Bread Pakoda (Bread fritters)

Have you heard of Bread Pakoda? Bread Pakoda is a very famous Indian street food that is served during teatime and at times during breakfast. There is just something divine about potato stuffed bread coated in chickpea flour and fried in hot oil! A bite into these delicious Pakodas are sure going to make your day super special! They are paired amazingly well with hot cup of tea! They are not the healthiest snack to binge on, but they are definitely worth having them once a while.

Pakodas in general are always a hit in my house! We love to indulge in fried stuff once in a while especially when it rains. I guarantee every house hold has their own unique recipe when it comes to making this recipe, however mine is very easy and simple to follow! I hope you all get to try this delicious recipe and serve it for your family for your next weekend tea time snack or appetizers for your party!

When you make this recipe just be mindful of couple things. You can use any type of bread of your choice. You can make them with or without potato stuffing. I have created my own stuffing recipe based on our taste buds, so please adjust the spice level as needed! Generally, when making Pakoda, the consistency of the batter is the key! Do not make the batter too thin as the bread will soak up the moisture and your Pakodas will be very oily! Make sure the batter isn’t too thick otherwise your Pakodas will be too doughy! Now let’s get to the recipe!

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Serves 4

[Per serving – Calories 300, Fat 11g, Carbs 50g, Fiber 10g, Protein 12g]

Ingredients

8 slices of white or wheat bread

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup boiled potato, peeled and grated

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

½ tbsp finely chopped jalapeno peppers

8-10 curry leaves

1 tsp mustard and cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp asafoetida (hing) powder (stuffing & batter)

1 tsp red chili powder (stuffing & batter)

Salt to taste

1 ½ cup chickpea (besan) flour

¼ tsp caraway seeds

Oil for deep frying

Chat masala for garnishing (optional)

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Method

Prep all the ingredients prior heating your oil. Make sure you boil, peel and grate potatoes and finely chop all the ingredients needed for the recipe.

To make the potato stuffing – Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add mustard and cumin seeds. When seeds crackle, add curry leaves, finely chopped garlic, jalapeños and cilantro. Add salt, chili, and asafoetida powder, sauté for minute. Add boiled grated potatoes and mix thoroughly. Turn off the stove and cool mixture completely before filling in bread slices.

To make the chickpea batter – Take medium size bowl. Add chick pea flour, red chili, turmeric, and asafoetida powder. Add caraway seeds and salt to taste. Add a cup of water and mix thoroughly. Make sure there are no lumps in the batter. Beat the batter for 5 minutes and keep it aside. Make sure the batter is medium consistency, not too thick or thin. When you put the spoon through it, it should coat back of the spoon very lightly.

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Stuffing the bread – Remove the crust around the bread. Stuff the potato mixture in between 2 slices and cut it diagonally into 2 triangles. Keep it aside until ready to fry them in oil.

Frying the pakora – Heat oil in deep frying pan over medium heat. Once oil is hot, coat the stuffed bread triangles into chickpea batter and drop them carefully in oil and fry until golden brown from both sides. Once crispy on both sides, remove them on a tissue lined plate. Your Bread Pakoda is now ready to be served! Prior serving sprinkle some chat masala (optional) and complement it with cup of tea or masala chas (buttermilk)