Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday, February 8, 2010

Indian Meat and Veg Potato Cutlets with Kashmir Chutney

I love Indian food-I've said it before. I had a bunch of cooked potatoes from making potato water for a sourdough starter and was wondering what to do with them.

I looked through one cookbook and found spiced potato balls, which sounded good, but then I thought of the potato cutlets from the downtown farmer's market and summer time and...well, I had to make them!
I served these with a Kashmir chutney I canned a year ago. I hadn't opened any of the jars yet, nor had I ever made it before. I can't believe I waited so long! It is good stuff-sweet, spicy, tangy. I remember I used it because I had a stash of unripe pears to use up. I will definitely be making this again this summer, as I think I only made a couple jars. It won't last long. I will take pictures next time and post the recipe, but for now any sweet chutney will do as a side.

Indian Meat and Potato Cutlet (you can leave out the meat and add other veggies, or fish or queso blanco instead)
2-3 potatoes, cooked and mashed well
1 c ground cooked meat-I used leftover sausage from last night's pizza
1/2 c peas, frozen or fresh
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/4 bell pepper, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t fresh grated ginger
2 t garam masala
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper
1/2 t salt
2 T vinegar
several eggs beaten
breadcrumbs to coat, at least a couple cups
oil to fry-about 2 inches up the side of a pan

First let me say that these are kind of messy to make. They don't like to hold together all that well, so you have to do it for them until they are made.
Basically combine everything but the eggs, crumbs and oil in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

Since there is no egg binder, you can pull out a couple pieces and try them for seasoning. If you like yours stronger, add more ginger and garam masala. I really liked the hints in this, so it was just about perfect.
While you are doing that, put a deep sided frying pan on the stove and heat your oil. You want it nice and hot, but over moderate heat. You are going to shallow pan fry these, rather than deep fry, thought I suppose you could deep fry them.

Beat up a few eggs to start and set up your breading station.
To form these:
First take out about a golf ball or so size piece of the potato mixture.

Form it into a ball. Roll it *gently* in the bread crumbs first.

This seems to help it hold together in the eggs. Then *gently* roll it in the eggs.

Roll it again the bread crumbs.

Now, take your palm and flatten it into a disc-not too flat, you still want it 1/4-1/2 thick.


Carefully put them in the hot oil and fry until darkening brown one side, then flip. Drain on a towel, and eat.

I am testing right now to see how they freeze, as this makes quite a bit.
Serve with a raita or sweet chutney. Like I mentioned before, I used one I had canned called a Kashmir chutney, but the ones you usually find in a standard store are usually Major Grey's a mango based one. The Kashmir is apple based. I will post the tute for it in apple season next!

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