Stuffed Vegetable Cutlets

"Hmm.. here is your butter. Hold out your hand. No! No! don't come near me!! Don't touch me!! ugh! Here!  and remember, don't come into the house  like this. Clean yourself thoroughly." He grinned , accepted the white butter and slathered it on to this 'paav' and eagerly devoured it. He then went to the back of the house, to a lone tap and  'thoroughly clean up', chuckling to himself and then entered the house. 

My father is a raconteur and this kind of family talk and laughter were the highlights of my India trip. I enjoyed this little anecdote my Father told me as I soaked slices of brown bread in a saucer of water and squeezed them. We were sitting at the family dining table and I was doing the prep work for Vegetable Cutlets. 

I love hearing tales of his childhood and how things were in India before Independence and how VERY orthodox and traditional  his family was, in fact, how ultra conservative Bijapur was. Eating out was not acceptable and 'western' or non-Hindu / Brahmin food was a big no-no. Eating bread or paav ( baked in a non-Hindu) made my Grandmother shudder! How different from this day when one does not stop to consider anything except  in making  a choice in the various brands or very occasionally , white or brown bread! 

Source: Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking

Makes 8

For the Potato Shells:

3 Medium ( 1lb.) red Potatoes, peeled and cooked

12-15 Slices White bread ( I use Brown, whole wheat)

4 Cups Warm water

1tsp. salt

1tsp. Veg. Oil

For the Filling:

1 tsp. Veg Oil

1 tsp. Cumin

1/2 Cup finely chopped Onion

1tsp. Chopped Ginger root

2  med. Garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 med. red Potatoes(2/3 lb.) peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes

1 med. Carrot Finely chopped

1/2 cup Frozen peas

1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped

2 tbs. Amchur pwd. or 1 tbs. lemon/lime juice

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp.Ground Cumin

1 tsp. Cayenne

1/4 cup Water

For the coating:

1 Egg lightly beaten ( I used a runny paste of flour and water)

1 cup dry Plain Breadcrumbs

Veg. Oil to brush

Make Potato Shells:

Mash potatoes in a bowl and set aside

Dip bread slices in warm water,just until moist. remove immediately and press between palms  and remove all water

Add bread and salt to the potatoes and knead the mixture until smooth

* If the mixture is too sticky, add 2-3 DRY slices and knead

Brush with oil and keep aside

Make the Filling:

Heat 1 T. oil in a wok/kadhai on medium high heat

Add cumin and sizzle  for 30 secs.

Add Onion and Ginger root, Garlic

Stir-fry 2-3 mins. or till onion is golden brown

Stir in remaining  filling ingredients, except water

Stir-fry for 1-2 mins. cover and simmer till potatoes are tender

If the mix is wet, open lid and cook till water evaporates and mix is dry

Cool Completely

Assemble Cutlets

Divide dough into 8 equal parts

press or roll each into a 6 inch circle on a lightly floured surface and spoon about 1/4 cup filling onto the center

Carefully fold the dough  over the filling to make a semi circle

Press with a fork to seal

Brush with oil on a 12 inch skillet and heat over medium heat

Coat cutlets with egg/ flour+water , coat with bread crumbs

Place cutlets on skillet, do not overcrowd

Cook 16-20 mins, turning once until shells ate Golden brown.

Serve with Ketchup

Changes I made:

Used Brown bread instead of white. Also unsure of the number of bread slices, so used my judgement. 12-15 slices were too much for me.

Used flour and water instead of egg for coating.  Made a thin and runny solution of  flour + water to dip the cutlets 

I made smaller cutlets

Did not put cutlets on the skillet once they were filled, directly dipped them in flour-water and coated with breadcrumbs

These are a bit time consuming to make but totally, totally worth the effort! You and/or your guests won't waste time polishing them off! 

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