Vegetable Patties(Vegetable Cutlet)

Preparation Time - 1 hr
Cook Time - 15 mins
Makes - 20-25 cutlets

Measurements & Ingredients:

• Mixed Vegetables, cut - 2 cups (carrot, beans, cauliflower, green peas)
• Potatoes - 4, boiled, peeled and mashed well
• Bread crumbs - 1-2 cups
• All purpose flour (maida) - 1/4 cup
• Oil - 3 tbsp
• Cumin powder (jeera powder) - 1.5 tsp
• Coriander powder (dhaniya powder) - 2 tsp
• Red chili powder - 3-4 tsp or as per taste
• Salt - as per taste
• Garam masala powder - 3/4 tsp
• Dried fenugreek leaves (Kasoori methi) - 1/2 tsp, crushed
• Lemon juice - 3-4 tsp
• Oil - for deep frying

Method:

 Boil the mixed vegetables and drain out all the water using a strainer.

Mash them a little (not fully) and spread it on a paper towel to take out all the excess water. Pat dry and keep it aside.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan and add the boiled vegetables except potatoes. To this pan add red chili powder, garam masala powder, salt, jeera powder, dhaniya powder and kasoori methi and lemon juice. Mix well on a low medium heat for about 5-7 mins to take out the remaining moisture from the vegetables.

Let this cool and then mix this with the boiled and mashed potatoes. Check for the salt and spice levels and adjust as per your taste.

Make big lemon size balls out of this mixture. Flatten the ball to make patties of 1/2 inch thickness and keep these aside.

Make a paste out of maida and water. This paste should not be too watery nor too thick. Simultaneously heat the oil for frying (on medium high heat). 

 

Dip the patties in the maida paste and immediately coat it with the bread crumbs. 

Do the same for all the patties, but in batches of how many can fit in your pan for deep frying. If you do it for all the patties, the water content will get into the patties, so dip and coat as you are ready to fry them.

 Make sure the oil in heated well before dropping the patties in it. Fry it on medium heat and make sure both the sides are fried.

Drain the excess oil on a paper towel and serve with Sweet chutney and Green chutney or simply with tomato ketchup!

 

Tips:

1. If you feel the mixed vegetable mixture is not firm enough and may break when deep frying, just add a couple of tsps of all purpose flour(maida) and mix.  Then continue with the same procedure.
2. Instead of deep frying, you could also shallow fry.  There will definitely be a change in the taste, but it is still good enough!

Semolina Idli/Rave Idli

Preparation Time - 15 mins
Cook Time - 20 mins
Makes - 16 idlies

Measurements & Ingredients:
Semolina(Sooji/Upit Rave) - 1 cup
Buttermilk - 2 - 2.5 cups
Grated frozen or fresh coconut (optional) - 1/2 cup
Carrot - 1 big, grated
Cashew nuts (optional) - 3 tbsp
Oil - 4 tbsp
Mustard seeds (sasive) - 1.5 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Red Chili - 1-2, broken into halves
Curry leaves - a few sprigs
Salt - to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and red chillies.

Then add the semolina and fry on a low medium heat for 5 mins or until the raw smell of semolina goes and changes color slightly.  Add the grated carrot, fresh or frozen coconut (if using), cashew nuts and mix well.  Leave it on heat for a couple of mins and then switch off the heat.

Add salt and butter milk.  The consistency should not be too thick or too liquid.  Mix well.

 Smear the idli plates with a little oil, fill in the plates with the idli batter, place these plates in a pressure cooker which has a little water in it.  Let the steam start releasing.  Do not put the weight.  From this time, set the timer on for 8 mins.  After 8 mins, switch off the stove, let the pressure cooker cool for 2 mins.

Take out the idli plates and let it cool for 3-4 mins.  Scoop the idlies with a spoon which is dipped in cold water so that the idlies do not stick to the spoon.

Serve hot with coconut chutney!







Note:
1. Add the buttermilk when you are ready to make idlies because if you add butter milk and leave it for a long time, the semolina will absorb the buttermilk and will become too thick.  If for any reason this happens, you can add more buttermilk or water to get to the right consistency
2. I do not add soda.  Even without adding soda the idlies will be very soft.  For this, you need to get the right consistency.  Make sure the batter is a little thinner than regular idli batter.  If it is too thick, the idlies become hard.