Brunch with Bread and Vegetable Rolls

Growing up, I looked forward to weekends not only because the school was closed, but also because our day started with skipping beakfast (that is, the regular milk and cereal) in favor of a special Sunday brunch. Plus, we could eat together in front of the TV- watching epics like Ramayan or Mahabharat, not to forget Star Trek, Superman, Mickey Mouse and Tom & Jerry. All together, we're talking at least 2h of unrestricted TV and food time every Sunday morning. I especially remember the years that Ramayan and Mahabharat were being aired. My mom would actually bring her cooking supplies- everything except the stove that is- into the TV room. And dad and I would help her with the prep work while watching our program. So she rolled the flour while we filled the pastries for samosa or stuffed pooris, or dad and I made cutlets while she prepped the herbs for chutney. Then she ran back to the kitchen and cooked everything up in the 15 min. commercial break, and we'd eat together when the episode resumed to air. Even after TV ceased its hold over us in our teenage age years, we kept up with the Sunday brunch tradition.

And then, the first few years after marriage and kids went flying by. All traditions forgotten, it was a just a run to blend in or do things right for you newborn as a new mom. After all those sleepless weeknights, I started looking forward to weekends so my husband could take over the kids' needs and bring me a cup-in-bed, while I extended my sleeptime by that extra hour - a luxury, that A has never begrudeged me. Only recently did we pick up on the weekend brunch tradition again...mostly at the insistence of my older daughter. Like me years ago, she looks forward to forgoing the milk-and- cereal breakfast in favor of something else. The requests start from Thursday night, and change by the minute!  And I now like to play hard to get and keep them guessing as to what the brunch is going to be :-))

An unexpected long weekend because of school and daycare closing on account of Easter meant that I got an impromptu request for brunch today, on a Friday morning. So we made Bread Rolls...my daughters now are my 'helpers' doing what I did many years ago and I have donned the mom avataar!

Bread Rolls

Vegetable filled bread rolls

For the top

Bread slices 10

Water to soak these slices in

For the filling

Boiled potatoes 2 medium, mashed or cut into thin pieces

Frozen peas  1 fist ful

Onion 1 small sliced thin into wedges

Spices to taste..Salt, red paprika powder, a dash of turmeric

Amchoor 1/2tsp

Cumin seeds 1/4 tsp

Oil  1/2 Tbsp

Oil to deep fry

1. Heat 1/2 Tbsp oil in a skillet and sputter the cumin seeds in it. Saute the onions till translucent.
2. Add everything needed to make the filling and cook on high for 1-2 min. Turn off the heat and allow the filling to cool enough to touch.
3. To start making these rolls, soak a slice of bread in water for 10-15 sec. Take it out and squeeze between your palms to get all the water out. The bread slice is still intact but has flattened out considerably.
4. Put a spoonful of mixture  on the moist bread in the middle of your palm, bring the ends of bread on top and roll it into a ball between your hands. Make all the balls and keep aside.
5. Heat oil to deep fry in a fryer, and fry the bread rolls for a minute or so. Turn them over, till they're browned all over.
6. Serve  hot with a spicy dhania-pudina chutney, or tomato ketchup.

My two cents: This recipe for Bread Rolls is easy, and relatively quick; and extremely filling. I use hardended, stale bread for this recipe usually- an excellent way to use up that old bread. The heel of a loaf is also an excellent choice- I keep saving those in a large ziploc in the fridge till I have about 10-12 heel and bottom slices of a loaf.

  The only caution I can think of is to make sure that you remove as much water from the bread as possible- if not the oil will splutter when you fry these.

  Also, squeeze these into tight balls-you don't want the filling to leak out while frying, and the airiness comes from frying a moist slice of bread anyway.

This is an excellent party appetizer as well, unfortunately it doesn't heat up well. But you can make the balls ahead of time, and even freeze them. Just fry them right before serving. Enjoy!

Sending this recipe to Sri's Breakfast Mela event and to the Breakfast Club event hosted this month by Johanna and started by Helen of Fuss free flavors.