Sabzi Cutlet

It seemed like a good idea at the time. It'd been a while since I made anything from the Indian subcontinent and I had the ingredients on hand, so why not? Sigh...This was first and foremost a mess in the kitchen and then food as an afterthought. The procedure seemed easy enough but it quickly became a messy disaster. I found it curious the recipe from Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Sumana Ray called for dipping the soft patties in batter before rolling in breadcrumbs. How the heck?? Well, I avoided that mess and dumped it straight into hot oil. Little did I realize it would stick to the pan. =( Even before I got to that step, I had trouble manipulating the patties as they deformed with every touch or slight movement. Not surprising. It's mashed veggies after all, but I had figured the chilling step in the fridge would have helped stiffen it up like when making pastry dough. Tastewise, it was ok aside from the oiliness I created. That was likely due to my inability to deep fry properly in terms of keeping the temperature right, etc... I know what to do and why to do certain things in a theoretical manner but I never seem to be able to pull it off. As for the veggies in the mash, the beets and carrots lended a bit of sweetness while the potatoes held it all together with the spices. The cabbage was invisible. Or at least, I didn't notice its presence.

Fool! You say. So why did I make this despite my reservations that turned into a disastrous reality? I'd been wanting to try something from this book but never had all the ingredients at the same time. If I did, I didn't realize the fact to try anything from the book. So I jumped at the opportunity when all the stars aligned. Should I eat this dish again, I'll opt for it at a good Indian restaurant instead. ;) If they have it. Otherwise, I need to find myself an Indian friend who can fry me some up to try the real deal. ;P I have an inkling I wouldn't make a good Indian chef...

I was so preoccupied trying to recover from the ordeal in the kitchen, I nearly forgot to photograph the cutlets. Maybe I didn't want to remember any part of this evening...;) They look so innocuous sitting in the plastic container...