Bread Pakora

A little treat from street food passionate India: the humble Bread Pakora.  This dish is fast food Indian style and is filled with all the joys of eating on the go. Whether street food per se is a healthy option; is something that I leave to the conjurers of street food to decide. But who can resist the sensation of aroma filled streets, the hustle and bustle around and of course the ways of the street food is unique. I wonder if it can ever be replicated within the environments of one’s kitchen. A trip to the lanes of Old Delhi or Khao Galli in Mumbai is a must for anyone who wants to experience India’s craze with street food.

This recipe today is not one of my inventions. It is a recreation of something that reminds me of all those lovely things on the streets in Mumbai. Just that today the bread pakoras will be subjected to a more controlled environment and I have decided to go healthy way. Rather than deep frying them, I have used a griddled pan- the outcome isn’t bad at all. Infact K loved it. So here comes the recipe with step by step demonstration. Enjoy!

Bread Pakora

Ingredients:

4 slices of sandwich bread (I have used white. Try upping the healthy eating meter by using whole grain or brown bread)

1 medium Boiled and mashed potatoes

2 tbsp Mint-coriander-green chilli chutney

4 slices of pepper

4 slices of tomatoes

2 cheese triangles (I used laughing cow brand – light)

Gram flour 5 tbsp

Caraway seeds/Ajwain ¼ tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil 1 tbsp

Chaat masala ½ tsp

Method:

Skin boiled potato and coarsely mash. Add a pinch of salt and keep aside.

Trim the bread and spread mint-coriander chutney on one and the cheese on the other. Top mash potatoes onto the one of the slices. Arrange two slices of yellow pepper and tomatoes. I use yellow pepper as they are sweeter than the green variety. They add a crunch to each bite and pairs well with the buttery potatoes and the acidity of the tomatoes. Top it up with the other slice of bread. Using a sharp knife halve the sandwich.

In a large bowl- tip in the gram flour. Add caraway/ajwain seeds, chilli powder. Adding a little water at a time make a smooth paste. The consistency should be enough to coat the bread. Using a little water at a time helps in checking the thickness of the batter. Mix well and once done add salt to taste. Mix again.

Heat a griddle pan. Tip in a little oil. Dip the sandwich bread into the gram flour batter coating all sides and gently lower them on to the pan. Once placed on the hot griddle, do not move the bread – we want the bread surface to have the griddled effect. It’s the same technique one would use to griddle cook meat or fish. I cooked my bread on medium heat and it took me about 2 ½- 3 mins to get that effect. Once a sides done, flip it gently and do the same.

Once done, I had these gorgeous griddled effect and really crispy too. You can deep fry these bread pakoras as well: but then why not try this way and check out if it stands true on your taste test?

I had a remaining un-battered bread sandwich and I simply griddle cooked it- without any oil. Didn't taste bad at all. Felt more like a toasted sandwich. Perhaps more healthier than the bread pakora version; however, it lacked the depth of the former.

To serve sprinkle chat masala and more mint chutney.