Growing up we used to visit a place called Dianas in Udupi. (Karnataka, India) once a year travel to India a visit to Dianas was a must. Mother always had to buy a few staples, and it was also a stopover after shopping around the town. Horlicks milkshake and Vegetable cutlets were one of the popular snacks on the menu. The past couple of years we didn't visit though and this year I and the husband got talking of all our old haunts. And the things we missed. Food is always high on the list of things we miss about places. I thought of recreating the veg cutlet out of memory and this is what I came up with. It is as close I could get with what I remembered. My son surprisingly polished off a few and proudly said I ate 3, and to think he despises Beetroot as a vegetable. He says he will forgive them if they are in a cutlet form. Which was a win-win for me. So very excitedly I did a Facebook Live and told the world ( my small world of social media ) what I had come up with and managed to get a few more people as excited about it as me. This is among other few cutlets and patties I make ahead and freeze for those days when I need a quick fix for emergencies.... like hungry kids and adults. Perfect for snacks, lunch boxes, unexpected guests etc. They work so well just served with a chutney or a sauce, wrapped in a tortilla, stuffed into a pav bun, served with a side salad for dinner as a main meal. You don't have to shape them into a patty you could shape them into logs with a skewer like a kabab. So I have sung enough praise. It is time for you to make these and try them out.
Do tag me if you make these and I shall share it. Or reach out to me if you have any queries for the same.
Ingredients
Beetroot grated - 100 gms grated
Carrots grated -100 gms grated
Potato boiled - 2 medium /250gms
Onion - 1 medium
Green chilli chopped -1
Garlic cloves - grated -2 cloves
Garam masala -1/2 tsp
Bread slices - 2 soaked in water
Plain flour & cornflour mixed - 2 tbsp
Water
Salt to taste
Oil to fry
Semolina / rava - 1 cup
(Alternatively use breadcrumbs)
Method
Boil and mash potatoes and keep aside
Grate carrots and beets with the same sized grater.
Grate or mince the garlic.
Chop green chillies, you can deseed them if you prefer
In a pan heat some oil, add the onion and garlic and cook till it starts turning a light golden brown. We don't want to crisp it. Add the green chillies at this point and let it fry. Add salt and the grated beets and carrots
Keep stir-frying so it doesn’t catch on the bottom. We don't want the bitterness.
Once done add garam masala and the mashed potato and add the bread slices after squeezing out any excess water and mix really well.
Check seasoning and adjust if anything is needed at this point.
Turn off the stove and remove it to a bowl. If you like the taste then you can add some coriander leaves. knead a little to ensure everything is mixed well and there are no lumps of potato.
Once cool enough to handle start shaping them.
Shape it. And keep aside. Meanwhile, make a slurry with water and flour and spread some semolina or bread crumbs in another plate.
First, dip the cutlets into the wet slurry, move it to the dry semolina and coat it really well.
Lay flat on a plate and refrigerate before frying them
You can shallow fry or deep fry according to your preference.
Serve with sauce or green coriander coconut chutney
Make extras and freeze them in freezer-proof containers so you can have them handy for snack time.
They freeze well and you can safely keep them for a month.
Lay them flat and use parchment to separate between layers. So you can pull them out only as many as you need only.
DoNOT thaw all if you don’t need them.
bon appetit
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