VEGETABLE CUTLET

Once, I hated vegetables! I remember how our mother struggled each day to feed us some. Morning until night she would try to brainwash me with advantages of having vegetables regular. She would entice us to have offering more of fish, meat. Perhaps God watched sitting up there, today I do same struggle with son. Oh! God, he is such fussy about having vegetables, same is man! At times they get on my nerves. But can a mother lose patience? No way.... she would always want to give proper nutrition to her kids, by hook or by crook.

In the process of making food tastier, may be some nutritional value is lost, but at least some amount of nutrition is going inside, that is the whole idea. These days, there are many ways of preparing tasty food without compromising with health of your dear ones. There are grill options, air friers to make mothers happy. I think I need an air frier. I oven cooked the vegetarian cutlets in grill+microwave combination cooking mode!

When son was young, his doctor would ask me to prepare tasty food for him! He would say, just like us, kids too have taste buds. He would say, we cannot make porridge for them at every meal, then complain doctor, my child is not eating anything. He would ask to prepare our kids' food at home, make sure we maintain proper hygiene. I follow what he told me till date. I try to get colour, variety in his lunch box. Whenever I think one day he has to leave mamma to explore world, I feel urge to be more particular about the food he eats. 

This vegetable cutlet is a great evening snack. It goes well with tea / coffee, can be eaten as an appetiser too. It requires few ingredients to prepare, hence is hassle free.

INGREDIENTS :

Potato : 2 
Beet Root : 1
Carrot : 1
Green Peas : 1 tbsp
Chopped Green Chilli : 1 tsp
Cumin Seed : 1 tsp
Cumin Powder : 2 tsp + 1 tsp

Coriander Powder : 1 tsp + 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp

Crushed Black Pepper : 1/2 tsp
Sugar : 1tsp
Salt : As per taste
Refined Flour : 3 tbsp

Corn Flour : 2 tbsp
Bread Crumb : 100 gm
Oil : 2 tbsp + As much required to brush each cutlet

METHOD :

In Bengali household, the difference between vegetable chop & cutlet may be only in their shape! We would end up tempering with cumin, add spices, cannot toss filling in butter, etc.

Peel, wash, cut potato, beetroot, carrot into halves. Pressure cook them upto 3-4 whistles adding enough water! Let cool, drain water, mash!

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in pan. Add 2 pinches of cumin seeds, chopped green chillies.

Add mashed vegetable mix. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, crushed black pepper, sugar, salt! 

Add cornflour, stir cook for 3-4 minutes. Switch off gas stove, let it cool. Transfer to bowl.

Shape into medium sized round balls flatten with your palms. 

On plate, take bread crumb, rest of cumin & coriander powders, chilli powder, little salt; mix well! Because I oven cooked cutlets, a good colour of bread crumbs was necessary!

Mix together refined flour, water to get little thinner than a paste like consistency! Coat each cutlet with bread crumb mix, dip in the refined flour mix; repeat process!

Once all cutlets are ready, grease an oven proof plate with oil, place the cutlets. Brush each cutlet with oil.

Place baking stand inside oven, in case you have a convection mode microwave oven, on top the plate with cutlets!

Cook in microwave+grill option, one side for 12 minutes. Turn over, brush with oil, cook for another 7-8 minutes. We should be done. Let them stand for 3-4 minutes before taking out!

Serve hot with chutney, sauce, onion rings! The smile you get in return is priceless.... be it your guests, friends or family!!