Bread Pakora

Bread Pakora

A popular snack from North Indian cuisine, Bread Pakora consists of deep-fried and savory bread fritters.Particularly Punjabi cuisine. Spiced gram flour, spices, and salt are used in making bread pakoda or bread bajji. Either mashed potatoes are stuffed inside or they are left unstuffed. I am going to share two delicious methods for making bread pakoda with you.

About Bread Pakora

Bread Pakora is also known as bread fritters in English. There is no sweetness in these fritters; they are savory. South Indians refer to bread bajji as bread pakora while North Indians refer to bread pakora as bread bajji.

The bread pakoda would consist of halved bread slices that have been dipped in batter made from gram flour and deep fried.

A fond memory of bread pakoda is of course having them served piping hot on street carts in Mumbai, as well as having these made by my mother-in-law for weekend breakfast.

Stuffed with tangy, spicy potatoes, bread pakodas are sold on street corners and in restaurants in India.

The basic potato stuffing can be varied by adding steamed green peas, cheese or paneer (Indian cottage cheese) when making them at home. Spices and herbs can be adjusted to suit the tastes of your family.

The bread pakoda is one of our family’s favorite breakfast and teatime snacks. The bread fritters are delicious served with a sweet tangy dipping sauce or a spicy chutney accompanied by hot masala chai or ginger tea. In addition to serving them as a starter snack at parties, you can also enjoy them as an evening tea time snack.

How to make Bread Pakora

The potato stuffing needs to be prepared before you can begin making this delicious snack. In addition to a pressure cooker and Instant Pot, a pan can also be used to cook the potatoes.

Cook Potatoes

1. Boil or steam 2 medium-sized or 1 large potato in a pressure cooker or steamer or in the IP until they are fork tender. When the potatoes become warm, then peel and grate them. Set aside. You can also mash them.

1. In a stove-top pressure cooker

Rinse and place them in a 2-litre pressure cooker. Add enough water just about covering them. Pressure cook on a medium flame for 3 to 4 whistles or 7 to 9 minutes. Drain the water. Let the potatoes become warm. Peel, grate or mash.

2. In a pan

Rinse, peel and then dice potatoes. Add the chopped potatoes in a pan. Add water just enough to cover them. You can add a bit of salt. Cover and cook potatoes till they are softened. Later drain all the water very well. When the potatoes become warm then peel and grate them. You can even mash them.

3. In the Instant Pot

Rinse and place the potatoes in the inner steel insert of the Instant Pot. Add enough water just about covering the potatoes. Pressure cook on high for 8 to 10 minutes.

Give a quick pressure release (QPR) after 7 minutes. Check to see if the potatoes are cooked. If underdone, then pressure cook for some more minutes. Remove the potatoes with pasta tongs. Let them become warm or cool at room temperature. Then peel and mash.

2. Add the following ingredients to the grated or mashed potatoes:

  • 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
  • 1 to 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
  • ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper)
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
  • ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder) and
  • salt as per taste to the grated potatoes.

Substitute ½ teaspoon lemon juice for dry mango powder.

3. Mix the spices and herbs very well with the mashed potatoes. Check the seasonings and adjust accordingly to your taste preferences. Set aside.

Make Batter

4. In a mixing bowl, take the following ingredients:

  • 1 cup besan (gram flour)
  • ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
  • ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
  • 1 to 2 pinches turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
  • 1 to 2 pinches baking soda
  • salt as required

Adding baking soda is completely optional but it helps in the bread pakoda light and fluffy.

5. First add ½ cup water and mix very well. Batter consistency should not be very thick nor too thin. If it is too thick, then add more water.

Overall you can add ½ to ⅔ cup of water depending on the quality and texture of the gram flour.

6. To the batter, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of hot oil when you keep the oil for deep frying on the stove-top. Stir and mix well.

Whisk briskly non-stop for 1 to 2 minutes to incorporate some air into the batter. Keep the ready batter aside.

7. On the chopping board, slice the bread into triangle or rectangle slices.

8. Take around 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mashed potato mixture and spread it on the bread evenly.

9. Cover this potato stuffed slice with another slice. You now have a triangular bread sandwich. Just slightly press the sandwich.

Fry Bread Pakora

10. Heat the oil for deep frying in a kadai or wok. Check if the oil is ready by adding a drop of the batter. If the batter starts sizzling and comes gradually on the surface of the oil, the oil is ready.

If it does not come up on the surface, then the oil needs to get more hot – so increase the heat slightly. If it comes very quickly on top, the oil is too hot – so reduce the heat a bit.

11. Take the entire sandwich in your hand and dip it in the besan batter.

 12. Coat the stuffed bread sandwich evenly with the besan batter. Be gentle with the sandwich. Take care not to keep the stuffed bread sandwich a long time in besan batter as the bread will break.

You can hold the batter bowl in your left hand and then bring it near the pan or kadai having the oil. Take the bread and gently coat it with gram flour batter.

Slid off the extra batter on the edges of the bowl and then move the batter coated bread from the bowl to the pan or kadai having the hot oil. Place bread gently into the hot oil.

13. Gently slid the besan batter coated bread sandwich in the oil. Be careful while placing bread in hot oil. Place gently.

14. Add two to three pieces of bread pakora depending on the size of the kadai, but do not overcrowd the kadai or pan. Begin to deep fry on a medium to medium-high heat.

15. When one side is light golden, gently turn over and fry the second side. Be careful when turning over as these are heavy. So turn over gently and carefully.

16. Gently flip a couple of times more and fry on a medium to medium-high heat till they are crisp and golden brown.

17. Remove the crisp and golden fried pakora with a slotted spoon draining the extra oil.

18. Place the fried bread pakoda on kitchen paper towels so that excess oil is absorbed. In the same way, fry the remaining bread pakoda and place them on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.

19. Serve Bread Pakora hot or warm with a side of tomato sauce or green chutney.

Bread Pakora

Serving Suggestions

Pakoras made from bread pair well with chutneys made from coriander or mint. You can also serve it with sweet dipping sauces like tomato ketchup or sweet tamarind chutney.

In addition to serving these delicious aloo bread pakodas with chutneys, you can also serve them with onion-garlic chutney and coconut chutney.

If you want to enjoy an evening chai experience of the highest quality, serve them with a ginger chai or masala chai.

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