Thursday, December 15, 2022

Bread- Poha- Rava Bhakri.


“Bread- Poha- Rava Bhakri” … it is always interesting and challenging to crack brains on what best can be done out of those otherwise getting wasted end slices of the bread loaf … I often end up preparing rava bhakri or coating as bread crumbs for cutlets etc. … this time tried out the same rava bhakri but with inclusion of beaten rice/ povu and it was fantastic … I have used brown bread and red poha (beaten rice) here to get these soft within, crispy textured bhakri's … I served it with coriander coconut chutney, homemade loni (butter) and ginger tea for breakfast along with some fresh papaya pieces … Yummilicious …

** Wastage of food is simply NO-NO in my home and its often those end slices in bread loaf that are always a challenge to be used into something different. I have prepared Bun, dosa, appos, cutlets, bonds, bhakri etc. using them and this time too I was all geared to prepare bhakri which is the most prepared in my home, be it in any combination.

** If you browse through the common link shared at the bottom of this recipe you will come across a long list of recipes tried out in bhakri section. I have already shared bread- rava bhakri before, this one too is in the same lines except for addition of equal quantity of poha/ beaten rice. A simple recipe that can be easily prepared in no time and served hot.

** Try this out in your home next time you have some bread slices which I am sure you will have at some point of time and enjoy them with some chutney or plain loni/ butter, tastes awesome. I have used the thick variety of red poha/ beaten rice here as I always have it in stock, but you can use the white one that are easily available too.

** Here is my own method of preparing “Bread- Poha- Rava Bhakri” … my style ….

** Ingredients :
Brown Bread slices : 2 (end pieces of loaf)
Thick Red Poha/ Beaten Rice/ Povu/ Avalakki : 1 cup
Bombay Rava/ Rulavu : 1 heaped cup
Curds/ Dahi : 1 tblsp
Asafoetida/ Hing Powder : ½ tsp
Wheat Flour/ Gonva Peeta/ Ghevun ka Atta : 2 tblsp
Salt/ Namak/ Meeta : to taste

** To be ground to coarse paste :
Green Chillies/ Tarni Mirsanga/ Hari Mirchi : 2-3
Ginger/ Adrak/ Alle’ : ½ inch
Coriander Leaves (Kottambari Pallo/ Dhania) : 1-2 tsp
Curry Leaves (Kadipatta/ Karbevu) : 4-5 fresh leaves

Water : as required for binding the batter
Ghee/ Toop + Oil/ Tel/ Tela in 1:1 ratio as required for frying the bhakri, just mix required amount in a small bowl and keep it ready.

** Cut the bread slices into small pieces and put it into a mixer grinder and run for a few seconds to get it evenly crumbled to a coarse texture. Remove and add it into a wide bowl. Now add red poha into mixer grinder and grind it also to a coarse powder, remove and add it to bread crumbs. Add in rava, salt to taste, mix well and keep it aside ready.

** To be ground to coarse paste : Add green chillies, ginger, coriander leaves, curry leaves all cut to pieces into mixer grinder and grind to a coarse paste WITHOUT adding water. We just need to crush them all well together, that’s all, remove and add this to the ingredients in the bowl. Also add in curds, hing, wheat flour and mix all together evenly.

** Keep adding little by little water and binding all to get a thick batter consistency as that of bhakri, you should be able to make a loose ball out of it. Keep it aside covered for about 15-20 minutes, for the ingredients to get well soaked in and settled. The batter thickens up, so add in little water and bring to right texture before removing the bhakri.

** Note : The batter should be thick consistency without water leaving on from sides to get perfect soft within and crisp outside bhakri. If you feel the batter is water, you can add in some rava and mix well and if too thick then just add some water and mix well. However, do not go to increase the quantity of poha or bread cumbs as then the bhakri will be too soft.

** Note : You can increase or decrease the number of green chillies depending upon the spice level of the green chilly and also as per individual taste. You can also use white bread instead of brown bread, just use whichever you usually buy. Again you can use white thick poha/ beaten rice instead of red ones, so also the thin variety poha can be used here.

** The batter should be mixed well again so that the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps. The texture should be that of bhakri/ thick batter, a ball consistency. You should be able to take a lump of it on your hands and pat it on hot tawa into a nice round bhakri shape. You can check out through the common link at the bottom of recipe for more steps elsewhere.

** For Making of Bhakri : Heat a tava to smoking point and then reduce the heat to minimum. Take small amount of the mixed batter and pat it on a hot tava directly to form small bhakri. Be careful while doing this to prevent your hand from getting hurt as the tava is hot. Keep dipping you hand in water before you pat the bhakri, this is necessary to avoid the bhakri paste from sticking your palms and also give it a nice round shape.

** The same can be done on a plastic sheet/ banana leaf, butter paper or cloth too, if one is not confident on making directly on tava. Use a clean sheet to make the bhakri, rub is over with little bit of water and repeat method in the same way as you would have done it on tava, once you get nice small round bhakri gently/ slowly remove it seeing to it that the bhakri does not crack up or break and put on a hot tava. Pour some oil+ ghee on all sides of the bhakri.

** Let cook on medium heat till cooked on the bottom side and the paste on the upper portion does not stick to your hand when you touch gently. Now pour a little bit oil on top side and slowly flip over the bhakri and cook on the other side too. Do not overcook as the bhakri should remain soft within and firm and slightly crispy out without getting burnt on any side.

** Repeat the process with remaining batter until all the batter is consumed in the same procedure as above. In case you do not want to remove bhakri immediately then store the batter in fridge in a air container, remains good for 24 hours. Just remove to thaw for about 20 minutes before you want to prepare the bhakri’s hot and fresh to be served.

** Note : The size of bhakri depends on individual liking or as is easy for one to prepare. You can make bigger or smaller ones using adequate batter.If making small sized ones you can put 5-6 bhakri on tava at a time. The best size to be served is of about 6 inches in diameter, but then children love smaller around 3 inches in dia, so try out accordingly.

** “Bread- Poha- Rava Bhakri” is done and ready to be served. Bhakri’s always taste best served hot from tava with homemade butter/ loni or coriander coconut chutney or any other chutney of your choice for breakfast. You can also opt to serve with curds, pickle, chutney podi, gun powder with oil, chunda or any spicy dish if you wish. However, bhakri is loved the most served with fresh homemade butter/ lonie.

** We should all make a pledge to not waste food, just remember that there are so many out there who have to fight for proper meals, so do not take your privilege of being able to enjoy food lightly, stop wasting food, endorse it and encourage others also to not do so. Always share excess food or leftovers in time so that someone out there need not stay hungry or go to sleep on empty tummy.

** It is a blessing to have enough food to relish for oneself and family, do contribute to help out malnutrition, a menace our country still faces. The best way of doing so is avoiding wastage at home and also teaching our youngsters to do so. Children are naive and always spill or throw tantrums while eating, teach them to respect and love all types of food and above all, also about sharing food with friends.

** There are plenty of “Bhakri Recipes” in the blog, I am sharing a common link below, do browse through and try them out as and when possible, they are all healthy and tasty ….

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