Bread Pakoras

Resuming blogging after my so called hiatus presented me with a big setback ...Food Blog Desam wasn't updating anymore. You cannot imagine the panic mode that set in...afterall it was through Food Blog Desam that my blog had come out of total anonymity. Thankfully, Taste Of India came up and Sailu arrived like a welcome shower in a summer month. Sailu, thanks a ton !!! ( I Don't know if she'll ever read this, but whomsoever does please pass this on to her :D)

Coming to Bread Pakoras, they used to be the ever favorite snack in my school canteen when I was growing up and I used to really relish eating them. Infact after passing out from school, they were the only thing I missed, more so for I moved to Maharashtra where Wada Pav was more readily available. Over a period of time, I switched loyalties from Bread Pakora to Wada Pav and then to McDonald's Burger.

One fine Sunday morning I had some time on hand, everyone else at home was sleeping and I thought of making this for Breakfast. It felt good to dig my teeth into one of these after a decade.

For those who have never tasted it, you surely have missed something.

Ingredients:
Bread Slices - 6-8
Potatoes, mashed - 2
Red Chilli Powder - 3 tsp
Cheese, Grated - 20 gm ( 1/2 Cup)
Black Pepper Powder - 1 Tsp
Tomato Ketchup - 3 Tblsp
Mint Chutney - 3 Tblsp
Gram Flour - 1 Cup
Salt - To Taste
Oil - For Deep Frying

Method:
Pre-Preparation:
1. Make a batter by mixing gram flour, salt, 2 tsp red chilli powder and water.Ensure there are no lumps.
2. Mix mashed potatoes, grated cheese, remaining red chilli powder, black pepper and salt.

Preparation:
1. Take two bread slices. On one side of one bread slice, apply a little tomato ketchup and spread to coat the side.
2. Layer the mashed potato mixture on the slice evenly.
3. Take the other bread slice and apply mint chutney on it. Spread.
4. Cover the Bread slices such that the Potato mixture in stuffed between the two slices and the tomato and mint spreads hold the breads and potato mix together.
5. Cut the sandwich diagonally into triangles.
6. Repeat for the other slices.
7. Heat Oil in a wok.
8. Dip the sandwiches into the gram flour batter to coat evenly and fry in oil.
9. Remove with slotted spoon.
10. Drain on absorbent kitchen tissue.
11. Serve Hot with Tea and chutney.

Note: Please do not soak in batter for long, else the bread will soak the water in the batter and become soggy and break.

Addendum: This happens to be my entry to the Potato Fe(a)st hosted at Culinary Bazaar. You can read about it here.

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There's always Room for Mush :)

Its almost been a month, since I posted something on this blog. Fatherhood ( our second born), pressures at work (year end closing) and simply plain laziness has been the reasons that have kept me away for so long. This does not, though, mean that I have also stayed away from the kitchen. All along, I have been trying out something or the other and saving it away.

Having said that, I like to begin my first post of the year with a Kashmiri delicacy, that my wife learnt from one of her friends. Its easy to make and tastes real good. I have in turn learnt it from her and it has become atleast once in a fortnight regulars at our household.
Kashmiri cuisine has always been underrated in this country. Though the region gives us some distinct food ingredients like saffron, the red chillies that add color to the dishes without making them too spicy, fruits like plum, apricot, apples and dry fruits like almonds & walnuts, we as a nation are totally ignorant to the rich and mildly flavored cuisine from this region.
Having lived there for 2 years of my life and admired the beauty of the land alongwith the cuisine, must say, the food is addictive. Who can not fall in love with the Gushtaba, the Roganjosh ( by the way the one available at most restaurants is a bad copy), Dum Aloos and Pulaos.

Ingredients:
Mushrooms - 200 gms
Cumin Seeds - 5 gm
Onion, finely chopped - 1
Red Chilli Powder - 1 Tsp
Fennel Powder - 2 Tsp
Yoghurt, whisked - 2 Cups
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 2 Tblsp

Method:
1. Take the mushrooms in a sieve and rub them with cornflour. Wash them nicely. The cornflour will take the dirt out of the mushrooms.
2. Quarter them and keep them aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan.
4. Add in the cumin seeds and let them crackle.
5. Add in the onions. Fry till they turn translucent.
6. Add in the mushrooms and fry for 5 minutes or till they leave water.
7. Add in the Fennel Powder,salt and Red Chilli Powder.
8. Add in the whisked yoghurt and cook on medium flame for 5 minutes.
9. Serve Hot.

P.S. :
1.Srivalli thanks for the chat and firing me up to get over the laziness and post something.

2. Obviously the post title is not directed at Gen. Musharraf :)) ...( though we might want many to believe that).

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