Everyone in the family loves a bread pakora! How about making it healthy for your loved ones next time? Try our healthier and tasty version of bread pakora which is shallow fried instead of deep fried and includes healthy ingredients like spinach, paneer, curry leaves and sesame seeds.
Ingredients:
For the filling:
4 medium size boiled potatoes
½ katori peas
5-6 curry leaves
A pinch of hing
A small green chilli
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cumin seeds powder
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp amchur powder
1 tbsp ghee
Handful of coriander leaves
Salt as per taste
For pakora batter:
1 katori gram flour (besan)
1 katori or 100gm palak
½ tsp ajwain seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp red chilli powder
Salt as per taste
Other ingredients:
10 pieces of whole grain wheat bread
A block of paneer (around 200gm)
Serving: 5 Bread Pakora
Nutrition Value (per serving):
Energy: 447 kcal
Protein: 21 gm
Carbs: 47 gm
Fats: 19 gm
Fibre: 7 gm
Method:
Steps to make the filling:
Peel the boiled potatoes and mash them.
Boil peas separately till they become soft.
Take a pan and heat 1 tbsp oil in it.
Once oil is heated up, add hing, curry leaves, green chilli and cumin seeds.
When cumin seeds splutter, lower the flame and add coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin seeds powder, sesame seeds, garam masala and amchur powder.
Give a quick stir to the spices’ mixture to make sure it does not burn.
Add mashed potatoes and boiled peas into the pan.
Add salt and mix everything well.
Sprinkle coriander leaves over the filling
Let this filling rest so that it cools down.
Steps to make pakora batter:
Take gram flour in a container.
Blanche spinach by putting it in hot boiling water for 30-40 seconds, and then quickly transferring it to chilled water. Strain the water from the spinach.
Grind spinach in a grinder till it turns into smooth paste.
Add spinach paste into gram flour.
Add cumin seeds, ajwain seeds, red chilli powder and salt to the gram flour mixture.
Add ½ katori water and mix well so that batter reaches medium thick consistency.
Steps to make bread pakora:
Take two slice of whole wheat bread.
Cut the paneer into thin slices.
Spread the filling on one slice and place a paneer slice over it. Place another bread slice to cover it.
Cut this bread pakora into two equal halves.
Take a pan and put some oil in it for shallow frying.
Coat pakora with spinach-besan batter and place it in the heated pan.
Shallow fry pakora from both the sides. Also toss and turn at the edges so that the sides also get toasted properly.
Once pakora is ready sprinkle some sesame seeds over it and serve it with tamarind and mint chutney.
Know Your Ingredients
Gram Flour
Gram flour, also known as besan, is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. It contains various B vitamins which help in conversion of protein, carbohydrates and fats into energy. It has high protein and iron content: 100 gm of besan has almost 20 gm of protein and provides 25% of daily iron requirement. The insoluble fibre present in besan reduces chances of constipation and promotes regular and healthy bowl movement. Besan is high in folate or folic acid, which helps in rapid growth and multiplication of red blood cells and white blood cells.
Spinach
Spinach is a superfood because of its high nutritive value. It is a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, iron and calcium. Spinach is low in carbs but high in insoluble fiber. This type of fiber helps in digestion. Spinach has a host of benefits. It can reduce oxidative stress, promote eye health, fight cancer and regulate blood pressure.
Cottage Cheese (Paneer)
Paneer is an excellent source of protein and contains relatively few calories. 100 gm of paneer has almost 18 gm of protein. Paneer is also rich in calcium, which is good for strong teeth and bones. It is also packed with other nutrients, such as B vitamins, phosphorus, and selenium.
Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds are a good source of healthy fats, protein, B vitamins, minerals, fiber, and rich in various antioxidants. They are high in magnesium which helps in lowering blood pressure.