Bread Pakora

Before you begin making this delicious snack of bread pakora, you have to prepare the potato stuffing. The potatoes can be cooked in a pan, pressure cooker or Instant Pot.

Cooking potatoes

1. Boil or steam 2 medium-sized or 1 large potato in a pressure cooker or steamer or in the IP until they are fork tender. When the potatoes become warm, then peel and grate them. Set aside. You can also mash them.

1. Cooking potatoes in a stove-top pressure cooker

Rinse and place them in a 2-litre pressure cooker. Add enough water just about covering them. Pressure cook on a medium flame for 3 to 4 whistles or 7 to 9 minutes. Drain the water. Let the potatoes become warm. Peel, grate or mash.

2. Cooking potatoes in a pan

Rinse, peel and then dice potatoes. Add the chopped potatoes in a pan. Add water just enough to cover them. You can add a bit of salt. Cover and cook potatoes till they are softened. Later drain all the water very well. When the potatoes become warm then peel and grate them. You can even mash them.

3. Cooking in the Instant Pot

Rinse and place the potatoes in the inner steel insert of the Instant Pot. Add enough water just about covering the potatoes. Pressure cook on high for 8 to 10 minutes.

Give a quick pressure release (QPR) after 5 to 7 minutes. Check to see if the potatoes are cooked. If underdone, then pressure cook for some more minutes. Remove the potatoes with pasta tongs. Let them become warm or cool at room temperature. Then peel and mash.

2. Add the following ingredients to the grated or mashed potatoes:

? 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

? 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves

? 1 to 2 green chillies (finely chopped)

? ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder

? ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder

? ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder) and

? salt as per taste to the grated potatoes.

Substitute ½ teaspoon lemon juice for dry mango powder.

3. Mix the spices and herbs very well with the mashed potatoes. Check the seasonings and adjust accordingly. Set aside. Making batter

4. In a mixing bowl, take the following ingredients:

? 1 cup besan (gram flour)

? ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)

? ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper

? 1 to 2 pinches turmeric powder

? ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder

? 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)

? 1 to 2 pinches baking soda

? salt as required

5. First add ½ cup water and mix very well. Batter consistency should not be very thick nor too thin. If it is too thick, then add more water.

? Overall you can add ½ to ? cup of water depending on the quality and texture of the flour.

6. To the batter, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of hot oil when you keep the oil for deep frying on the stove-top. Mix well. Whisk briskly non-stop for 1 to 2 minutes to incorporate some air into the batter. Keep the ready batter aside.

7. On the chopping board, slice the bread into triangle or rectangle slices.

8. Take around 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mashed potato mixture and spread it on the bread evenly.

9. Cover this potato stuffed slice with another slice. You now have a triangular bread sandwich. Just slightly press the sandwich.

Frying Bread Pakora

10. Heat the oil for deep frying and check if the oil is ready by adding a drop of the batter. If the batter starts sizzling and comes gradually on the surface of the oil, the oil is ready.

If it does not come up on the surface, then the oil needs to get more hot – so increase the heat slightly. If it comes very quickly on top, the oil is too hot – so reduce the heat a bit.

11. Take the entire sandwich in your hand and dip it in the besan batter.

12. Coat the stuffed bread sandwich evenly with the besan batter. Be gentle with the sandwich. Take care not to keep the stuffed bread sandwich a long time in besan batter as the bread will break.

You can hold the batter bowl in your left hand and then bring it near the pan or kadai having the oil. Take the bread and gently coat it with gram flour batter.

Slid off the extra batter on the edges of the bowl and then move the batter coated bread from the bowl to the pan or kadai having the hot oil. Place bread gently into the hot oil.

13. Gently slid the besan batter coated bread sandwich in the oil. Be careful while placing bread in hot oil. Place gently.

14. Add two to three pieces of bread pakora depending on the size of the kadai, but do not overcrowd the kadai or pan. Begin to deep fry on a medium to medium-high flame.

15. When one side is light golden, gently turn over and fry the second side. Be careful when turning over as these are heavy. So turn over gently and carefully.

16. Gently flip a couple of times more and fry on a medium to medium-high flame till they are crisp and golden brown.

17. Serve Bread Pakora hot or warm.