Bread Pakora (fritter) is an Indian street food. It is a fried snack made with bread and besan (gram flour).
Bread Pakora is such a yummy snack and filling too. Also its preparation differ in every home. Here I will share my version of making bread pakora at home.
Out of the countless street foods of India, bread pakora is the easiest one. No rocket science behind making it perfectly. That is the reason, why it is the most commonly prepared fried snack in Indian homes.
I remember, in my childhood, this used to be a great party snack. For birthdays, it was something which was never missed. We used to wait for the special occasions, when we would get to eat this delicious snack.
Later, it was included in our Sunday breakfast menu. Sundays used to be for fun and relaxing. So making such a heavy brunch of bread pakoras, used to ensure that no-one is hungry until supper. This way even mom would get some rest and free time and we kids were just happy to eat away these yummy fritters.
This famous street food is also a great menu option for weddings and big functions in India.
What is Bread Pakora?
Bread Pakoda is such a famous street food of India, that it can be found in almost every nook and corner of Indian streets. It is a very heavy snack and generally two pakodas can fill up a full grown adult comfortably.
As its name suggests, it is made with bread and gram flour. I have some great bread recipes on my blog. You can try them out to make the bread pakora. These bread recipes are beginner’s friendly and have complete info; from handling the yeast, kneading the dough to proofing it. Do read these recipes to make light and airy breads.
The bread Pakoras are generally of two types;
1. Bread Pakora with filling – These type of bread pakora are my favorite ones. When you bite into these bread pakoras you get a taste of various flavours in each bite. The crispy outer layer with yummy fillings inside…yummmm….I can almost taste one as I write.
The filling of bread pakora is generally with boiled potatoes with various masalas (spices), and other ingredients like onion, peanuts, fresh coriander, green chillies, ginger and garlic. It makes a lovely delectable snack, worth all the calories it carries.
Now-a-days, you can get bread pakodas with various filling options too. You can find paneer (cottage cheese), noodles [ yes, I have once had these bread pakodas too 🙂 didn’t like much though ] and sometimes potatoes with various veggies like cabbage, capsicum etc.
2. Bread Pakora without filling – Plain bread pakoras are without any filling. They are very quick to make and need less preparation than the filled ones. Also they can be made in a healthier way, that is not fried but with less ghee or oil on a griddle. Will share the recipe of plain bread pakoda also some day.
Important Points for Perfect Bread Pakora
1.Bread – To make the bread pakora, you can use any type of bread. APF bread, Whole wheat bread, multi grain bread etc. I follow one tip while making bread pakoda and hope it will be helpful to you too. I keep the bread in fridge for about at least 30 minutes before making the bread. This way the bread texture gets set which helps the bread slices to stay firm while dipping them in the gram flour batter and they do not break.
2. Chick Pea Flour – It is very important to take a good quality besan or chick pea flour. If the flour you use has any type of adulteration it won’t give a good binding and the bread pakoras will become too oily. Also make sure that the batter you make with chick pea flour is thick so that you get a god coating on the pakoras.
But be careful, a very thick batter will give a thick layer of besan outside and you will end up eating a good layer of besan only. The best is that the batter consistency be such that it covers the bread properly from outside and not be very thick too.
3. Potato Mix – The poatato mix for the bread pakora can be customized to your taste. More spicy, less chilies, adding onions, peanuts, peas etc. is also totally optional. Make sure the potatoes are just boiled and not very mushy. They should be properly mashed without any lumps.
4. Frying – For deep frying the bread pakoras, use hot oil in deep bottom pan. Fry until golden and crisp from both sides.
5. Chutney (Dips) – Serve these piping hot bread pakoras with any spicy or subtle dips (chutney) you want. I have served them with a lip-smacking and so easy to make amchoor ki chutney. Just like how they serve it on food stalls. If you would like it’s recipe, do comment below this recipe.
Some other interesting recipes from my blog and YouTube channel;
Recipe Video of Bread Pakora
I have made a quick video of Bread Pakora, for a better understanding of the recipe. You can take a look and check all the important steps in few minutes. Do Subscribe my YouTube channel “flavourhome by Sutiksha” to get instant recipe updates, as soon as I upload them. Also if you like these videos, kindly like and share them with your family and friends.
Ingredients
For Filling
- Potatoes – 2, boiled, finely mashed
- Onion – 1, finely chopped
- Coriander – 2 tbsp, finely chopped
- Coriander (dhania) Powder – 1/2 tsp
- Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
- Roasted Cumin (jeera) powder – 1 tsp
- Salt as per taste
NOTE : Add chopped green chilies too if you like it very spicy.
For Batter
- Besan (chick pea flour) – 1 cup
- Coriander – 2 tbsp, finely chopped
- Coriander (dhania) powder – 1/2 tsp
- Red Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
- Roasted Cumin (jeera) powder – 1/2 tsp
- Carom (ajwain) seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric (haldi ) powder – 1/2 tsp
- Salt as per taste
- Water as required
- Oil for frying
- Bread as required
Method
1.Preparing the filling – Take mashed potatoes, onion, coriander, all the spices and salt as per taste. Mix everything well. Prepare a smooth filling.
2. Preparing the batter – Take besan (chickpea) flour, chopped coriander, all the spices of batter and salt. Mix well and add water slowly. Make a lump free batter for coating the bread pakoras. Keep the batter consistency on thicker side but not very thick.
3. Preparing Bread Pakora – Take bread slices. On one slice spread the potato mixture evenly. You can keep this layer thick or thin, as you like. Now cover it with other plain slice of bread and press lightly.
4. Frying the bread Pakora – Dip this bread filled with potato mixture in the chickpea (besan) flour batter and coat nicely from all sides. Put it in hot oil for deep frying. Fry until golden brown and crisp from both sides. Enjoy hot bread pakoras with chutney or sauce.
I would love to hear from you if you try this recipe of Bread Pakora. Do mention it in my comments section how you liked it or if you would like the recipe of Amchoor chutney. Also if you make this and share on social networking sites, remember to add #flavourhomebysutiksha and tag me there. I would be glad to see and appreciate your efforts.
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