Durga Puja Special: Kolkata-Style Vegetable Chop

Durga Puja is not only the time of the year when people get together to celebrate the triumph of good over evil and pay homage to goddess Durga but also, it signals elaborate feasts. While the pandemic has downscaled the festivities in terms of gatherings and visiting pandals, we thought why not prepare this popular Bengali snack that is a crowd favourite especially during this time of the year. Vegetable chop is sold in almost every corner of Bengal, starting from street food vendors to popular restaurants. It is a no onion no garlic recipe and is hence one of the highly demanding snack recipes during puja days. Made with a homemade bhaja masala, it is a unique cutlet/croquette recipe that was modified in Bengali kitchens during the British Raj.

RECIPE

Prep time: 40 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Makes: 9 medium size chops

Ingredients

2 large carrots, parboiled and grated

2 large potatoes, parboiled and grated

2 medium-size beetroots, parboiled and grated

1 ½ tablespoon raw peanuts, roughly crushed

1 ½ tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon kalonji (black cumin)

3 dry red chillies

1 black cardamom pod, crushed

5 whole black peppercorns

Salt, to taste

1 cup bread crumbs

4 tablespoon cornflour

Oil, to deep fry

Method

1. Dry roast the spices (fennel, cumin, cardamom, dry red chili, black peppercorn and kalonji)

2. Once the spices have cooled down and grind to powder. Keep aside.

3. In a non-stick kadhai heat one tablespoon oil (1tbsp)

4. Add ginger and the grated parboiled vegetables (potato, carrot and beetroot).

5. Mix well and add the powdered spice mix

6. Add salt and keep cooking on low heat till the moisture has reduced and you can make a nice round ball without sticking the vegetables to your hand.

7. Once the mixture has cooled, make cylindrical shaped balls.

8. Make a thin cornflour slurry by mixing water and corn flour.

9. Dip the vegetable balls in the batter and roll them in bread crumbs.

10. Deep fry the chops.

11. Serve Kolkata-Style Vegetable Chop with Kasundi