Bread fingers refer to the crispy fried rectangular pieces of sweet bread coated in a spicy gram flour batter. It is quite easy to make bread fingers at home. My step-by-step recipe will guide you through the process.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Bread fingers are easy to make golden delights that will enhance your snacking experience.
- Serve the fingers with classic tomato sauce, refreshing mint chutney, sweet and tangy tamarind chutney, a creamy cheese or simple yogurt dip, or with a cup of tea or coffee.
- Bread fingers taste slightly sweet, spicy, and savory.
- Bread nuggets, bread cutlets, bread pockets, bread chops, bread samosas, and bread pakoras will offer a similar taste as bread fingers.
The Ingredients:
To make the bread fingers:
- 4 slices sweet bread
To make the bread crumbs:
- 4 slices regular bread
To make the coating:
- 1 cup gram flour (besan)
- 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ¼ tsp garam masala powder
- ½ tsp salt – ½ tsp
To fry the bread fingers:
- Cooking oil – An Adequate amount
I tried this dish for the first time in a Nepalese café near Darjeeling. The place had floor seating and the faint smell of incense. I did not expect much, but the dish surprised me. The taste was subtle, rich, and oddly emotional.
I asked the server about it and she gave me tips like an older sister. I made it at home a few times before I got it right. Now it is a part of my “quiet evening” repertoire—no phones, no noise, just warmth and exquisite taste of the bread fingers.
How to Make Bread Finger? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Take 4 slices of sweet bread and cut them individually and carefully into finger-like pieces with their edges. Keep them aside.
(Pro tip: I prefer using sweet bread to make bread fingers because it gives a unique sweet and savory taste. You can use regular milk breads as well if you do not have or want to use sweet bread).
Step 2: Now, take 4 more regular bread slices, cut their edges, tear them, roast them a bit on a dry frying pan, and put them in a mixer grinder.
Step 3: Grind them just once to make bread crumbs. Transfer them to a bowl and keep them aside. Do not grind the bread pieces too much so that it becomes a fine powder.
(Pro tip: If you use store-bought bread crumbs, you can skip steps 2 and 3. However, I prefer using homemade breadcrumbs).
Step 4: Now take a bowl. Put 1 cup of gram flour (besan) in it along with 1 tsp of ginger and garlic paste.
Step 5: Follow it with ½ tsp of red chili powder, ½ tsp coriander powder, ¼ tsp of garam masala powder, and finally add ½ tsp of regular table salt to it. Mix them all nicely.
Step 6: Now, add a little bit of water. Mix it nicely with a spoon to make a thick paste first.
Step 7: Now, add more water gradually to make a smooth paste of it. Check and ensure that it has a running consistency.
(Pro tip: Do not put a lot of water at once as that will create lumps).
Step 8: Now, take a kadai and put an adequate amount of cooking oil in it. Heat it on a high flame and when it is hot, reduce the flame to medium.
Step 9: In the meantime, dip each of the fingers in the gram flour batter and then in the bread crumbs and coat it nicely on all sides.
Step 10: Release the bread finger in the oil gently ensuring that you do not splash hot oil. Put as many pieces as the oil and the space of the frying pan allow. Do not put too many to overcrowd the pan as that will cause difficulty in flipping them.
(Pro tip: Frying the bread fingers on a medium flame is crucial. This ensures even frying and perfect cooking of the fingers from both inside and outside).
Step 11: Fry them for about 3 to 4 minutes until they turn light brown in color. Take them out.
Step 12: Your tasty and crispy homemade bread fingers are now ready to be served. Lay them on a plate and serve them hot with a bowl of tomato sauce.
Recipe Card
Bread Finger
Ingredients
To make the bread fingers:
- 4 slices sweet bread
To make the bread crumbs:
- 4 slices regular bread
To make the coating:
- 1 cup gram flour besan
- 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ¼ tsp garam masala powder
- ½ tsp salt
To fry the bread fingers:
- Cooking oil An Adequate amount
Instructions
- Take 4 slices of sweet bread and cut them individually and carefully into finger-like pieces with their edges. Keep them aside. (Pro tip: I prefer using sweet bread to make bread fingers because it gives a unique sweet and savory taste. You can use regular milk breads as well if you do not have or want to use sweet bread).
- Now, take 4 more regular bread slices, cut their edges, tear them, roast them a bit on a dry frying pan, and put them in a mixer grinder.
- Grind them just once to make bread crumbs. Transfer them to a bowl and keep them aside. Do not grind the bread pieces too much so that it becomes a fine powder. (Pro tip: If you use store-bought bread crumbs, you can skip steps 2 and 3. However, I prefer using homemade breadcrumbs).
- Now take a bowl. Put 1 cup of gram flour (besan) in it along with 1 tsp of ginger and garlic paste.
- Follow it with ½ tsp of red chili powder, ½ tsp coriander powder, ¼ tsp of garam masala powder, and finally add ½ tsp of regular table salt to it. Mix them all nicely.
- Now, add a little bit of water. Mix it nicely with a spoon to make a thick paste first.
- Now, add more water gradually to make a smooth paste of it. Check and ensure that it has a running consistency. (Pro tip: Do not put a lot of water at once as that will create lumps).
- Now, take a kadai and put an adequate amount of cooking oil in it. Heat it on a high flame and when it is hot, reduce the flame to medium.
- In the meantime, dip each of the fingers in the gram flour batter and then in the bread crumbs and coat it nicely on all sides.
- Release the bread finger in the oil gently ensuring that you do not splash hot oil. Put as many pieces as the oil and the space of the frying pan allow. Do not put too many to overcrowd the pan as that will cause difficulty in flipping them. (Pro tip: Frying the bread fingers on a medium flame is crucial. This ensures even frying and perfect cooking of the fingers from both inside and outside).
- Fry them for about 3 to 4 minutes until they turn light brown in color. Take them out.
- Your tasty and crispy homemade bread fingers are now ready to be served. Lay them on a plate and serve them hot with a bowl of tomato sauce.
