Bread Pakoras or Bread Fritters Recipe

F is for fritters for BlogchtterA2Z2023. One may ponder the connection between Bread Pakoras and Bread Fritters Recipe. Bread is a European discovery and as far as I know, there have been no fritters or pakoras made with bread there! But believe me, Bread Pakora is unequivocally the best desi snack. It goes well with your chai tea. As an appetiser or finger food, Bread Pakoras are great at any time; for breakfast, tea-time snack or finger food at dinnertime.

Bread Pakoras are Easy to Make

Plain bread pakoras are fritters in which we dunk bread in a gram flour batter, which is very easy to prepare. It is a quick and easy recipe. We can prepare bread pakoras with very few ingredients which are already there in your pantry.

It is a popular street food in North India. But down South, I have always seen my mom making them at home .We would consume a whole loaf of bread. She used to add a little crushed garlic to the batter, and this gave an extra punch to the flavour of the pakoras.

We rarely see plain bread pakoras these days. Bread pakoras with fillings are the flavour these days. We can prepare them with any filling; such as potatoes, paneer or cottage cheese or even ribbon sandwiches smeared with mint chutney and tomato ketchup. You can enjoy these drool-worthy fritters, smoking hot with mint or tamarind chutney that is totally desi or Indian, but I Iike it with a slightly hot and spicy ketchup. I prefer the plain bread fritters as they are lighter and easy on the calorie meter.

In India, we make pakoras or fritters, with any available vegetable like onion, eggplant, potato, spinach, plantain, Paneer, cauliflower, tomato, or green chilli too. The English left the country in 1947 but left behind the legacy of speaking English and baking bread. Since then, bread is being dipped in batter and deep-fried.

When the rain is falling and drenching the earth, fry some bread pakoras with your cup of chai tea and feel your mood perfectly in sync with the lovely weather. These pakoras are crispy on the outside and spongy inside.

Recipe

INGREDIENTS

6 bread slices

1 cup besan or gram flour

½ teaspoon Ajwain or carom seeds

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon garam masala powder

4 cloves garlic crushed

2 tbsp cilantro chopped

Water for batter

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

For The Batter

In a mixing bowl, take all the dry ingredients–Sift the besan or gram flour, ajwaIn, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, cilantro, salt, crushed garlic. ( Ajwain is very good for digestion and nullifies the adverse effects of the gram flour)

Add water and with a whisk make a thick and smooth batter.

Heat oil in a pan or wok.

You can use sandwich bread, whole wheat or even multigrain bread. The choice is yours. Slice the bread slices into rectangles, triangles, or any shape of your choice.

Try to use bread that is not very fresh because fresh bread is very soft and will disintegrate when dipped in the batter.

Dip each slice in the batter and see that it is evenly coated.

Gently lower it in the hot oil for frying. You can add as many bread pieces as can fit in your pan.

Fry the bread pakoras in medium hot oil and flip them a couple of times until they are crisp and golden.

Remove with a perforated spoon onto paper towels to drain as much oil as possible.

Serve these bread pakoras hot with tomato ketchup or mint chutney or sweet Tamarind chutney.

I like to enjoy my plate full of Bread pakoras or Bread fritters while sitting in the garden with a book or newspaper with my mint and ginger tea.