A healthy twist to bread pakora - without bread and NO frying, courtesy chef Kunal Kapur

Do you love snacking on fried foods, but STOP yourself from piling on the unnecessary calories? Well, you don’t need to experience any more guilt. Want to know what we’re talking about? 

First of all, guess the name of the most popular homemade snack? Yes ladies, the undisputed king of snacks is none other than the crispy and delicious bread pakora. Bread pakora is quite easy to make, plus its spicy and tangy taste is sure to make your mouth water!  

Traditionally, bread pakora is fried, but for this recipe, we will prepare a bread pakora without bread and without frying! Yes, you heard it right. 

Recently, celebrity chef Kunal Kapur, who is widely followed on Instagram, shared a unique bread pakora recipe that requires NO bread. Plus, this recipe is gluten-free.

Wonder what gluten-free food can do for you?

Gluten is a family of storage proteins that are found in some of the most commonly used cereals such as wheat, rye, and barley. Certain people don’t tolerate the presence of gluten in their diet too well. In fact, gluten intolerance can have a variety of symptoms such as diarrhoea, bloating, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, and weight management issues. 

And if we talk about the benefits of gluten-free food, you should know that a gluten-free diet can provide many health benefits, especially for those with celiac disease (autoimmune disorder). It may help ease digestive symptoms, reduce chronic inflammation, boost energy and promote weight loss. So, if you are someone who is intolerant to gluten, this recipe is for you as well.

Here’s what chef Kunal’s caption reads, “If you love bread pakora but are bored with that same oily version, then this recipe is for you. Bread pakora without bread – an instant, healthy and gluten-free recipe. So are you gonna give it a try?

Check out the Instagram post for yourself:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kunal Kapur (@chefkunal)

Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are:

2 cups besan (gram flour)

1 tsp cumin

To taste salt

¼ cup onion, chopped

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp green chilli, chopped

Handful coriander, chopped

2 tsp ginger, chopped

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp kasoori methi powder

1tsp chaat masala

1 tsp roasted cumin powder

½ cup curd

1½ cup (approx) water

1½ tsp baking soda or ENO

A dash of oil

Preparation for sandwich:

Step 1: To make the sandwich, mix together besan, cumin, salt, onions, chilli powder, green chillies, coriander, ginger, turmeric, kasoori methi, chaat masala, cumin powder, curd and water. Make it into a thick batter.

Step 2: Heat the sandwich maker and drizzle some oil on both sides.

Step 3: At this stage, add baking soda or Eno into the batter and mix it gently in one direction. 

bread pakora without bread
This bread pakora is the perfect monsoon snack that balances health with taste. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Step 4: Give rest for a minute and then pour the batter into the sandwich maker. 

Step 5: Spread the batter evenly to cover the entire area. Close it and let it cook for 7-10 minutes, or till it gets a light brown color on the outside. 

Step 6: Remove, cut from the centre, and serve it hot with chutney.

No bread pakora is complete without chutney, right? Well, chef Kapur also shared the recipe for the delicious chutney. Here it is: 

Dhaniya tamatar chutney
Ingredients you’ll need:

A small bunch of fresh coriander

4 medium tomatoes

½ tsp black salt

Salt to taste

A small piece of ginger, chopped

4 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp cumin

A pinch sugar

1 green chili

Handful mint leaves

bread pakora without bread
Prepare this chutney recipe from the comfort of your home. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Preparation for the chutney:

Step 1: Mix together all the ingredients in a blender, and grind it to a paste. 

Step 2: Put it in a bowl, adjust seasoning if required, and serve. 

Make sure the chutney is served cold. It can be refrigerated for up to three days and used.