MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja- Vegetable Cutlet

Vegetable Cutlets

Vegetable cutlets have a very interesting story to tell in my case. Being in the army meant long train journeys for us and the most memorable one is the Jhelum Express one, of nearly one and half days. Many people call this as the “Jaalim Express” as it never ran on time and because of the pathetic food that used to be served on board. My daughter was about 5 years old when we started taking trips in this train. She never liked the food served in this train as usual, but, used to relish the vegetable cutlets served in the Jhelum Express. The vegetable cutlets were served as part of vegetarian breakfast and she demanded cutlets to be served for all 3 times that is breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We frequented this train many times and now the waiters also knew about this child who demands cutlets at all times and the Jhelum Cutlets became a special dish for our family. My biggest food critic, my daughter  would always remark “Mamma, the cutlets you make are not as delicious as the Jhelum wala cutlets”, whenever I made them at home. This made me practise more to perfect the cutlets.

I really don’t know how much change has come over in the food served on board the Jhelum Express in last 16-17 years since we last traveled in this train, but, cutlet making does evoke all these memories.

Ingredients

Potatoes - 4 nos(boiled, peeled, grated)

French Beans – 50 gms, finely chopped

Carrot – 1 medium, peeled and grated

Green Peas – 50 gms (coarsely ground in mixer)

Cabbage – 50 gms, grated

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 teaspoon

Bread Slices – 2 nos (coarsely ground in mixer)

Turmeric Powder - ½ teaspoon

Red Chilly Powder – ½ teaspoon

Garam Masala Powder – ½ teaspoon

Salt – As per taste

Suji/semolina – Approx 50 gms

Oil – 50-75 ml

Method

Heat a non stick pan and take very little or no oil and sauté the chopped French beans for a minute, then add the coarsely ground green peas and stir for a minute. Sprinkle few drops of water and then add the grated carrot and cabbage and stir fry for a minute. Now add all these sautéed vegetables to the boiled, peeld and grated potatoes along with ginger garlic paste, coarsely ground bread, turmeric, chilly powder and salt and mix well. Make small vegetables cutlets with hand and shape with cutlet cutter if you wish. Then roll in suji and shallow fry in a non stick pan with little oil till they get a golden brown colour on both sides. Dab the cutlets on paper to remove excess oil if any. Cutlets are ready to be served. Accompaniments that go well with these cutlets are tomato sauce, green chutney or tamarind chutney.

Note – You may add some fennel seeds also to the coating of suji. Boiled and grated beetroot can also be added for extra flavour and colour. Cutlets can be coated with bread crumbs as well.