Finally, rains have started receding in Pune and we have not witnessed any brief or long spell of showers for almost a week now. Like summers, monsoons too have lingered around exceeding their timelines by few weeks now.
Forecasts are predicting a harsh winters this time, something that I am looking forward to. I am a winter person and if I am asked to choose my favorite amongst different seasons, winter would top such list.
Food is the topmost reasons for my affection towards winter. Plethora of winter recipes are made in my kitchen during these months, something that I have carefully documented, earlier in my food-diary and now on my blog. I would urge you have look at a leisure pace through the winter-recipes playlist on this blog. Nothing could be as overwhelming as a feeling of cozy and warm food during winters. It not only satiates your food cravings but also helps you beat the nip in the air.
While it’s seems like too early to state that winter has really stepped in and early morning nippy air seems to be an effect of transient phase between monsoons and winter. However, the bright and pleasant winter mornings have prompted me to experiment with different recipes. Last week, we had sandwiches for our brunch and as it usually happens, we were left with half a dozen of white bread slices lying around in our refrigerator. A meal of sandwiches on consecutive days did not seem like an attractive proposition, bread-butter seemed too trivial, bread pakoda a little too elaborate for quick satiety.
It was then I was reminded of the close cousin of Bread Pakoda- Bread Bhajiya. A no-frill, less fancied version of Bread Pakoda- minus some ingredients (read potato).
Bread Bhajiya is a perfect recipe to have with some leftover bread slices. Soak the slices in a bowl of water and squeeze out any excess water. These soaked slices are mashed and mixed with a coarse spice mix (masala) of coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, green chilies, curry leaves. This mixture is further spiced with red chili powder, coriander powder and salt. A mixture of flour of Besan (gram flour) and rice flour are added to the batter. Shaped into small dumplings, Bhajiya is deep fried until it becomes light brown in color.
It must be served with some chutney, and a cup of hot tea.
Rejoice! Winters are here.
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3-4
- 6 White Bread Slices. You can also use Brown Bread Slices
- 3 Green Chilies
- 1 inch Ginger root
- 8-10 Garlic cloves
- 8-10 Curry Leaves
- ¼th Cup fresh coriander leaves
- 3-1/2 tbsp. Besan
- 1 tbsp. Rice flour
- ½ tsp. Red Chili Powder
- 1 tsp. Coriander Powder
- Salt to taste
- Cooking Oil
- We will make a green masala paste. In a grinder jar, put coriander leaves, Ginger, Garlic, Curry Leaves, and Green Chilies. Grind into a coarse paste. Do not use water for grinding. Keep the coarse paste aside.
- Take 2 bowls, one filled with water and other the empty one. Soak bread slices in water. Squeeze out the water and put the slices in another bowl. Repeat the process for all the Bread Slices.
- Mash the Bread Slices. Add Green masala paste, Red Chili Powder, Coriander Powder, Salt, Rice flour. Add just enough Besan that will help in binding and mix well.
- We have used 3-1/2 tbsp. Besan in this batter. Batter must be of spoon drop consistency. Meanwhile, heat Oil for frying.
- When Oil gets heated, reduce the heat and add Bhajiyas to it. Put small portions of batter. Fry 4-5 Bhajiyas at a time. Fry until it becomes light golden in color.
- Fry remaining Bhajiyas
- You can use leftover bread slices for this recipe. Bread Bhajiyas is a perfect recipe for your evening snack
Click here to watch recipe video
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