In India, Cutlets are everyone’s favorite evening snack. On a rainy evening, all you need is a cutlet. Whether they are for you or your family, or for entertaining guests, cutlets will always hit the spot. Cutlets are flat and round shaped, small patties rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Cutlets are usually made of potato, or meat and spices. They are then dipped in an egg or cornstarch, then in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried. Ultimately producing a most satisfying snack.

When you are in the mood of eating a snack, don’t think of which restaurant to go. Instead look into your refrigerator. You probably have a lot of veggies. If you don’t use them on time, they will be spoilt. Use them up. Though this recipe calls for carrot, beans, and peas, you don’t necessarily have to put them, if you don’t have them. You can skip one or 2 veggies, or replace with other veggies which don’t have water in them. For example, don’t use cucumber, tomato. Instead use sweet potato, taro.

I admit Cutlet is not an easy snack. But the effort is paid off when you taste. After such a hard worker, you are so hungry. The tastiest snack will hit the spot. You don’t feel like eating restaurant food for a long time.

A homemade all natural crunchy cutlet filled with nutritious veggies and green chutney on the side is the best thing you can offer to your family. What else can we ask for? Cutlets make great evening snack. Excellent to entertain guests with a cup of coffee/tea or a sip of the cocktail.  Wisely use up your leftover potatoes. Baked, shallow and deep-fried versions of cutlets can be made to suit your diet and taste. Traditionally made of potato as the base and mixed with a variety of vibrant veggies and deep-fried. In my cooking experience, shallow fry makes it light in calorie, crunchy on top yet tasty. I tried baked, but it still needs oil to be brushed. Otherwise, they stay dry. Yet, they weren’t as crunchy as shallow fried ones.

You can prepare potato peas mixture ahead of time and refrigerate for a couple of days. Keep outside for a couple of hours to bring to room temperature. To make them nutritious, use fresh carrots, french beans and peas in the local market. Fresh veggies are so irresistible. All nutrients are completely preserved.

The last thing you want to do is spend all your time in a hot kitchen. You also need quick, light foods to get you through the day instead of big, heavy meals. Enter the quick summer snack! These fast and easy recipes are perfect for your lazy days, and the food is fresh and tasty, which is just what you need in the heat.

Vegetable Cutlets

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Author: Ujwala Chintala

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups potatoes
• ¼th cup - fresh carrots
• ¼th cup - fresh peas
• ¼th cup - french beans.
• 4 - green chilies. Add more if you love spicy.
• salt
• Breadcrumbs
• 4 tbsp - oil
• 1 tbsp - jeera powder
• 1 tbsp - fresh ground coriander powder - optional
• ½ cup spring onion or onion - optional
• ½ cup - fresh coriander
• Salt
• 2 tbsp - cornstarch (In India it is called corn powder)
• Approx 1 tbsp - water
• 4 tbsp - plain or seasoned breadcrumbs.

Instructions

1. Dice potatoes to even sized pieces. Fill pan or cooker with 2 cups of water and cook potatoes till soft. Do not over-cook. If over-cooked they retain a lot of water and you cannot shape them to cutlets. If you are not confident how much to cook, while steaming potatoes, keep pricking with a fork. If fork doesn't slide in, keep cooking till it slides.
2. Dice remaining veggies, steam them. Do not overcook. They should be just enough cooked.
3. Add salt and veggies to potatoes. Mash together till well mixed. Add coriander and spring onion.
4. Make even, desired sized balls. Press them a bit flat. Keep them aside.
5. Add water to cornstarch in a bowl. Stir till well mixed. Thicker the cornstarch batter is, crunchier cutlets are. But it is hard to roll cutlets in the thick batter. You make the judgment on what you like.
6. Roll cutlets in cornstarch, then in breadcrumbs.
7. Add oil to a griddle (tawa). If you are making many cutlets, use an electric griddle. On an electric griddle, you can fry many at same time.
8. Place cutlets on oil and press lightly. Pressing makes cutlet flat and fries evenly. Fry cutlets on both sides till golden brown.
9. Serve hot with ketchup or cilantro chutney. Optionally serve with a lettuce leaf, cucumber rounds or radish rounds.

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