VEG CUTLETS

Tea time or parties calls for some delicious snacks and many a times we are left wondering what to serve at such times. These Veg Cutlets are a perfect solution to such cravings or say, party starters as they are absolutely delicious, easy to prepare and can be prepared in advance and used as required.

They have been on my bucket list for long, and at last the moment arrived when I decided to give it a try to finish off the leftover veggies in my refrigerator, especially that lonely sweet potato which had been lying around for God knows how long! Hence, you can find the addition of sweet potato and coloured bell peppers in this recipe which actually doesn’t exist in the cutlets available elsewhere.

But, believe me that there’s not one ounce of difference in the taste! In fact, my daughter complimented me by saying that these are better than the store bought ones and little did my kids realise what went into their making unless I revealed it to them!

The combination of vegetables with the potatoes and sweet potato, alongwith the spices used, gives the cutlets a delicious flavour. And the semolina coated crispy crust just adds to the overall deliciousness of these cutlets!

These Veg Cutlets which have been on the menu in almost all restaurants in Maharashtra, are my all time favourite and in those days when we wouldn’t eat out at all, this is the only dish I would prefer ordering if at all by chance we ended up at any restaurant! Yeah, and it would be the last one to arrive, which even today I haven’t been able to guess why! What exactly would take it so long!? Today these very cutlets are available in almost all shops selling ready to eat fresh snacks.

For some more such delicious dishes, do take a look at the following recipes too….

1. Sprouted Raagi And Oats Cutlets
2. Phodshiche Vade
3. Healthy Haraa Chanaa Peanut Sesame Balls
4. Kobiche Bhanole
5. Kothimbir Vadi
6. Cheesy Tandoori Aaloo

Prep Time : 35 min

Cooking Time : 4-5 min

Serves : 4 (8 cutlets)

INGREDIENTS :

• 1 cup Boiled Potato Mash (2 small potatoes)
• 1/3 cup Boiled Sweet Potato Mash (1/2 medium sweet potato)
• 1 cup Fresh Breadcrumbs (2 Whole Wheat Bread Slices)
• 1/4 cup Chopped Coriander Leaves
• 1/2 cup Green Peas
• 1/3 cup Chopped Cauliflower / Broccoli Florets
• 1/2 cup Finely Diced Carrots (1/2 carrot)
• 1/3 cup Finely diced Coloured Bell Peppers (Green, Yellow, Red)
• 1 cup Finely Chopped Onions
• 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 2-3 Finely Minced Green Chillies
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder…. To be adjusted as per preference
• 1 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
• Salt To Taste
• 1 tbs Oil

For The Slurry

• 2 tbs Rice/All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup Water

For The Outer Coating :

• Fine semolina as required

METHOD :

1. To make Veg Cutlets, heat about 3/4 cups water in a pan. When it starts boiling, add to it the green peas, carrots and cauliflower.
2. Boil on medium heat till the vegetables are cooked. Drain and set aside to cool.
3. Reserve the drained water and use it to make soups or to enhance the flavour of any other vegetarian gravies.
4. Heat a pan and add the oil to it. When it heats up, add the minced green chillies and saute.
5. Add the onions and saute till translucent, adding a pinch of salt to it.
6. Next, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a while.
7. Add to it the turmeric powder and diced bell peppers and saute for a few minutes.
8. Add to this, the cooked and drained vegetables, red chilli powder and salt to taste. Saute the mixture on medium to high heat till it becomes dry.
9. Mash the veggies well with a masher or the back of a spoon.
10. Add the garam masala powder and mix well. Set aside to cool completely.
11. Transfer this mixture to a mixing bowl, alongwith the boiled potato and sweet potato mash, chopped corriander leaves, breadcrumbs and salt as needed.
12. Mix well and mould into cutlets of desired shape.
13. Refrigerate this mixture for about 15-20 minutes, which help the cutlets to firm up.
14. In the meantime, mix together the flour and water, ensuring that there are no lumps and spread some semolina in a flat dish.
15. Dip each of the cutlets in the flour slurry and coat well with the fine semolina.
16. Place the coated cutlets on a tray and refrigerate for about half an hour, so that the semolina sets well.
17. Heat a pan and add oil to it for shallow frying the cutlets.
18. When it heats up, keeping the flame high, release about 4 cutlets in the oil.
19. Fry on medium to high heat, till golden brown on both sides.
20. Drain the cutlets onto an absorbent paper.
21. Serve some Cream Of Tomato Soup teamed with these delicious and crisp Veg Cutlets with some Kothimbir Pudina Chatni (Mint Corriander Chutney) and some Sweet Chilli Sauce as accompaniments!

Note :

Finely chopped and boiled French Beans, boiled and grated Beetroot too can be added to the cutlets. I added those veggies which were available.

The green chillies and red chilli powder should be adjusted as per preference.

With each use, the slurry starts thickening a bit. Just add a teaspoon of water if needed to get back it’s right consistency.

These cutlets can be prepared a day or two in advance and frozen till further use. For this, wrap the semolina coated cutlets in aluminium foil or butter paper and store neatly in an airtight container or a zip lock bag in the deep freezer and shallow fry as required . This makes it easier to prep them for a Party or a Function.

In fact they stay well for quite a few days if frozen!