Bread Pakora Recipe
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Rain on the window, a cup of masala chai in your hand, and a plate of golden, crackling bread pakora on the side. That was a monsoon Sunday evening in my mom’s Indian home. This bread pakora recipe gives you that same chaiwala-stall crunch right in your kitchen, with a soft, spiced potato filling tucked between two slices of bread and a chickpea-flour batter that fries up shatteringly crisp.
I’ve tested this recipe more times than I can count, and today I’m sharing every tip, every fix, and every shortcut I’ve learned along the way.
Table of Contents
What Is Bread Pakora?
Bread pakora is a popular Indian street food snack made by dipping bread slices in a spiced chickpea flour (besan) batter and deep-frying them until golden and crisp.
Vendors sell it at chai stalls across North India, where it goes by names like bread bhajiya, bread bajji, or aloo bread pakoda.
Two main styles exist. The plain version uses just bread and batter. The stuffed version, popular in Delhi, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, contains a mashed potato filling. This recipe covers the stuffed version because that is the one chai stalls are famous for.
Ingredients
For The Potato Filling
- Boiled potatoes – Russet or yellow potatoes work best.
- Spices – You will need cumin seeds, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red haldi powder, salt, garam masala, and dry mango powder (amchoor).
- Oil – Use any cooking oil.
- Fresh Ingredients – You will need green chilies, cilantro (fresh coriander), and ginger.
For The Besan Batter
- Flour – I like to use a mix of besan (chickpea flour and gram flour) and rice flour. A little rice flour gives the bread pakoras an extra-crispy texture.
- Baking Soda – It makes the pakoras crispy and light.
- Lime Juice – It gives a slight tang to the crust.
- Others – You will need green chilies, cilantro (fresh coriander), carom seeds (ajwain), turmeric powder, asafetida, salt, and water.
Other
- Sandwich bread slices – white, brown, or whole wheat all work. Day-old bread fries better than fresh, soft bread. The slices hold their shape and soak up less oil.
- Neutral oil – For frying
How To Make Bread Pakora
Make The Potato Filling
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
Toss in the 2 teaspoons of finely chopped green chilies and 1 teaspoon of grated ginger, and cook for 20 seconds.
Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, and 3 medium boiled and mashed potatoes. Mix well.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon amchoor, and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Stir for one minute. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool.
The filling should be dry, not pasty. Wet filling will leak into the batter. If your potatoes feel sticky, cook the mixture a little longer to dry it out.
Prepare The Besan Batter
In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup besan, 2 tablespoons rice flour, ¼ teaspoon carom seeds, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, ¼ teaspoon hing, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons lime juice, 1 teapoon finely chopped green chilies, 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Slowly pour in water while whisking. Aim for a lump-free batter that coats the back of a spoon but still drips off. Think pancake batter, not paste. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes. This step makes the coating crispier.
Stuff The Bread
Trim the crusts off the bread slices if you like (optional, but classic).
Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the potato filling on one slice. Press lightly. Top with a second slice. Press the edges to seal. Cut diagonally into two triangles. Repeat for all slices. You should have 8 stuffed triangles.
Heat The Oil
Pour 3 cups of neutral oil into a deep pan or kadai. You want enough oil so the pakoras float freely without touching the bottom, about 2 inches deep. Heat over medium flame. To test the temperature, drop a tiny bit of batter into the oil. It should rise to the surface within 3 to 4 seconds without browning instantly. That is the sweet spot.
Dip And Fry
Hold a stuffed triangle by one corner. Dip it fully into the batter. Let the excess drip off for a second.
Slide it gently into the hot oil. Fry 2 to 3 pieces at a time. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Fry on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp. Lift with a slotted spoon. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Serve hot.
Variations
- Plain Bread Pakora: Skip the filling. Just dip slices in batter and fry. Great for quick tea-time snacking.
- Cheese Bread Pakora: Add a layer of grated mozzarella or Amul cheese, or a slice of cheese, on top of the potato filling.
- Paneer Bread Pakora: Replace potato with crumbled, spiced paneer.
- Aloo Tikki Style: Use leftover aloo tikki mixture as the stuffing for extra texture.
- Egg bread pakora – Use grated boiled eggs in place of potatoes.
Bread Pakora FAQs
There could be three usual culprits. The oil was not hot enough, the batter was too thin, or you used very fresh, soft bread. Fix all three, and you get crisp pakoras every time.
Yes, but the texture changes. Keep the stuffed, batter-dipped triangles on a baking sheet in a single layer. Brush with oil, then bake at 400°F for 18 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. The crust will be crisp but less lacy than the fried version.
Yes, you can. Arrange the batter-dipped triangles in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Brush or spray with oil. Air-fry at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. This version is lighter, but less crisp.
Serving Suggestions
Bread pakora is best served with green chutney, tamarind chutney, and tomato ketchup. A cup of masala chai on the side makes the entire experience top-notch.
Storage Suggestions
Bread pakora tastes best when served right, but if you have some leftover, then store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Reheat in an air fryer at 350°F for 4 to 5 minutes, or in a 375°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Both bring back the crunch. Skip the microwave, as it makes them rubbery.
Other Pakora Recipes We Recommend
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Bread Pakora Recipe
Ingredients
For The Filling
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped green chilies
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 3 medium boiled potatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchoor)
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)
For The Besan Batter
- 1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
- 2 tablespoons rice flour
- ¼ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- ⅕ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Others
- 8 bread slices
- 3 cups neutral oil (for frying)
Instructions
Make The Filling
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Toss in the chopped green chilies and grated ginger and cook for 20 seconds.
- Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and the mashed potatoes. Mix well.
- Sprinkle salt, garam masala, amchur, and chopped cilantro. Stir for one minute. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool.
Prepare The Batter
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together besan, rice flour, carom seeds, turmeric, hing, baking soda, lime juice, green chilies, cilantro, and salt.
- Slowly pour in water while whisking. Aim for a lump-free batter that coats the back of a spoon but still drips off. Think pancake batter, not paste. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes. This step makes the coating crispier.
Stuff The Bread
- Trim the crusts off the bread slices if you like (optional, but classic).
- Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the potato filling on one slice. Press lightly. Top with a second slice. Press the edges to seal. Cut diagonally into two triangles. Repeat for all slices. You should have 8 stuffed triangles.
Heat The Oil
- Pour oil into a deep pan or kadai. You want enough oil so the pakoras float freely without touching the bottom, about 2 inches deep. Heat over medium flame. To test the temperature, drop a tiny bit of batter into the oil. It should rise to the surface within 3 to 4 seconds without browning instantly. That is the sweet spot.
Dip And Fry
- Hold a stuffed triangle by one corner. Dip it fully into the batter. Let the excess drip off for a second.
- Slide it gently into the hot oil. Fry 2 to 3 pieces at a time. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Fry on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp. Lift with a slotted spoon. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Serve hot.
the photo of the bowl with ingredients for the batter has a lot of white powder on top of the yellow besan flour – this does not appear in your ingredients list
can you kindly clarify what the white flour is? I am guessing rice or cornflour
Hi Vineeta, I just updated the text. I tried the recipe with both rice flour and without it and liked the texture of the only besan one better. Have mentioned it in the steps.