Bread Pakora Recipe (Bread Pakoda)
Recipe: https://recipestripper.com/recipes/8dfe4b9e-e656-4394-b238-ee4476bb3128
Original source: https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/bread-pakora/
Recipe image: https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bread-pakora-recipe.jpg

Bread Pakora is a popular North Indian street food snack or an evening snack made by dipping bread slices, often stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes, in a seasoned gram flour batter and deep-frying until crispy and golden. Crunchy on the outside and soft inside, this delicious tea-time treat is served hot with chutneys and a cup of chai.
Yield: 3
Prep time: PT25M
Cook time: PT40M
Total time: PT65M

Ingredients
- 2 medium or 1 large or 175 grams  potatoes
- 1 teaspoon green chillies (- chopped or swap with serrano peppers)
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves (- chopped (cilantro))
- 2 teaspoons mint leaves (- chopped, optional)
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper)
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon dry mango powder ((amchur powder) or add as required)
- salt (as required)
- 1 cup (100 to 110 grams)  besan ((gram flour))
- ½  teaspoon  carom seeds ((ajwain) - skip if you do not have)
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper)
- 1 to 2 pinches turmeric powder (- optional)
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing))
- 1 to 2 pinches baking soda (- optional)
- ½ to ⅔ cup water (or add as required)
- salt (as required)
- 4 to 5  whole wheat bread (slices or brown bread or white bread)
- oil (for deep frying - as required)

Instructions
1. [Making potato stuffing] Boil or steam the potatoes in a stovetop pressure cooker or a steamer, adding water as needed, until they are softened and fork tender.
2. [Making potato stuffing] When the potatoes becomes warm, then peel them. Grate and keep aside. You can also mash the potatoes and keep aside.
3. [Making potato stuffing] Add the chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chillies, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, dry mango powder, salt to the grated potatoes.
4. [Making potato stuffing] Mix the spices & herbs very well with the mashed potatoes. Check the seasonings and adjust accordingly. Set the mashed potato stuffing aside.
5. [Making Batter] In a bowl, take the besan (gram flour), carom seeds, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, asafoetida, baking soda (optional) and salt.
6. [Making Batter] Add about ½ cup of water and mix thoroughly to make a smooth batter without any lumps.
7. [Making Batter] The batter should not be very thick nor too thin. If it is too thick, then add more water.
8. [Making Batter] Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of hot oil when you keep the oil for deep frying in the batter. Mix well. Next, whisk briskly non-stop for 1 to 2 minutes to incorporate some air into the  batter.
9. [Assembling] On the chopping board, slice the bread into triangle or rectangle slices.
10. [Assembling] Take around 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mashed potato mixture and spread it on the bread evenly.
11. [Assembling] Cover this potato stuffed slice with another slice. You now have a triangular bread sandwich. Just slightly press the sandwich.
12. [Assembling] Take the entire sandwich in your hand and dip it in the gram flour batter.
13. [Assembling] 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 the gram flour batter as the bread can become soggy and fall apart.
14. [Frying] By now, your oil is hot and you can easily slid the besan batter coated bread sandwich in the oil.
15. [Frying] Fry on a medium heat till the bread pakora are crispy and golden.
16. [Frying] Place them on kitchen paper towels so that excess oil is absorbed.
17. [Frying] Serve bread pakoda hot or warm with tomato ketchup or with any green chutney of your choice, or even sweet tamarind chutney.
18. [Frying] Enjoy the bread pakora with a cup of indian ginger chai or masala chai.