The Monsoon Special Bread Pattice

Monsoons in Pune are so refreshing. They come after 4 months of hot and dry summer. It is so romantic when it rains for the first time. The smell of the soil when the rain drops hit the sun baked earth is something we cannot try to describe in words. It is something to experience, feel and take in. The temperatures dip so fast that suddenly you feel this urge to have a piping hot cup of tea with a hint of ginger and something really hot to go with it. Typically the Punekars enjoy the kanda bhaji or wada paav!! Hot tea served with wada paav and rains pouring outside is a guaranteed recipe to attain nirvana for the food lovers.

Dishes like kanda bhaji, pakoras, wada paav are very tasty but extremely oily. All of them are deep fried to get that crunchy crust outside. So we thought that we should come up with a less oily subsitute for these dishes but at the same time something that retains its taste. Remember, we want nirvana for the food lovers.

Bread Pattice is no exception, traditionally, bread pattice is deep fried. Imagine the amount of oil the bread can soak when deep fried, when you try to bite into it, the oil oozes out leaving your lips smacking 😉

We tried to keep everything as is and change the way bread pattice is cooked. Instead of deep frying the bread we simply pan fry them. It consumes only 2 to 3 percent of oil that you would have to use for making it the traditional way and voila, there is no change in the taste at all.

Recipe for the bread pattice:

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

1. Bread Slices 8

Ingredients for the batter:

1. Gram flour

2. Ajwain

3. Red Chilly powder

4. Salt.

5. Chopped coriander

Ingredients for the filling:

1. Boiled potatoes 1

2. Chillies 2

3. Garlic clove 1

4. Curry leaves

5. Turmeric

Ingredients for Garnishing (optional):

1. Chopped onion 1

2. Chopped coriander

3. Shev

4. Home made Tamarind Chutney or you can get the ready made packet.

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Filling:

1. Mash the boiled potatoes

2. Heat oil in a small wok, add mustard seeds, ground chilli-garlic paste to it along with some curry leaves, turmeric

3. Add the tadka to mashed potatoes and add salt to taste. Mix well

4. Remove the curry leaves

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Batter:

Take Gram Flour and salt to taste, pinch of baking soda, ajwain and chilli powder.

Stir and add water till the gram flour becomes porridgey.

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Making the pattice:

Heat the pan with some oil

Take two slices of bread, add the stuffing between the two slices.

Make sure it is not overly stuffed till the edges.

Dip the bread in the batter both ways

Now pan fry the bread and wait till the batter is well cooked from both the sides.

Once the pattice is ready, cut diagonal slits to the upper bread

Add a bit of tamarind sauce

Garnish it with chopped onions and corriander