Vegetable cutlets are immensely popular street food loved by all Indians across the country and recreating such popular street food at home makes me incredibly happy!
Can you count how many times you have had these vegetable cutlets till date? I can’t! They are such mouthwatering finger food that you can’t even keep track of how many you ate when served a fresh batch!
This purely vegetarian cutlet is tempting to everyone and hence is the most-ordered snack in any street food joint during the evening tea time!
The combination of tea with a bite of these refreshing vegetable cutlets is just so mind-blowing that I was tempted to make them at home!
These stunning vegetable cutlets are a perfect crowd-pleaser which is why they are best as conversation starters in any house party.
What’s more? These vegetable cutlets can be pre-prepped and frozen for a month; then simply deep fry them before serving! A perfect win-win recipe!
If you haven’t had a chance yet to try these beautiful vegetable cutlets, I urge you to make it at the earliest and enjoy your evening tea or coffee like never before!
What is a vegetable cutlet?
Vegetable cutlet is a popular quick bite street food made from mixed vegetables that are pre-cooked, shaped as per your desire and then fried with a coating of breadcrumbs.
To give body and shape to vegetable cutlets, you need a generous amount of boiled potatoes which helps bind all the ingredients thanks to the stickiness of this versatile veggie.
Plus, potatoes are extremely potent in absorbing flavors; so whatever vegetables & spices you use in your vegetable cutlets, their flavors will beautifully infuse the potatoes making your cutlets absolutely delicious!
These vegetable cutlets also have a delicious combination of crispy outer coating with soft & succulent veggies inside making them so crave-worthy!
Ingredients for vegetable cutlets
Potato: Potato is the key ingredient of these vegetable cutlets because boiled potato has the right amount of stickiness which holds together all other ingredients. Also potatoes soak all flavors nicely making the cutlets a flavor bomb in themselves!
Vegetables: A mix of vegetables is what makes these beauties so tempting thanks to the assortment of colors specked over the canvas of potatoes. Use a mix of finely chopped carrot, beetroot, french beans and handful of green peas.
Ginger: This quintessential aromatic makes the vegetable cutlets wonderfully flavorful.
Fresh Coriander: A handful of freshly chopped coriander will impart the fresh herby flavors to your vegetable cutlets; do not skip it!
Asafetida: A dash of asafetida a.k.a. hing will add a pungency to your vegetable cutlets but make sure not to overdo it!
Green chilli: Finely chopped green chillies will give that hint of spiciness without making your cutlets too hot to handle!
Cumin seeds: Temper the hot oil with whole cumin seeds to infuse it with subtle flavors.
Powdered spices: These vegetable cutlets are flavored with all the delightful Indian spices such as turmeric powder, coriander powder, spicy red chilli powder and the garam masala.
Dry mango powder: I want to mention this one specifically as I feel this spice powder adds a distinctive flavor which makes these vegetable cutlets more tempting!
Maida/All-purpose flour: A few tablespoons of this versatile ingredient is used to create a dipping slurry for the cutlets so that breadcrumbs can easily stick to them. It also keeps the cutlets soft inside.
Corn flour: A couple of tablespoons of corn flour is added to the same dipping slurry along with maida to keep the crispness of the cutlets intact after deep frying. It is also added to the cutlet mixture for binding.
Breadcrumbs: The crispy outer coating of vegetable cutlets are made with good old breadcrumbs which is one key ingredient for many Indian snacks. Use the regular breadcrumbs to get that traditional and authentic street style look of your homemade vegetable cutlets.
Oil: You will need a good amount of oil for deep frying your cutlets and a couple of tablespoons to saute the mixed vegetables before making the cutlets.
Salt & pepper: Season your vegetable cutlets perfectly with the right amount of salt and pepper.
How to make vegetable cutlets?
Step 1: First you have to make the cutlet mixture. To do that, heat the oil in a frying pan and temper the hot oil with cumin seeds, asafetida, chopped ginger & green chillies.
Step 2: Stir and cook them in hot oil for half a minute. Then add the mixed vegetables – finely chopped carrot, beetroot, French beans and also the green peas.
Step 3: Sauté the veggies over medium heat for 5 minutes and then add all the powdered spices – turmeric, coriander, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt & black pepper.
Step 4: Mix the spices nicely with all veggies and let them cook for 2 more minutes.
Step 5: Then switch off the flame and transfer the veggies to a large mixing bowl and allow them to cool down completely.
Step 6: While the vegetables are cooling down, peel the boiled potatoes and mash them well on a plate using a potato masher making sure there is no lump.
Step 7: Now coming back to the sautéed veggies, once they are completely cool, add a tablespoon of corn flour and 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs.
Step 8: Also add the mashed potatoes, dry mango powder a.k.a amchur, freshly chopped coriander leaves and salt as per your taste to the vegetables.
Step 9: Now mix all the ingredients well using your hands; you do not have to knead the mixture but just nicely mix all ingredients so that the seasoning and veggies are evenly distributed within the mashed potatoes.
Pro tip: If you feel there is not enough binding, then feel free to add more breadcrumbs and/or corn flour as required.
Pro tip: To check if the mixture is ready with the right amount of binding, take a small portion of the mixture & press it with your fingers; if it binds & holds its shape perfectly then your mixture is ready to be shaped.
Step 10: To shape the vegetable cutlets, take about 3 tablespoons of the mixture in your clean hands & roll it between your palms to make a smooth ball.
Step 11: Now give it the droplet shape by pressing one end between your palms. Then place the cutlet on one hand and press it in a quick single stroke with the other hand to form the flat cutlet shape. Prepare all the vegetable cutlets similarly.
Step 12: Now you have to make the breading station. For that, combine 4 tablespoons of maida, 2 tablespoons of corn flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
Step 13: Then slowly pour water over it while whisking continuously to form a semi-thin slurry. Whisk it evenly making sure there is no lump.
Step 14: In another tray or plate, take the breadcrumbs and season it with salt. Place the slurry and breadcrumbs side by side; your breading station is ready.
Step 15: Now take one shaped cutlet at a time and carefully dip it into the maida-corn flour slurry and coat it well on both sides. You can use a fork to flip the cutlet over making sure not to break it.
Step 16: Now carefully lift the cutlet up from the slurry using either a fork (use it like a spoon and do not poke the cutlet) or with your hand letting the excess slurry drip off.
Step 17: Immediately drop the cutlet on the plate with breadcrumbs and cover it well on both sides with breadcrumbs by lightly pressing them over the cutlet. Make sure there is an even & smooth layer of the breadcrumbs.
Step 18: Coat all the cutlets similarly – first dip inside the slurry and then coat with breadcrumbs.
Pro tip: You can freeze the vegetable cutlets at this stage for about a month.
Step 19: To fry the cutlets, heat oil in a deep frying wok until it gets moderately hot but not smoking.
Step 20: Then drop the breaded cutlets one by one into the hot oil carefully but without overcrowding the wok allowing the cutlets to float around the oil freely.
Step 21: Deep fry the vegetable cutlets over medium flame until golden brown & crispy, flipping them in between once; it would take about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Step 22: Once your vegetable cutlets turn golden brown, take them out using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate lined with an absorbent kitchen towel to soak up the excess oil.
Step 23: Your tasty & tempting vegetable cutlets are ready! Serve them hot with ketchup or green chutney!
More delicious snacks recipes from Flavor Quotient
- Oil - 2 tbsp
- Cumin Seeds - ½ tsp
- Ginger - 1-inch piece, finely chopped
- Green chilli - 2-3, finely chopped
- Asafoetida - a pinch
- Carrot - 1, small, finely chopped
- Beetroot - 1, small, finely Chopped
- French beans - ⅓ cup, finely chopped
- Green peas - ⅓ cup
- Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
- Coriander powder - 2 tsp
- Spicy red chilli powder - 1 tsp
- Garam masala - ¼ tsp
- Black pepper powder - a pinch
- Salt - a pinch
- Potato - 4-5, medium, boiled until soft
- Corn flour - 1 tbsp
- Breadcrumbs - 3 tbsp
- Salt to Taste
- Dry mango powder - 2 tsp
- Fresh coriander leaves - a handful, finely chopped
- Maida/All-purpose flour - 4 tbsp
- Corn flour - 2 tbsp
- Breadcrumbs - 1 cup, approximately
- Salt - a pinch
- Water as required
- First you have to make the cutlet mixture. To do that, heat the oil in a frying pan and temper the hot oil with cumin seeds, asafetida, chopped ginger & green chillies.
- Stir and cook them in hot oil for half a minute. Then add the mixed vegetables - finely chopped carrot, beetroot, French beans and also the green peas.
- Sauté the veggies over medium heat for 5 minutes and then add all the powdered spices - turmeric, coriander, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt & black pepper.
- Mix the spices nicely with all veggies and let them cook for 2 more minutes.
- Then switch off the flame and transfer the veggies to a large mixing bowl and allow them to cool down completely.
- While the vegetables are cooling down, peel the boiled potatoes and mash them well on a plate using a potato masher making sure there is no lump.
- Now coming back to the sautéed veggies, once they are completely cool, add a tablespoon of corn flour and 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs.
- Also add the mashed potatoes, dry mango powder a.k.a amchur, freshly chopped coriander leaves and salt as per your taste to the vegetables.
- Now mix all the ingredients well using your hands; you do not have to knead the mixture but just nicely mix all ingredients so that the seasoning and veggies are evenly distributed within the mashed potatoes.
- To shape the vegetable cutlets, take about 3 tablespoons of the mixture in your clean hands & roll it between your palms to make a smooth ball.
- Now give it the droplet shape by pressing one end between your palms. Then place the cutlet on one hand and press it in a quick single stroke with the other hand to form the flat cutlet shape. Prepare all the vegetable cutlets similarly.
- Now you have to make the breading station. For that, combine 4 tablespoons of maida, 2 tablespoons of corn flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Then slowly pour water over it while whisking continuously to form a semi-thin slurry. Whisk it evenly making sure there is no lump.
- In another tray or plate, take the breadcrumbs and season it with salt. Place the slurry and breadcrumbs side by side; your breading station is ready.
- Now take one shaped cutlet at a time and carefully dip it into the maida-corn flour slurry and coat it well on both sides. You can use a fork to flip the cutlet over making sure not to break it.
- Now carefully lift the cutlet up from the slurry using either a fork (use it like a spoon and do not poke the cutlet) or with your hand letting the excess slurry drip off.
- Immediately drop the cutlet on the plate with breadcrumbs and cover it well on both sides with breadcrumbs by lightly pressing them over the cutlet. Make sure there is an even & smooth layer of the breadcrumbs.
- Coat all the cutlets similarly - first dip inside the slurry and then coat with breadcrumbs.
- To fry the cutlets, heat oil in a deep frying wok until it gets moderately hot but not smoking.
- Then drop the breaded cutlets one by one into the hot oil carefully but without overcrowding the wok allowing the cutlets to float around the oil freely.
- Deep fry the vegetable cutlets over medium flame until golden brown & crispy, flipping them in between once; it would take about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Once your vegetable cutlets turn golden brown, take them out using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate lined with an absorbent kitchen towel to soak up the excess oil.
- Your tasty & tempting vegetable cutlets are ready! Serve them hot with ketchup or green chutney! Enjoy!
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