Bread pakora recipe | How to make bread pakora

Bread pakora recipe, a quick bread snack recipe – Bread pakora also known as bread pakoda is a popular breakfast, tea time snack and a popular street food of India, mainly in Mumbai. One gets to see these even in the tiffin centers & restaurants across India. There are 2 ways these are made, First one is plain bread pakora and the other is potato stuffed one.

The plain one are made without stuffing. The other ones are made similar to the bread rolls or bread bonda but not the same.

To make plain bread pakora, just dip the bread slices in batter and deep fry. You can use the same recipe mentioned below, skip making the stuffing.

Here the potato stuffed Bread sandwich is dipped in pakora batter i.e the besan batter and fried.

These crisp fried delicious bread pakora are heavy and go great as a weekend or party snack.

You may like these Bread snacks recipes and crunchy Pakora recipes.

Tips to make bread pakora

Bread: You can use any bread of your choice. Since the bread is coated with batter and fried the bread pakoras will not absorb oil even with fresh bread.

Filling: There are 2 ways one can make the filling. The easiest way is to go simple without the tempering like I made for this bread rolls. The second method is the way I have shown below in the step by step pictures.

Both ways they taste good, but the method I showed below is more flavorful. Recipe method is roughly adapted from Chef Tarladalal’s site.

Batter: The consistency of the batter is the key in this recipe. Do not make the batter too thin as the bread will soak up moisture from the batter and the pakoras may turn soft & oily.

The batter has to be in between too thick and too thin.

Frying: You need to be gentle while dipping the sandwiches in batter and even while sliding them to the oil. Bread pakoras have to fried on a medium heat until crisp and golden.

More Bread snacks
Bread Pizza
Bread upma
Stuffed bread rolls
Egg bread toast

Bread pakora recipe

Bread pakora recipe | How to make bread pakora | Bread pakoda

Crispy bread pakora recipe – spiced potato stuffed bread deep fried snack. Bread pakora is one of the popular street foods of India. These are also eaten as breakfast in many parts of North India.

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time15 minutes

Total Time30 minutes

Servings6 bread pakora

AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )

• 6 slices bread
• oil as needed for shallow or deep frying

ingredients for bread pakora stuffing

• 1 ½ cups potatoes or aloo cubed (3 medium)
• Handful green peas (optional)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
• ½ teaspoon mustard or rai (optional)
• Pinch asafoetida or hing
• 2 green chilies chopped
• ½ teaspoon ginger paste
• 3 tablespoon coriander leaves finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• 2 pinches turmeric or haldi
• Salt as needed

For bread pakora batter

• ¾ cup gram flour or besan (can use coarse besan for crunch)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons rice flour
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• pinch turmeric or haldi
• Salt as needed
• ½ to ¾ teaspoon carom seeds or ajwain or vaamu
• Water as needed

How to make the recipe

Make stuffing for bread pakora

• Steam or boil potatoes just until done without making them mushy. 
• You can also boil the potatoes in a cooker for 2 whistles. I prefer to steam them as it is easy to keep an eye.
• You can skip green peas. If using then steam the green peas too along with the potatoes.
• Mash them well and set aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and crackle mustard.
• Then saute ginger, green chilies and curry leaves until it begins to smell good. Off the stove
• Add red chili powder, garam masala and turmeric. Mix well.
• Transfer mashed potatoes, peas and salt. Mix everything well. Cool this.

How to make bread pakora

• Arrange 3 bread slices on a chopping board or plate.
• Optional – If you have green chutney or sauce, you can also smear that to one of the slices.
• Place the potato mix over 3 bread slices. Cover each slice with another one.
• Press gently and cut each sandwich to 2 triangles. Set these aside.
• Heat oil in a pan for shallow or deep frying. You can use as less as possible if using a nonstick pan.
• While the oil heats prepare the batter. In another bowl, mix together besan, ajwain, red chili powder, salt, rice flour and turmeric. 
• Pour water just enough to make the batter that is neither too thick nor too thin. It must be similar to the mirchi bajji batter.
• Check if the oil is hot by dropping a little amount of batter in the oil. The batter has to rise without browning.

Frying bread pakora

• Place each sandwiched bread in the batter and gently coat it with the batter on both the sides. You may need to use both your hands.
• Gently slide this to the hot oil and do not disturb it for a minute.
• You can add 2 or more pakoras in one batch.
• Fry bread pakora until golden on both the sides on a medium heat. 
• Flip when one side is golden and fry.
• Repeat frying the rest of bread pakora in batches. Remove to a colander or kitchen tissue.
• Serve bread pakora hot or warm with green chutney or sauce.

NUTRITION (estimation only)

Calories: 495kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1030mg | Potassium: 886mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 400IU | Vitamin C: 39.1mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 8mg

Notes

For variations you can use any stuffing you like.

If you are a beginner or new to Indian cooking, I highly suggest you to check the supporting step by step photos for best results. Step by step photos with description available below after the recipe card.

Preparation to make bread pakora

1. Steam or boil potatoes until just cooked. Do not over cook as they will turn soggy. I steam them in a pressure cooker without the weight. You can also use a steamer or just boil in the pan with little water.

You can also pressure cook the whole potatoes in cooker for 2 to 3 whistles. When the pressure goes down, remove and check they have to be fork tender. Peel the potatoes and use.

I have used very few green peas, you can skip if you do not like them. Set these aside to cool. Mash them up well with a masher.

2. Heat 1 spoon of oil in a pan. Add mustard and allow them to crackle. Add ginger paste, chopped green chilies and curry leaves.

3. Saute them all until aromatic. Switch off the stove.

4. Add hing, chili powder, turmeric and garam masala.

5. Transfer the mashed potatoes, sprinkle salt and mix well. You can also add coriander leaves.

stuffing masala for bread pakora

6. Place the bread slices and then spread the potato masala.

7. Cover with another slice of bread. You can also spread green chutney on the other slice.

8. Press the bread slices well to hold the stuffing properly. Cut them diagonally.

9. Similarly prepare all the stuffed bread. Set these aside.

How to make bread pakora

10. Begin to heat the oil as needed. In a mixing bowl, add besan, chili powder, ajwain / carom seeds, salt, rice flour and turmeric. Mix them up very well.

11. Add water just as needed and make a thick batter.

12. The consistency must be similar to the bajji batter.

13. You will have to gently lift the stuffed bread and dip in batter. Make sure it is coated on the sides as well. Hold towards the 2 edges and lift them from the batter. Gently swipe the excess batter.

14. Drop in the hot oil.

15. Fry until golden on both the sides by flipping. Drain them on a kitchen tissue.

Serve bread pakora hot with Green chutney or sauce.

Chutney for bread pakora recipe

1 cup coriander leaves
½ cup pudina / mint leaves
1 tbsp fried or roasted gram / dalia
½ tsp jeera/ cumin
Salt as needed
2 to 3 hot green chilies
few drops of lemon juice
¼ inch ginger
1 to 2 small to medium garlic cloves
Lemon juice as needed

How to make
1. Blend all the ingredients together with 2 tbsps water. Add lemon juice and mix. Ready to serve.