Beetroot Cutlet

How to make weekends more interesting for kids? Well, these bundles of energy hardly agree to get a shut-eye or give you one on weekends. Atleast that is the case with my little girl. She refuses to sleep in the afternoons, even if I lie down with her and forcibly try to make her rest. At times, I have barely escaped from my eyes being dug out while pretending to be asleep. Well, the imp knows well that I am not really asleep and tries to get her message across, that she is not ready to sleep either. So to keep that bundle of energy occupied, I leave it to her to pick the activity.

One Saturday afternoon, after unsuccessfully trying to force her to take a nap, I gave up and asked her what she wanted to do instead. She suggested we make red cutlets. Fortunately that day, I had beetroots lying in the refrigerator waiting to be consumed. So that is how these came about.

Since most of these are are extempore attempts, I barely manage to click pictures and trust me passable pictures are very tough with the little one itching to help me with every single activity, blogging and photography included.

Ingredients:
Beetroot - 2, diced
Potatoes - 2, cut in chunks
Green peas - 1/4 cup
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Thyme (Omam) - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp

To assemble the cutlets:
Powdered Rusk/Bread crumbs - 1/4 cup
Maida - 2 tbsp
Water - 2 tbsp

Oil - for frying 

Method:

Boil the beetroot with very little water and keep aside. Boil the potatoes and green peas together. Retain the water from the beetroot, you can either add it to the mashed mix, if it gets too thick or consume it as such. Do not discard the nutrients from the water. 

Mash the potatoes and green peas until soft and add the beetroots. Add the spices into the mashed vegetables and combine well. Make small balls of the vegetables the size of a lemon and keep aside. 

Mix the water and maida to form a paste. Place the rusk powder on a flat plate. Take one lemon-sized ball of the vegetable mix and roll it into the maida mix. Pick up the maida paste coated vegetable and roll it into the rusk powder quickly. Flatten the ball and shape as desired and keep aside. You can shape them in simple round cutlets or squares or hearts. My little one wanted two of each. 

Heat a girdle and add oil. When the oil heats up, place 3-4 cutlets on the girdle and let them cook on one side. Once done, flip the cutlets over and cook the other side. Flip them gently so they don't break loose. 

Alternately you can grill them in an oven, since veggies are already cooked, you only need to grill them. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C, place the assembled cutlets on a roasting plate and grill for 12 minutes. 

Serve hot with chutney or sauce.

Verdict: This is a fun way of feeding the little ones some healthy veggies. They easily gobble up 2-3 cutlets, so there goes the quota of veggies for the day.