I hardly know anyone who doesn’t love these gram-flour coated bread sandwich wonders. I do know a lot of them who just satisfy themselves with a bite of it or sometimes just looking at it cause they are too health conscious to have this deep fried snack.
Not anymore ! Here is a healthier version. Smile and enjoy guilt-free now.
How healthy is it? We are using
brown bread instead of white
griddle fried instead of deep frying
potatoes with skin instead of peeled
3 tbsp oil instead of 1 cup
If you want in healthier, use cauliflower, broccoli, cottage cheese or any healthier option for the filling. Just cut them very fine and sauté them with the onions.Let's wear that apron and get started.
Preparation time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 5 minutes
course : snack
serves : 2
Bread slices - 2
Potato - 1 small
Bread slices - 24 cup
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp
mint leaves - 1 tbsp
cumin seeds - ½ tsp
Onion - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
green chillies - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
carom seeds - ¼ tsp
asafoetida - ¼ tsp
Baking soda - 1 pinch
Water - 1/8 cup
Green chutney - 2 tsp
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Oi l - 3 tbsp
Boil and mash potatoes - We are trying to make it as healthy as possible. So let’s not bother to peel the potatoes. Wash them well in salt water. This cleans them thoroughly.Just cut the potato into 4 quarters and boil with enough water to cover all the pieces till it is cooked well. You may check by inserting a knife/skewer. Take out and mash to a smooth paste. You may also use a mixer/blender or grater for this or simply mash with a spoon.
If you aren’t comfortable with the peel, do not peel them using a peeler. You may just scrape them roughly with a knife .
In the meanwhile, finely chop the onion, chillies and coriander leaves.
Heat 1 tsp oil and splutter cumin seeds.
Toss is the onion and sauté , sprinkle ½ tsp salt.
When the onion is cooked, add chilli powder, ½ tsp ginger paste,2 tbsp coriander leaves, mint leaves and saute well.
Now add in the mashed potato. You just need to combine the mashed potato with the rest as the potato is already cooked.
Set it aside to cool.
While it is cooling, you may get your batter ready.
Take gram flour, add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, carom seeds, asafoetida, 1 tbsp coriander leaves and make a smooth paste adding a little water at a time. This is to avoid lumps in the batter.
Please chop the coriander leaves finer than I have done. I shall remember to do so myself next time .
1/8 cup water would be ideal but if the batter looks too thick by the time you are ready to dip the bread slices, you may add a little more water . Once the batter is ready put a pinch of baking soda and give a good mix.
Take two slices of bread. I’m using brown bread here. Spread one spoon each of green chutney on both the slices. What if you don’t have the chutney? Just avoid this step. Or spread tomato ketchup. Just one spoon whichever you are using and more of it will make the bread soggy and difficult to handle.
Spread a good two to three teaspoons of the potato filling on one slice over the chutney.
Close it with the other slice, chutney side down.
Cut them into 2 diagonally. You will now have two triangular sandwiches. This is how a traditional bread pakora is shaped.
Heat a frying pan , drizzle in a tbsp oil. Dip each sandwich in the batter, griddle fry them on both sides on sim-medium flame.
Flip and fry on the other side.Pour in the remaining 1 spoon of oil and toast them well.
With the help of a tong or a spatula and spoon , fry the edges or they remain under cooked as we are using very little oil.
They are ready to relish.
(As we are not deep frying them, you may cut the pieces further into two so that you have 4 mini triangles. They get fried well and faster.)
Try whichever you prefer. If you want to try both, the stuffing will suffice. Just double the quantity of gram flour and water for the batter and adjust salt accordingly.
Enjoy healthy cooking :)
Stay fit !
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