When it comes to Indian street food, West Bengal stands out. The bold flavours, unique combinations, and a dash of sweet and savoury elements are what make it so special. Not just the delectable puchkas, but this state is also famous for other foods like kathi rolls, telebhaja, ghugni chaat, churmur, jhalmuri, biryani, and whatnot! One of the most popular dishes from West Bengal, Veg Chop, is also a gastronomic highlight of West Bengal. Made with simple ingredients, this dish is like a cutlet but is much more flavorful due to the variety of vegetables used in it. What's more, if you are craving it and can't travel to West Bengal, you can easily make it at home! Intrigued? Read on to learn how to make Bengali Veg Chop at home!
Also Read: Bengali Cuisine: 7 Bengali Curries That Have Our Heart (Recipes Inside)
Bengali Veg Chop is easy to make.
Photo Credit: iStock
Can You Make Bengali Veg Chop in an Air Fryer?
Yes! Bengali Veg Chop is deep-fried to get a crunchy exterior, but you can easily replace the process with an air fryer. To make Bengali Veg Chop in an air fryer, preheat your appliance to 180 degrees C for about 5 minutes. Brush the air fryer basket with oil and gently place the coated veg chops on them. Make sure to leave some space between the cutlets. Dab a little oil on them and air fry them for 20 minutes until they are golden brown, flipping them halfway through. And it's done!
How to Make Bengali Veg Chop: Recipe to Make Bengali Veg Chop at Home
Take potatoes, beetroot, chopped carrots, beans, peas, onions, chillies, and dry chillies and put them in a pressure cooker with water and salt. Cook them for 15-17 minutes on medium flame until they are mushy. Drain the veggies and keep them aside. In a small pan, stir-fry 3 tablespoons of roasted peanuts on a low flame until they become crunchy. When their coating begins to char a bit, turn off the flame and let the peanuts cool down. Remove the skin once they are okay to hold.
After the drained veggies have cooled down a bit, peel and grate them in a pan. Then add fennel seeds, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, roasted peanuts, sugar, and salt to the veggies and mix. Aside from the fennel seeds, you can also add fennel seed powder and mix well. If you feel the mixture is too loose, then add some breadcrumbs to it.
Bengali Veg Chop is flavourful and delicious.
Photo Credit: iStock
In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of maida and 6 tablespoons of water and make a slurry of it. Now take the vegetable mixture and shape it like a cylindrical cutlet. Dip the cutlet in the maida slurry and then coat it with breadcrumbs. Repeat the process if you feel the coating isn't sufficient. Shape the rest of the vegetable mixture into cylinders and repeat the same process.
In a frying pan, heat some oil. Then gently place the Bengali Veg Chops in the oil without breaking them. Fry both sides of the veg chop until golden brown but make sure not to overcrowd the pan. Take the Bengali Veg Chops out on a kitchen towel so that they soak in the extra oil. Plate them on a serving dish and garnish the chops with coriander leaves. And voila! Your Bengali Veg Chops are ready to serve! You can serve these chops with ketchup or a Bengali condiment called Aam Kasundi.
Read the full recipe here.
Do you have any childhood memories of eating Veg Chop? Let us know in the comments below!