Vegetable Cutlets

Vegetable Cutlets are scrumptious, flavorful patties made of a mixture of veggies and spices coated with bread crumbs and shallow-fried into gorgeous-looking golden-brown patties. The bread crumbs provide a crispy outer layer that thoroughly complements the soft, succulent inside filling made of potatoes, beans, carrots, peas, creating a tempting combination that is both delicious and nutritious. In addition, my recipe bestows a zingy, punchy savoriness to the cutlet, and would leave you wondering what you've been missing all these years :)

These appetizing Vegetable Cutlets are quick and easy to make, and can be enjoyed steaming-hot on their own with tomato ketchup or with Green Chutney (Cilantro-Mint Dipping Sauce), or packed in a bun and consumed as a veggie burger. They are the perfect snack for chilly & rainy days, and best enjoyed with a hot cuppa tea or coffee as you bite into their lip-smacking goodness. Kids love them too, so they are great for getting kids to get their daily diet of veggies. So if you have a bag of potatoes at home & veggies lying around in your fridge, it's time to get busy :)

VEGETABLE  CUTLETS  RECIPE

Makes : 8 Pcs

Ingredients:

2 large-size Potatoes; peeled & boiled

1/4 cup Green Peas (fresh or frozen); blanched & coarsely mashed

8 French Beans; ends trimmed, chopped

1/3 cup chopped Carrot; peeled

1" fresh Ginger; peeled & minced

1/3 cup finely chopped Onion

3-4 Serrano Green Chillies or to taste; destemmed & finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh Cilantro (Coriander) leaves
Salt to taste

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (Red Chilli Powder) or to taste; optional

1 tsp fresh Lemon juice

2 tbsp Bread Crumbs

1/2 cup Bread Crumbs for coating

2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour (Maida)

Water
Oil as required

How to make Vegetable Cutlets

1. Boil the veggies (carrots & beans) with enough water until soft. Drain the water thoroughly. Let the veggies cool down. Squeeze the veggies with your hands to remove the excess water. Mash the veggies coarsely & keep aside.
2. Once the boiled potatoes have cooled down, mash them well in a large bowl. 
3. Add the veggies, peas, ginger, onion, cayenne pepper, cilantro leaves, green chillies, lemon juice & 2 tbsp bread crumbs to the mashed potatoes. Mix them well. Add salt & mix again. 
4. Divide the mixture into equal portions and form into balls. Take a ball in your palm, gently flatten the ball into a round patty. Keep aside. Repeat the same procedure with the remaining balls.
5. In a separate bowl, mix all-purpose flour with enough water to make a thin paste. Ensure there are no lumps. Keep aside.
6. Spread the 1/2 cup breadcrumbs on a plate.
7. Dip a patty in the all-purpose flour paste. Quickly take it out & roll it in the breadcrumbs such that all sides get evenly coated. Keep it aside in a separate plate. Repeat the same procedure with the remaining patties.
8. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat. Shallow-fry the patties 3-4 at a time till both sides turn golden in color.  Drain on absorbent paper. Add more oil to pan if necessary.
9. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or Green Chutney.

TIPS:

1. You can deep-fry the patties if you are making in bulk as it saves time. Also, deep-frying gives a better look to the patties as it uniformly cooks the outer layer.
2. If you like eggs, you can use beaten egg instead of all-purpose flour paste.
3. You can form the patties into different shapes - such as oval shape or heart shape.