Vegetable cutlet is a very tasty and filling teatime snack. It is very easy to make with a few vegetables and can be made healthier too. I add a little beetroot to the mix, reminiscent of the Indian Coffee House cutlets. Beetroot along with a little garam masala gives vegetable cutlet a lovely color and flavor. Do try and see how it is.
To make the cutlets:
First take all the vegetables and cook them in a pressure cooker. 
The beetroot takes a little longer to cook, so make sure you grate it or cut it into very small pieces. If there is any water left over in the cooker, drain the veggies in a colander. You can use the drained water/stock in soups, while making dal etc. . Mash the drained vegetables using a potato masher. Leave some chunks if you prefer it. Just make sure the beetroot does not remain as chunks.
Heat oil in a pan and saute, onion, ginger-garlic and green chili paste. Add the cooked vegetables and start sauteing. Saute it till all moisture is gone from the vegetable mixture.
Add turmeric powder, chili powder and garam masala. Mix well. Check the vegetable mixture now to adjust the salt and spice levels.
Take it out on a plate and let it cool down for 10 minutes. Start rolling them out into balls and then flattening them out into the cutlet shape.
Make a very loose paste out of all purpose flour and water in a bowl. It should almost have the consistency of milk. It gives a very thin coating to the cutlets.
In another bowl, take some breadcrumbs. I have a third bowl with plain water to dampen my hand while shaping the cutlets. It prevents the vegetable mixture from sticking to my palm.
Flatten out the vegetable balls, and round off the edges.
Dip the patties in the all purpose flour+water paste and then in the breadcrumbs. Or you can double dip: dredge the patties in the breadcrumbs, then the all purpose flour+water paste and once again in the bread crumbs. It is your choice. 
Cover and keep the patties in the fridge for 20 minutes. This helps firm up the patties. You can store the patties at this stage for a few days in the freezer or for a day in the fridge. If you freeze them, make sure to defrost them in the fridge for a few hours before frying them.
Shallow fry the vegetable cutlet in a pan a minute or so on each side till you get a nice golden brown color. And serve with cilantro or mint chutney or my favorite: Maggie tomato ketchup.
For a healthier version, use very less oil to fry the vegetable cutlets. Just make sure to cook the sides of the vegetable cutlet in the pan.
Vegetable Cutlet
Ingredients
- 4 medium Potato, cut into cubes
- 1 large Carrot, cut into chunks
- 10 Green beans cut into 1" pieces
- 1 large floret of Cauliflower, cut into smaller florets
- 1 Beetroot, grated or cut into small pieces
- Salt to tate
- 1 tsp Rava (semolina)
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Chili pwd
- 1½ tsp Garam masala
- ½ large Onion, finely diced
- Small piece Ginger
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 or 2 Green chili,
- Oil
- 2-3 tsp All purpose flour
- 1 cup Breadcrumbs
Instructions
Prep work
- Cut the vegetables into large or small pieces according to your preference. If you prefer chunks in your cutlet, increase the size accordingly. Make sure the beetroot is grated or cut into very small pieces, as it takes the longest to cook.
- In a pressure cooker, add the potatoes, beans, carrot, cauliflower florets and beetroot, along with some salt and cook for 2 whistles on medium heat.
- Strain the vegetables to remove any water left in the cooker.
- Take it in a bowl and mash them using a potato masher or a fork. You can leave chunks if you so prefer. Keep aside
- Grind the ginger, garlic and green chilis into a fine paste. Keep aside.
Making the vegetable cutlet
- Heat a skillet and add 2 tsp of oil.
- Add the finely diced onion and saute till it starts changing color.
- Add the ginger-garlic and green chili paste and saute for a couple of minutes.
- Add turmeric powder, chili powder and garam masala and roast till the raw smell is gone.
- Add the mashed vegetables and start mixing.
- Saute well till all the moisture from the vegetables is gone.
- Sprinkle some rava at this stage and saute a little more. This is optional. If you feel that some moisture still remains in the vegetables, then rava helps. You can substitute with a teaspoon of breadcrumbs too.
- Check the salt and remove to a plate.
- Once the vegetables are cool to touch, start making balls out of it.
- Lightly moisten your fingers with water. It helps with shaping the cutlets.
- Flatten the patties into cutlet shape. Don't make it too thick. I made around 16 cutlets.
- Take the all purpose flour in a bowl, add water to make a very loose paste out of it. Almost the consistency of buttermilk or milk, Keep aside
- In another bowl, add the breadcrumbs and keep aside.
- Dip the patties first in the all purpose flour paste and then in the breadcrumbs and then keep aside. Make sure the cutlet patties are well coated with the breadcrumbs.
- Cover and keep the patties in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. Then shallow fry them.
- Heat oil in a pan on a medium flame.
- When it is hot, add the cutlets.
- Let cutlets get light to dark brown on one side.
- Flip it over and cook it on the other side. And you are done.
- Serve with green chutney or ketchup.
Notes
- Add a little breadcrumbs to the vegetable mixture while forming the patties, if you feel it still has moisture.
- You can fry it in very less oil also. It still tastes amazing. Just make sure you cook the sides also .
- You leave some chunks while making the cutlet mixture, if you prefer so.
- After you bread the patties, you can store it in the fridge or the freezer for a few days. If you froze it, defrost it before frying.