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What Is Bread Pakora?
This is a North Indian snack where bread slices are dipped into a chickpea flour (also known as gram flour or besan) batter made with Indian spices and cilantro, and then the bread is deep fried. In English, you could translate the dish’s name to “bread fritters.” Bread Pakora is the North Indian term for this snack, as I call it, but in South India this snack is referred to as "bread bajji”. This Potato-Stuffed version, also known as aloo bread pakoda, has the goodness of simple bread pakora with a delicious mashed potato stuffing! You know me, I love my potatoes!
Bread Pakora is a street food item but I’ve also had them at home back in India quite often. Confession time - this is the first time I’ve ever made it in Canada! Whoa! Almost ten years being here and I never made this ultimate snack for myself! I don’t know why not because honestly it’s really easy and IT’S SO GOOD! If you’ve never had it then your life is about to change!
If you follow me on Instagram then you saw me prepare simple pakoras for the first time! I was making them for my cookbook Restaurant to Home (coming very soon at the time of writing this), along with other types of pakoras. I was so hooked on that I had to make them again but with my favorite potato stuffing, which I’ll be sharing in this recipe!
This step by step recipe will show you how to make the spiced besan batter, how to make the potato filling, and how to deep fry your breads and assemble your pakoras. Be sure to check out the recipe video to fully grasp all the concepts of this potato bread pakora recipe! Also, please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already, and be sure to hit the bell button so you receive the notifications when the recipe videos go live. Let’s get cooking!
What Bread should I use for bread pakora?▼
I recommend you use a simple white bread. The whiter the better in this case! I recommend a generic white bread like Wonder Bread. An excuse to eat plain white bread, yay!
The reason you want to use white bread is because it won’t have any extra flavor that will compromise the flavors from the batter and stuffing, and white bread is very soft, so it will absorb the besan batter well. Furthermore, growing up, this was the traditional bread we used. You could technically use any bread you want, but I doubt that street-side vendors use whole wheat bread!
What potatoes should I use for the stuffing?▼
As with most of my potato recipes, I go for Yukon gold yellow potatoes. They are creamy on the inside and will give the best flavor for the stuffing for our aloo bread pakora.
How thick should my batter be?▼
The batter should be like a pancake batter or gravy. It should coat the back of the spoon but not be thick like a brownie batter, but you don’t want it too thin and watery. The thicker the batter is, the thicker the outer layer of the pakora will be, and you’ll have to cook the pakora longer.
what oil should I use to deep fry?▼
For this Aloo Bread Pakora recipe, I used canola oil to deep fry. However, I would also recommend vegetable oil, peanut oil, or ghee for frying.
How do I know The oil is ready?▼
The oil will be ready to deep fry when there is no smoke coming out. You’ll want to heat your oil on medium heat. The sandwich will just float in the oil.
How do I Avoid A Greasy Pakora?▼
Firstly, make sure that the oil is hot enough so that your pakora get evenly fried. Additionally, you want to ensure sure that the batter is not too thin or watery. Because the bread is spongy and if the batter is thin, the oil will penetrate through. You want to think of the batter as a protective covering for your bread.
Additional Tips to Master Aloo Bread Pakora
- Cut the tomatoes in quarters to add a rustic flair to the dish.
- Season the potato mixture while it cooks.
- If the potato mixture becomes dry, add a splash of water. You don’t want any browning in the mixture.
- Taste the potato mixture with some bread to see if it’s to your liking!
- You can also add lemon or lime juice to your potato mixture for an extra zest.
- Using a wok is convenient and safer since you can use the slope of the wok to slide the pakora to the hot oil.
- Wait until the oil is hot before frying to ensure your pakoras don’t absorb excess oil.
- Do a test pakora to see if it yields the desired results. If not, adjust the oil temperature or batter or cooking time as necessary.
- I recommend you serve these immediately for the ultimate crispiness and deliciousness!
Tools Needed
Ingredients for Aloo Bread Pakora
Let’s see what ingredients we’ll need for our Aloo Bread Pakora, including the ingredients for the potato filling, for the pakora batter, and for frying.
Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD that will include all ingredients and their quantities and the instructions! The recipe card is awesome because you can save the recipe for later, and the card allows you to scale the recipe based on how many pakora you plan on making! All the ingredients get automatically adjusted, so you don’t have to do any calculations or ratios - all the work is done for you in the recipe card!
For the Potato Filling
- Ghee
- Cumin seeds
- Hing
- Garlic
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Green chilies
- Ground coriander
- Garam masala
- Salt, to taste
- Cilantro
For the Batter
We’ll also need oil for frying the pakoras.
How to Make Amazing Potato-stuffed Bread Pakora
To Prepare the Potato Filling
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add in the cumin seeds and hing and when the cumin seeds start to change color and become aromatic, add in the garlic, chilies and onions.
Once onions start to caramelize and get some color, add in the tomatoes, mix well and add in coriander powder and garam masala. Season with salt, stir and cook until the tomatoes have softened.
Add in the potatoes and lightly mash with a potato masher or with the back of a spoon, mix well to combine with the masala. Adjust for seasoning to taste and garnish with cilantro.
To Prepare the Batter
In a large bowl, add the besan, cilantro, turmeric and salt. Whisk to combine. Slowly start adding in water to create a thick and smooth batter. The consistency should be smooth and pourable, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. It should not be pasty.
To Make the Pakoras
Heat peanut oil on medium heat. You can test if the oil is ready by dropping a bit of the batter in the oil. If it floats up right away and sizzles, it is ready. If it browns instantly, the oil is too hot.
Take a slice of bread and spread 3-4 Tbsp of the Potato Stuffing.
Add the top bread to make a sandwich and slice at a diagonal.
Dip the diagonal sandwich pieces in the batter, let any excess drip and carefully add to the hot oil.
Fry until aromatic, crisp outside. The color should darken a bit, but not be brown at all. Repeat the same with the remaining pieces.
Serve hot with your favorite condiments and enjoy!
Can I bake or air-fry my aloo Bread pakora?▼
I’ve seen other recipes that say that you can, but to be honest with you I wouldn’t. By definition, a pakora is a fried snack, and I think it’s enjoyed best prepared and cooked the traditional way. I feel that with the besan batter, it would be very messy to bake or air fry, and the taste and texture just won’t be as good as the classic frying method.
can I make aloo bread pakora ahead of time?▼
I would recommend you eat the Potato-Stuffed Pakora immediately piping hot! That’s the best way to have it! However, maybe you’re making them ahead of time for a big party, or you wanted to save some to enjoy the next day. That’s okay! I had extra to enjoy the following day too! So yes, you definitely can make these pakoras ahead of time!
Storing Leftover Potato-Stuffed Bread Pakora
To store, transfer into an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. Aloo-Stuffed Bread Pakora will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week. I wouldn’t recommend you freeze potato-stuffed bread pakora since it will turn into a soggy and mushy mess if you defrost it.
How to Reheat Bread Pakora▼
To reheat your bread pakoras, you could reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds to a minute, depending on how strong your microwave is. Simply reheat until the outside and inside are warm.
However, I find that the best reheating methods to keep the crispiness on the outside and the warm of that potato filling would be to either air fry or bake in the oven! To reheat in the air fryer, heat for about 2-3 minutes at 350 F. To reheat in the oven, also set your oven to 350 F and heat for about 5 to 10 minutes.
In my opinion, the air fryer would definitely be the best method because the air fryer doesn’t require preheating, and you will get an even temperature on the outside and inside in no time! However, if you don’t own an air fryer, then my recommendation would be to reheat in the oven if you have the time to do so. Of course, if you have oil on hand, alternatively you could re-fry the bread pakora.
Serving Suggestions
A winning combination with Potato-Stuffed Bread Pakora is to enjoy with chutney! My go-to chutney for my favorite snacks is my Cilantro-Mint Chutney, but I’ve also enjoyed these pakoras with Sweet & Tangy Tamarind Chutney. Other awesome condiments for dipping the pakoras in include ketchup, hot sauce of your choice, and sour cream. It’s common to serve bread pakoras with chai on a rainy day, but if you’re looking for a refreshing sweet contrast, then I would totally recommend you pair these pakoras with a sweet Mango Lassi!
OTHER SNACK RECIPES!
- Aloo Patties - Potato Stuffed in Puff Pastry
- Paneer Patties - Indian Cottage Cheese in Puff Pastry
- Aloo Samosas
- Indian-Style Spicy Chili Corn
- Crispy Chicken Pakora
- Baked Paneer Jalfrezi Samosa
- Air Fryer Chicken Samosa
Getting the Besan Batter Right
The batter is where bread pakora is won or lost, and it comes down to consistency rather than ingredients. You are working with 1 1/2 cup besan, 1/2 tsp of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 cup of chopped coriander leaves, and then water added a little at a time. The target the recipe gives is exact and worth quoting: smooth and pourable, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and not pasty. A thick batter that sits in a lump will not cook through before the outside colors; a thin one slides off the bread and leaves bald patches.
Add the water in splashes rather than pouring, and whisk between each one. Besan absorbs slowly, so a batter that looks right immediately often tightens a minute later — if you overshoot, a couple of tablespoons more besan brings the batter consistency back without changing the seasoning much. Whisking also matters for lift: besan batters trap air when beaten, and that air is what keeps the coating light rather than dense.
A few things are deliberately not in here, and they are the usual ones people ask about. There is no baking soda, which some recipes add for puff — this batter relies on whisking instead. There is no carom seeds, the ajwain that often goes into besan batters for its sharp thyme-like note and its reputation for making fried food easier to digest; a pinch is a genuine improvement if you have it. And there is no red chilli powder in the batter at all, so the heat is entirely up to you: a 1/4 teaspoon of red chili powder in the besan, or a finely chopped green chilli worked into the potato masala, is the usual way to lift it. If you want a noticeably crunchier shell, swap 2 tablespoons of the besan for rice flour.
Frying Them Properly
Heat the oil on a medium flame and test it before the first piece goes in. Drop in a little of the batter: if it floats up straight away and sizzles, the oil is ready; if it browns instantly, the oil is too hot and the bread will scorch before the besan sets. Too cool and the bread drinks oil, which is what makes a heavy, greasy pakora.
Spread 3 to 4 tablespoons of the potato masala onto a slice of white bread, top with a second slice, and cut the sandwich diagonally before it goes anywhere near the batter — the triangles are easier to coat evenly and easier to turn. Dip each piece, let the excess drip off for a second, and lower it in carefully.
Now the part that differs from most recipes: you are not going for a deep golden brown. This one asks for the color to darken a bit but not to brown at all, and to pull them out once they are aromatic and crisp. Bread browns much faster than a vegetable fritter would, so the usual golden brown cue overshoots here and gives you a bitter crust. Work in batches so the oil temperature does not crash, and drain them on paper towels.
Serve them hot. This is a tea-time snack first and foremost, and a plate of them with a cup of tea on a wet afternoon is the whole point. Tomato ketchup is the standard accompaniment and the one kids reach for; a green chutney or a tamarind chutney is the more traditional pairing. If you want to stretch the stuffing further, finely diced carrots cooked in with the potato work well and add a bit of sweetness. Each pakora comes in at about 268 calories with 12 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber, which is more substantial than most deep-fried snacks, and the recipe makes 8.
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Crispy, golden Aloo Bread Pakora packed with spiced potato filling — the ultimate Indian street food snack made easy at home. Perfect for vegetarians craving bold flavor!
Deep-fried
Rate this recipe ✦
25 min
Prep
12 min
Cook
37 min
Total
8
pakoras
medium
Level
Ingredients
Ingredients
Tap any quantity to scale
For the besan batter
For the potato stuffing
- (22.5 ml) Ghee · make your ownShop →
- (3 g) cumin seedsShop →
- hingShop →
- (4 g) garlic(minced)
- medium potatoes (steamed or boiled) · make your own
- medium tomato(quartered)Shop →
- (3 g) ground corianderShop →
- (3 g) Garam masalaShop →
- salt(to taste)Shop →
- cilantro(to garnish)
- white bread(as needed)
Instructions
For the potato stuffing
- 1
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add in the cumin seeds and hing and when the cumin seeds start to change color and become aromatic, add in the garlic, chilies and onions.
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add in the cumin seeds and hing and when the cumin seeds start to change color and become aromatic, add in the garlic, chilies and onions.
Learn the technique - 2
Once the onions start to caramelize and get some color, add in the tomatoes, mix well and add in coriander powder and garam masala. Season with salt, stir and cook until the tomatoes have softened.
Once the onions start to caramelize and get some color, add in the tomatoes, mix well and add in coriander powder and garam masala. Season with salt, stir and cook until the tomatoes have softened.
- 3
Add in the potatoes and lightly mash with a potato masher or with the back of a spoon, mix well to combine with the masala.
Add in the potatoes and lightly mash with a potato masher or with the back of a spoon, mix well to combine with the masala.
- 4
Adjust for seasoning to taste and garnish with cilantro.
Adjust for seasoning to taste and garnish with cilantro.
For the Besan batter
- 1
In a large bowl, add the besan, cilantro, turmeric and salt. Whisk to combine.
In a large bowl, add the besan, cilantro, turmeric and salt. Whisk to combine.
- 2
Slowly start adding water to create a thick and smooth batter. The consistency should be smooth and pourable, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. It should not be pasty.
Slowly start adding water to create a thick and smooth batter. The consistency should be smooth and pourable, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. It should not be pasty.
For the Pakoras
- 1
Heat peanut oil on medium heat. You can test if the oil is ready by dropping a bit of the batter in the oil. If it floats up right away and sizzles, it is ready. If it browns instantly, the oil is too hot.
Heat peanut oil on medium heat. You can test if the oil is ready by dropping a bit of the batter in the oil. If it floats up right away and sizzles, it is ready. If it browns instantly, the oil is too hot.
- 2
Take a slice of bread and spread 3–4 tbsp of the Potato Stuffing. Add the top bread to make a sandwich and slice at a diagonal.
Take a slice of bread and spread 3–4 tbsp of the Potato Stuffing. Add the top bread to make a sandwich and slice at a diagonal.
- 3
Dip the diagonal sandwich pieces in the batter, let any excess drip and carefully add to the hot oil.
Dip the diagonal sandwich pieces in the batter, let any excess drip and carefully add to the hot oil.
- 4
Fry until aromatic and crisp outside. The color should darken a bit, but not be brown at all. Repeat the same with the remaining pieces.
Fry until aromatic and crisp outside. The color should darken a bit, but not be brown at all. Repeat the same with the remaining pieces.
- 5
Serve hot with your favorite condiment.
Serve hot with your favorite condiment.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi
Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Recipe history
- April 16, 2026 — Reworked and refreshed for the 2026 relaunch — new photography, restructured and standardized ingredients & instructions.
Filed under
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