By Aishwarya Sahasrabudhe
July 14, 2023
White and whole wheat bread has made its way into Indian cuisine as a much-loved core ingredient. Many recipes have been reimagined to use bread in desi ways for whipping up delicious sweet and savoury dishes. Here are 10 snacks and sweets made from bread with a desi twist.
Ground bread is added to a tempering of mustard, chilli powder and turmeric along with chopped onions to make the bread upma or chivda, a warm and wholesome snack for breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea.
Bread coated in besan batter and deep-fried until it is crispy golden brown, this is a popular snack to quench those afternoon hunger pangs!
Bread idli is made of round up slices of bread lightly toasted and garnished with a tempering of mustard and curry leaves for added flavour. Most times, this tasty snack is made to finish off leftover bread.
Pizza toppings like veggies, paneer, chicken and cheese are placed on an open slice that is lightly toasted or placed in the oven to mimic a classic pizza. Seasoned with oregano, chilli flakes and pepper, it is perfect for satisfying pizza cravings!
Stuffed with a spicy potato subzi and lathered in generous amounts of butter, the masala toast is a specialty of Mumbai's street food. This signature dish pairs potatoes cooked in Indian masalas with buttered toast to make a delicious sandwich.
Fermenting bread in yoghurt, this dosa is spread on a pan to acquire a soft middle and crispy edges. Ground bread is added to yoghurt and fermented using cooking soda to make the batter airy.
This deep-fried dish is made by stuffing potatoes into moist bread and rolling it into cylindrical shapes before deep frying.
An indulgent dessert made from bread fried in ghee and dipped in saffron and rose-flavoured milk, bread ka meetha is a decadent dish to satisfy sweet cravings. Dry fruits can be added to lend another layer of flavour to the dish.
Like a suji halwa, bread halwa is made by adding generous amounts of milk and ghee to fried bread. The mixture is cooked until it comes together and ghee starts oozing out. Fried cashews and raisins can be added to the halwa for a more luxe taste.
A desi twist on this dish is frying the bread instead of baking the pudding and adding dry fruits and chocolate milk along with spices like cinnamon and cardamom.