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    Home » Vegetarian » Beet, Potato and Pea Vegetable Patties - Indian Cutlets

    Beet, Potato and Pea Vegetable Patties - Indian Cutlets

    Published: Feb 3, 2017 · Modified: Jul 16, 2021 | This post may contain affiliate links·

    410 shares
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    Beet, Potato and Pea Vegetable Patties are inspired by a popular snack served on the Indian Railways. Also known as vegetable cutlets, this version makes for a great snack option for children and adults alike!

    Snack time in our house is a big deal. Given a choice, I would have snack-sized portions of meals through the day, every day. My son takes after me in this regard. A portion of fruit, granola or yogurt would make many kids very happy at snack time, but the gourmet in my 3 year old comes to the fore around 5 pm.. our regular snack time, and there are very often demands for his favorite snacks, a smoothie, a sandwich, or these beloved beet, potato and pea vegetable patties, also known as vegetable cutlets.

    I'm actually very happy that my son loves these veggie patties and requests for them, because it brings back memories of railway journeys of my childhood. The great Indian Railways is nothing like the synthetic, sterile train journeys that one is used to in Europe. A train journey in the Indian Railways offers a veritable 'slice of life' experience, where one gets to see people in all shapes and sizes, people chatting in several dialects, travelers making space for other travelers without a reservation, playing card games, singing songs, opening up packages of food and sharing them, fixing up a sleeping berth at night time, and then climbing into it for the night.

    Train journeys of up-to 48 hours in a sleeper coach are not out of the ordinary. Bathroom breaks in the wee hours, lining up for the sink in the morning, and then brushing your teeth to the view of rivers and lush trees whizzing by, these were all part of the rail experience. Personally, my favorite bit of rail journeys was always the night, after lights out, when I would clamber into the highest berth, switch on the reading light and read through the night.

    Imagine, then, the charm of eating railway food on such a journey. The Indian Railway canteen had a limited menu, however it made up for this with a steady stream of vendors who would walk the aisles doling out coffee or tea from a stainless steel container. Most stations had their own canteens and vendors selling all kinds of snacks and meals, which would vary depending on the state you happened to be in. So in the south for instance, vendors sell deep-fried vadas with savory chutney and sambar, skillfully wrapped in plantain leaves, or deep fried banana fritters, and as you travel northwards, the food changes along with the landscape. In the northern and central states, pooris (deep fried flatbread) with potato curry, samosas and potato vadas are very common.

    A very popular fixture on the India Railways menu is the ubiquitous vegetable cutlet. This, along with tomato soup and egg biryani were staples of the railway menu. These vegetable cutlets are crumbed, deep fried patties made of potato, carrots, beet and peas, and often came shaped like a heart, 2 pieces to a plate, accompanied by a sachet of ketchup, and sometimes, two slices of bread with butter in a sachet, presumably a make-your-own-sandwich kit.

    What you will love about these Beet, Potato and Pea Vegetable Patties: 

    These vegetable cutlets, very often served a long time after they are made, tend to be soggy, its deep fried crispness a thing of the past. Which is a shame, because served fresh, and piping hot, these make quite the treat. I have made several versions of these cutlets or patties, and the recipe here is one that doesn't take too much effort in prepping and cooking.

    They are packed with beets, potatoes and peas and you could chuck in some grated carrot and grated cauliflower as well. This is one of my favorite ways of getting veggies into my child's diet. You could shallow fry them, as I do, or bake them to reduce the amount of oil used. Deep fry them if you are in the mood to reminisce train journeys of yester-years!

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    Beet, Potato and Pea Patties

     

    Beet, Potato and Pea Vegetable Patties

    Shinta
    Beet, Potato and Pea Vegetable Patties are inspired by a popular snack served on the Indian Railways. Also known as vegetable cutlets, this version makes for a great snack option for children and adults alike!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Course Side Dish, Snack, Starter
    Cuisine Indian

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 medium sized beetroot boiled, cooled and peeled
    • 2 large potatoes boiled, cooled and peeled
    • 1/2 red onion finely diced1 tsp garam masala (see notes on preparation)
    • 1 tsp dried ginger powder
    • 1 tsp chaat masala see notes
    • 1 tsp paprika powder or freshly ground black pepper adjust this according to your spice tolerance
    • 1 cup bread crumbs
    • Salt to taste
    • 1/2 cup of peas I use frozen peas

    Instructions
     

    • Using a potato masher, mash together the potato and beetroot
    • To the mashed vegetables, add in the finely diced red onion, all the spices, bread crumbs and salt
    • Using your hands, mix this well, untill the mixture is well combined, and can be easily shaped into patties
    • Add in the peas to the mixture and gently mix the peas into the mixture
    • Shape patties out of the mixture. I like to do this by wetting the palms of my hand before shaping the patties
    • You could freeze the patties for later, once shaped or fry them in a pan with a little vegetable oil
    • For a healthier, oil-free version, pop the patties into the oven and grill them at 180 C for 15 minutes, flipping them over midway.
    • Serve with ketchup or dip of your choice

    Notes

    A word on the spices used: I make my own garam masala mix, which is a ground blend of dry-roasted cloves, cardamom, fennel, cinnamon and mace. Garam masala is also available in Indian stores and most ethnic stores as are dried ginger powder and chaat masala.
    Keyword vegetable cutlets, Veggie patties
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Andrea says

      April 05, 2017 at 11:59 am

      What a wonderfully evocative piece on rail travel through India. As a student I backpacked through India with friends and all aspects of travelling by train are still very memorable; it was definitely unforgettable! I would love to eat some of the delicious things you mentioned (banana fritters... mmmmmm) but I do remember the great vego food and steaming chai that I had. 🙂

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        April 07, 2017 at 6:49 am

        thank you Andrea! It must have been so exciting backpacking as a student! Rail journeys in India are really an experience not be missed.

    2. Petra says

      February 08, 2017 at 10:29 pm

      I love snacks and this sounds delicious. I can only imagine how lovely it would be to have them on a journey, looking at the landscape passing by, thinking about my destination 🙂

    3. Miki Nava says

      February 06, 2017 at 7:43 pm

      Sounds delicious! And I loved reading about your train journeys. India is on my list of places i want to go to. I was just about to go and then fell pregnant, and never got the chance to go until now...

    4. Liz Voss says

      February 06, 2017 at 7:21 pm

      These sound so delicious! My daughter likes her food deconstructed, but I wonder if I could interest her in these because she loves potato and peas...

    5. Fiona says

      February 06, 2017 at 12:36 pm

      These look delicious. I will have to try them sometime. Would love to go on a rail journey in India like you describe! One day!

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        February 06, 2017 at 3:52 pm

        Thank you Fiona! I hope you get to try both - the recipe and the rail journey some day!

    6. Tara McLaughlin says

      February 06, 2017 at 9:36 am

      I love traveling by train. I spent three days traversing the United States a bunch of years back and look on it with great fondness. I've never been to India, but your experiences sound wonderful. And this snack looks great! I love that, piping hot sounds so good. Hope to try this recipe!

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        February 06, 2017 at 10:53 am

        Thank you Tara! Cross-country rail journeys are unforgettable experiences! I hope you give the recipe a try sometime

    7. Tanya says

      February 05, 2017 at 9:18 pm

      What a fun story to go with the food. I definitely want to try making these soon.

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        February 06, 2017 at 9:38 am

        Thank you Tanya! I hope you give it a try!

    8. Suchitra says

      February 04, 2017 at 4:28 pm

      Shinta, you have made me nostalgic.. the beet, potatoe & pea patties look delicious! No wonder your son is hooked! Happy FF!

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        February 05, 2017 at 10:29 am

        Thank you Suchitra! Happy FF to you as well!

    9. Jhuls says

      February 04, 2017 at 11:31 am

      These sound so good! I wouldn't mind eating these the whole day. 😀

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        February 05, 2017 at 10:29 am

        Thank you Jhuls! Im glad you liked the recipe!

    10. Julie says

      February 03, 2017 at 4:07 pm

      I wish a cutlet would topple from my computer so I could have a bite! They look delicious!

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        February 05, 2017 at 10:30 am

        Ha ha! Thank you so much....that sounds like me when I'm browsing my favorite food blogs!

    11. Monika Dabrowski says

      February 03, 2017 at 3:33 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe looks lovely, I am a huge fan of beetroot and 'collect' beetroot recipes, this one will be a great addition to my collection:)

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        February 05, 2017 at 10:31 am

        Glad you liked it Monika! I'd like to try more beetroot recipes too, will go through your collection for inspiration!

    12. Tamara Gerber says

      February 03, 2017 at 12:11 pm

      I loved reading about your travel memories! Thanks for sharing.
      Those patties sound simply and yummy, I might try them soon. Just the other day I saw a recipe using zucchini and sweet corn.

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        February 03, 2017 at 12:42 pm

        Thank you Tamara! Food always sparks off a memory from my childhood. Its inevitable! Sweet corn and zucchini would be perfect additions to this patty recipe, do let me know if you give it a try!

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