Vegetable chop..

This is one of my earlier posts from 2012, when I was new to the world of blogging. As I was making vegetable chops to go with the Diwali sweets thought to take few photos of this family favorite snack. I have not deleted the older images, though they appear to be so amateurish, that shows how much my style and skill of photography has changed in these years. 

Vegetable chop is a popular bengali snack. In Kolkata one can find these vegetable chops in 'telebhajar dokan'(fried food stall). I have seen my uncle to make these at home, specially during durga puja. He used make these on 'Ashatmi'(the day before Navratri) as it was a strict rule to take only vegetarian food on that auspicious day.We were in a joint family of 40members. So I remember him to make piles of them. We, the kids of the house used to gather around to watch him making those red color rounds and rolling them in bread crumbs. Now my uncle is no more, but I have those wonderful memories with me.

Ingredients you need to make vegetable chop:

• Carrot: 1
• Potato: 1
• Beet: 1
• Peanuts(crushed): 1tbsp
• Ginger(grated): 1tbsp
• Fennel seeds: 1/2tsp
• Cumin seeds: 1/2tsp
• Kalonji/kalo jire(black seeds): 1/8tsp
• Dry red chili: 1-2
• Cardamom: 2
• Cinnamon: 1/2inch
• Black peppercorn: 3-4
• Salt to taste
• Sugar: 1tsp
• Breadcrumbs: 1 cup
• Corn starch:3-4tbsp
• Oil to deep fry

How to make vegetable chops:

1.Roast the dry spices(fennel, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, dry red chili, black peppercorn, kalonji), let them cool down and grind to powder. Keep aside.

2. Peel the vegetables, wash them well and cut to fit in a pressure cooker. Cook till the first whistle goes off, remove from heat. Wait till the pressure releases. Take out all the vegetables and keep in a colander to drain out all the excess water.

3. Grate the cooked vegetables. Or you can roughly chop them.

4. In a non stick pan add some oil (1 tbsp) and when the oil is hot reduce the heat and add grated ginger and the vegetables. Add the powdered spices and crushed peanuts. Stir well. Add salt and sugar. Keep cooking for 10-15 min. Switch off the heat. Let the mixture cool down. 

[Note: If you think your vegetable mixture has more moisture then increase the cooking time. Just take a little vegetable mix in your hand and try to make a ball, if you can make a nice round ball without sticking the vegetables to your hand then the mix is perfectly done.]

5.Make small balls with the mixture. The size and shape depends on individuals choice, I make different shapes from round to cylinders to heart-shaped.

6. Make a batter by mixing water and corn starch. The batter should be thick enough to coat the vegetable mixture. but do not make it too thick or the crust will become thick. Dip the vegetable balls in the batter and roll them in bread crumbs.

7. Repeat the process. So the vegetable balls coated twice with bread crumbs.

8. Deep fry the chops and serve with tomato ketchup or kasundi(mustard sauce) and onion rings.

As this has several veggies in it, it is a good snack for the kids also. It can be served as starter in a party or just munch these delicious chops during a rainy afternoon with a hot cup of tea.