Vegetable Cutlet

What is the best way to treat yourself when you are on a vegetarian drive...and the answer is a crunchy veggie cutlet that is shallow fried just enough to make a crispy layer...

In my experience cooking the vegetables without adding water yields the best result...They can be either steamed or can be cooked in microwave....

Any moisture developed during the process should be squeezed out using paper towels. This will help to hold cutlets together when they are shaped.  

I took the easy way and cooked the potatoes, peas and carrots separately in the microwave... then all I had to do was add it to the cooked masala, make small oval shaped patties..I got around 15 of them...

Dip those first into the maida binder and then coat them with bread crumbs....Shallow fry it on a hot oil until the surface is lightly browned and becomes crispy on both sides.....Now as soon as it cools down pop each of them in to your mouth and enjoy....:D

Recipe:

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1. Potato                 -  2 big (I used russet potatoes)

2. Carrots                -  1/2 cup

3. Green peas          -  1/2 cup

4. Ginger and Garlic   -  2 tbsp chopped and crushed

5. Onion                  -  1 big diced.

6. Green chili            -  2 chopped finely

7. Chilli powder         -  2 tsp

8. Coriander powder  -  1 tsp 

9. Turmeric powder   -  1/2 tsp

10. Masala powder    - 1 tsp (any masala like curry powder or garam masala)

11. Oil

12. Salt

13. Mustard seeds     - 1/2 tsp

14. Cumin seeds       - 1 pinch

15. All purpose flour    - 2 tbsp

16. Bread Crumbs       - 1/2 cup. 

Cook potatoes, peas, carrots separately in a microwave 

or 

Steam carrots and peas together until they are cooked. 

When they are cooled squeeze everything in a paper towel to remove all the excess moisture. 

Boil potatoes with skin and Once they are cooled peel the skin and mash it slightly. 

In a sauce pan add some oil, splutter mustard seeds. 

When they are popped add cumin seeds and wait for few seconds

Add ginger and garlic and saute just until they get lightly brown.

Add in the diced onions and green chili and saute until they are wilted.

Add turmeric, coriander powder and chili powder and saute till the raw smell goes and oil starts to appear.

Add little salt and add the cooked carrots and peas and mix everything together.

Check for salt and switch off the heat.

Add the mashed potatoes and bind everything together.

Once cooled, take small portions of it and shape them into desired form. I made 15 flat oval shaped patties.

In another bowl add some 3 tbsp of water and All purpose flour (or maida) to  make a batter. It shouldn't be too watery.

Heat some oil in a pan, add a drop of the batter to check if the oil is ready...The batter will sizzle and float instantly.

Now dip a patty in the batter and then roll in bread crumbs and slowly drop them into the hot oil. Continue the process.

Shallow fry them on each side until they are golden brown. 

Transfer them to a blotting paper. They will get slightly more darker.

I used a small frying pan that could fry maximum of 3 cutlets at a time. This way I used very little oil (around 1cm level in the saucepan) and half way through I added little more oil. 

These are best eaten soon after they are made. After a while it will loose its crunchiness.