the truest sense.

The appeal is pure contrast: a crisp, buttered base holding up a bubbling, gooey cheese blanket flecked with sharp onion and herbal cilantro, with the chilies delivering intermittent flashes of heat. Spreading the cheese right to the edges is a small but crucial move, so the corners brown and crisp instead of leaving bare, burnt crust. Broiling on high near the top rack gets that speckled, golden finish in a few minutes flat. It is best eaten hot off the grill, traditionally with a cup of chai to round out the heat.

Chilli Cheese Toast: frequently asked questions

How many calories are in Chilli Cheese Toast?

One serving of Chilli Cheese Toast has about 472 calories, with 23g of protein, 33g of carbs, 28g of fat and 5g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.

Is Chilli Cheese Toast gluten-free?

As written, no — it contains Bread. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.

Is Chilli Cheese Toast dairy-free?

Not as written — it uses Butter. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.

Do I need every ingredient to make Chilli Cheese Toast?

The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out onion, cilantro, butter — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.

How many servings does Chilli Cheese Toast make?

This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.