By: Rusham Verma, SFU Student

I’m sure there have been times when you’ve finished a class super late and did not have the energy to make a whole meal. However, this crispy, batter-lathen snack is a quick fix — it’s something that every student should know how to make! 

Bread pakoda (also known as bread pakora) is the perfect dish that will save you time and give you a tasty dinner, breakfast, or snack! This is a simple Indian recipe, especially popular in North India, that only requires you to have a stove and a deep pan that can be used for frying. 

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp chickpea flour (besan)
• White or whole wheat bread (4–6 slices)
• Salt (one teaspoon give-or-take) 
• Chilli powder (one teaspoon give-or-take) 
• 1 tbsp parsley
• Olive oil (around 1 cup, enough to deep-fry) 
• Water

Instructions:

1. Put 4 tbsp of chickpea flour into a bowl.
2. Put salt and chilli powder in the bowl as per your taste.
3. Put in 1 tbsp of parsley.  
4. Mix the flour, salt, chilli powder, and parsley well while slowly adding water.
5. Mix the ingredients until it turns into a batter-like consistency, but not too thin of one.
6. Take a deep pan that can be used to fry and fill it with oil. 
7. Heat the oil on medium.
8. When the oil is hot enough to fry, take a piece of bread and dip it in the batter.
9. Fully cover both sides of the bread with the batter. 
10. Carefully put the covered bread in the oil and put the stove on low. 
11. Fry one side for approximately five minutes and then flip the bread to the other side. You can alternate which side to fry depending on the colour. 
12. Take the bread out once it is golden brown.
13. Repeat the process with the other pieces of bread until the batter is finished.
14. ENJOY!

When they’re ready, eat them with your choice of dipping sauce. But, in my opinion, ketchup goes best with them!