Bengali Veg Chop / Vegetable Chop / Bhejetebil Chop

Today marks the last day of this mega marathon featuring 'Indian sweets and snacks' and day after tomorrow, I am going to post a round up of the dishes I posted this month. The last one in the series is a Bengali street food called vegetable chop or in colloquial terms, bhejetebil chop. It is a Bengali take on the cutlet recipe and the croquettes are oblong shaped. The vegetables used here are beets, carrot and potatoes. Some fry onions and add them as well. The prepared vegetable mixture is well seasoned with a local spice powder called bhaja masala, coated in a flour slurry and seasoned bread crumbs and then deep fried. The resulting chops are very delicious, crispy from outside and soft from inside. The chops are served along with ketchup and onion- cucumber salad but they go good with any spicy chutney. 

I am not into deep frying honestly speaking and as my husband points out I deep fry something only when the blog recipe demands but not upon his requests, which happens to be a fact. My both kids are not at all tempted and don't touch deep fried foods, especially the vadas / bahjias kind of stuff and my mother keeps telling me that it's all my doing. I tell her that it's a blessing in disguise. 😉 And so, I kept postponing this recipe until last month only ending up trying it twice because I was not very happy with the recipe and also the pictures I took. 

I followed Sandeepa's recipe for these chops. The first time I followed the method of boiling and grating vegetables and then cooking to dry up any moisture present. I felt the mixture was on a softer side at that time though on hindsight I realize it was perfect and I did not do two things which would have given me the perfect chops. She mentioned adding some bread crumbs / flour if the mixture appeared to be in need of binding. I did not do it. The second thing was I did not coat the rolls generously with bread crumbs which made some of the rolls to fall apart while deep frying. I shallow fried the remaining chops that time. The second time I chose to grate carrots and beets and saute in a pan, without any water added. I cooked the potatoes separately and dried them thoroughly. The resulting mixture I made for rolls was on a drier side and made perfect rolls. I choose to deep fry the first time going the authentic way but the second time I chose to opt for shallow frying. I coated with seasoned bread crumbs lightly since I was shallow frying but coat generously if deep frying. My husband suggested to try air frying them since everything in the rolls except the slurry was cooked so that I can avoid the hassle of frying. I wasn't sure and went ahead with shallow frying. Also here is an important tip to note. Taste the mixture used to prepare chops before hand and keep it on a spicier side since the vegetables used here are naturally sweet. Otherwise the chops end up being sweeter and one may not enjoy if expecting some chatpata cutlets.

Ingredients for bhaja masala:
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
6 cloves
12 peppercorns
3 green cardamom
1/2 inch cinnamon piece
2 or 3 dried red chillies
1 tiny bay leaf

Ingredients for the rolls:
2 big sized carrots
2 medium sized beetroot
2 big sized potatoes
2 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. minced ginger
2 to 4 finely minced green chillies (Adjust the quantity as needed.)
Salt to taste
Red chili powder to taste
1/4 cup toasted, skinned and halved peanuts
1 tbsp. finely minced cilantro
Bread crumbs / all purpose flour (optional)
Oil for frying

Ingredients for the slurry:
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup water or more

Step 1 - Directions for preparing bhaja masala:
* Saute the spices individually on low flame without burning. One can make bhaja masala just with cumin seeds and red chillies.

* Let them cool and then grind them together finely.

Step 2 - Directions for preparing the mixture for chops:

The vegetables used are beetroot, carrot and potato. Either you can boil them and then grate / mash them. Or grate and cook beets and carrots while boiling and mashing the potatoes separately. I have tried both the methods and thought the second method makes the veggie mixture firmer compared to the first method. If one is trying these chops for the first time, then I recommend to grate and cook the vegetables. Or if following the first method, drain the cooked vegetables thoroughly and use some binding if needed.

Method 1:

* Peel and pressure cook the vegetables (without chopping) adding enough water for one / two whistles. When the valve pressure is gone, remove the lid and drain the vegetables.

* Mash potatoes. Grate beets and also carrot if you can or mash the latter. The vegetables don't need to be finely mashed. It is ok if they are grainy.

 

* Heat a tsp. of oil and add ginger, green chillies, prepared vegetables, 1 heaped tbsp. of bhaja masala, salt, chili powder. Saute them together until the excess water dries up and the mixture comes together. Add the roasted peanuts and coriander and mix. If needed 2 tbsp. of bread crumbs or all purpose flour can be added for binding. (My mixture still was loose and I did not notice the tip of adding flour or crumbs to bind which is crucial, I guess. Also I sauteed just the vegetables and added other ingredients just to combine.)

Method 2: (I halved the recipe the second time.) 

* Peel, chop and boil potatoes in a microwave or on stove-top and drain completely. Mash and keep it aside.

* Peel and grate beets, carrots and ginger. Chop the green chillies finely.

* Heat oil in a pan and add green chillies and ginger. Saute them for about 30 seconds and add the grated carrot and beets. 

* Cover and cook on low medium flame until the vegetables are done.

* Add bhaja masala, salt, chili powder to the pan and mix. Turn off the stove and add peanuts, and coriander leaves. Taste and add chili powder more if needed. Keep the mixture spicier since the carrots and beets are on the sweet side. 

Step 3 -  Directions for shaping and coating the chops:
* Mix all the ingredients well to combine and shape them into the traditional oblong shapes or as discs. (These rolls were from the first time and the second time, they were very firm. )

* Sieve chickpea flour and make a lump-free slurry adding water. All purpose flour / cornstarch can be added instead of chickpea flour.

* Take a roll gently and dip it in the chickpea flour slurry coating it's entire surface.

* Gently lift the roll and let any extra liquid coating it drip into the flour slurry bowl. Immediately roll in seasoned bread crumbs. Repeat the steps of dipping the roll in slurry and coating them in bread crumbs with all the vegetable rolls. If deep frying, coat them with bread crumbs a little more than my rolls shown below. I have coated them lightly. Refrigerate them for about an hour. The rolls at this step can be refrigerated for 3 - 4 days and can be fried later when needed. Or can even be frozen for a longer period of time given that they are thawed before frying them. (These rolls were made following the second method where beets and carrots were grated and then cooked. The rolls were easy to shape and they held the shape even after dipping in slurry.) 

* I coated a batch of rolls in semolina since the bread crumbs were garlic flavored which I don't prefer. (These rolls were made the first time, from boiled and then grated vegetables. They held the shape but after dipping them in slurry, I had to reshape a few rolls and were not perfect looking.)

Step 4 - Frying the chops:
* Heat oil in a frying pan without bringing it to smoking point. The quantity of oil depends upon whether one is deep frying or shallow frying the rolls. When the oil is hot, add the prepared rolls to the pan. 

* Keep rotating and fry them to golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon, draining as much oil as possible. Transfer them to a plate covered with a paper towel. Repeat the frying step with the remaining rolls. Serve them immediately sprinkling some chaat masala and ketchup / spicy chutney.

So far my recipes in the series of 'Indian Snacks and Sweets' are below.

First week - Indian Traditional Sweets
Malaadu / Hurigadale Unde
Dry Gulab Jamun
Coconut Burfi / Kobbari Mithai
Almond Halwa / Badam Halwa
Elaneer Payasam
Godhuma Sojjappalu

Second week - Snacks from Gujarat, India
Damni Dhokla
Doodhi Muthia / Lauki Muthia
Dal Pandoli

Sev Khamani

Methi Khakhra
Pressure Cooker Khandvi

Third Week - Snacks
Bafauri
Soy Beans Guggillu / Sundal

Jhal Muri

Roasted Phool Makhana
Kalmi Vada Chaat
Spicy Corn Chaat

Fourth Week - Regional Snacks 
Aakukoora Pappu Chekkalu
Millet Handvo (Baked Version)
Ratlami Sev

Jowar Kothimbir Vadi
Kalmi Vada

Ooty Varkey
Dahi Gujiya

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Jhal Muri

So far in the series,

First week - Sweets
Malaadu / Hurigadale Unde
Dry Gulab Jamun
Coconut Burfi / Kobbari Mithai
Almond Halwa / Badam Halwa
Elaneer Payasam
Godhuma Sojjappalu

Second week - Snacks from Gujarat
Damni Dhokla
Doodhi Muthia / Lauki Muthia
Dal Pandoli

Sev Khamani

Methi Khakhra
Pressure Cooker Khandvi

Third Week - Snacks
Bafauri
Soy Beans Guggillu / Sundal

While bhelpuri is associated with beaches of Mumbai and churumuri / girmit is famous in Karnataka, the Bengali variant is called jhalmuri. Jhalmuri literally means spicy puffed rice and is a popular street food from Kolkata. It is a light and yummy snack made with puffed rice, chanachur, onions, chilies, a special masala powder, and other ingredients. What keeps this popular Bengali street food apart from the other regional puffed rice snacks across India is the use of mustard oil which lends a piquant flavor and uniqueness to the dish. 

Jhalmuri is a melange of spicy and tangy flavors and the tasty snack makes a great guilt free option to snack on though diabetics must pay attention since the puffed rice shoots up the sugar levels. Jhalmuri though originated in the Bengal region seems to be quite popular in eastern regions of India and Bangladesh as well. This is how I prepare but the recipe can be customized to one's own preferences by adding  / omitting other spices and flavors. Fine sev can be added in lieu of chanachur. Combine all jhalmuri ingredients quickly and serve immediately as soon as it is assembled to maintain the crunchiness of the snack while eating.

Ingredients:
4 cups puffed rice
Salt and / or black salt to taste
1/4 tsp. red chili powder or to taste
1/2 tsp. cumin powder or to taste
1/2 tsp. chaat masala or to taste
1/2 cup toasted peanuts
1 big sized potato
1 tomato, seeds removed and chopped
1 big sized onion, peeled and finely chopped
3/4 cup peeled and diced cucumber
1 green chillie, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely minced cilantro
1 tsp. mustard oil
Lemon juice to taste
1/4 cup chanachur / sev

Prep work:
* Peel and chop potatoes. Boil them until fork tender and drain the water used to cook. (I cooked them in a microwave.)
* Chop onions, tomatoes, cucumber, green chillies and cilantro and keep them ready.
* Heat a kadai / wok and add puffed rice. Keep toasting on low - medium flame, until crisp and turn off the stove. It takes just a few minutes to toast them and continuously stir to avoid burning the puffed rice.
Directions:
* To the toasted puffed rice, add the remaining ingredients except oil and lemon juice and toss the ingredients to combine. 

* Add oil and lemon juice at the end and toss well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve Immediately.

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A - Z Indian Street Foods ~ G for Ghugni Chaat

Bengal's ghugni aka ghugni chaat is a street food  popular both in eastern and northern parts of India. It can easily be classified under healthy and filling food category even though it is a street food. This chaat is full of flavors where dried peas are cooked in a base of aromatic spices, sweet onions and tangy tomatoes. This protein rich dish can be served as a chaat on it's own or even as a side dish for rotis / pooris.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup dried yellow peas

2 red onions, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

2 small potatoes - peeled, cubed and cooked

2 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. ginger paste

1 tsp. garlic paste (I didn’t use any.)

1/2 tbsp. or more bhaja masala 

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1/8 tsp. turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Ingredients to garnish:

Minced cilantro 

1 red onion, finely chopped

Sweet tamarind chutney

Bhaja masala (Recipe below)

Method:

* Soak dried peas for at least 6 hours or overnight. Pressure cook adding 2 cups of water for 2 whistles. Save the water used to cook peas.

* Heat oil in a pan, add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for few seconds. Add  chopped onion for garnishing and cook until translucent. Next add tomatoes and cook until the oil starts to ooze out. 

* Add cooked potato cubes and peas, turmeric powder, cumin powder, chili powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well and add about ¾ cup water (or saved water from cooking peas.)

* Cook on medium heat until the desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. (It should be thinner than my version in the pictures. I didn’t pour more liquid in the serving cups for picturing sake.)

* Garnish with bhaja masala, cilantro, chopped onion and tamarind chutney. Serve immediately.

Bhaja masala preparation:

Ingredients:

1 or 1.5 tsp. cumin seeds

2 red chillies (Use 1 chillie if less spice is preferred.) or 1/2 tsp. red chili powder 

Method:

* Dry toast the cumin seeds on low flame until they start to brown. Toast the red chillies if using. Cool and grind them together fine.

* If using chili powder, toast cumin seeds only. Grind cumin and mix chili powder to it. This is bhaja masala. 

So far, on this series,
A for Aloo Kabli
B for Bajra Vada
C for Chooda Matar
D for Dahi Batata Puri
E for Elaichi - Kesar Lassi
F for Fulwadi

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A - Z Indian Street Food ~ A for Aloo Kabli

I mentioned to my husband casually one evening last month that I am planning to participate in this month's mega marathon ‘Explore the Flavors’. The man who was busy working looked at me probably wondering when did I start needing his permission to do anything and what was special about marathon this time. He thinks that I cook based on marathon themes rather than considering anyone's tastes and preferences at home.😊 I further volunteered that I was not able to choose whether I need to pick a weekly theme or go with one theme for the whole month. Though I sounded as solemn as I was questioning whether I need to solve the hunger problem first or tackle poverty first in the world, the husband zoned out and simply said 'mmm'. For the next few minutes or to rather my questions, I kept on getting more 'mmm's which literally translate to ‘I am not paying attention anymore, you can stop’. Though I had made a list of recipes for weekly themes, I gave him a final ultimatum loudly that I need to go to Whole foods and Patels to buy some millets and other grains I haven’t used before as I was picking ‘Whole Grain’ theme.

That got him into my track back as he wasn’t sure what would I dole out in the name of ‘healthy’ dishes and he wanted to hear about my weekly themes. I told him what they were and said I was planning to cook 6 or 8 international street foods as part of it. The man is a die-hard fan of Indian street food and by now, his interest has piqued by ten folds. Probably he was shocked and thought I was crazy planning international street food instead of making his favorite chaats at home. He switched from inattentive to 'convincing the wife' mode in no time to get me agree to cook 26 street food items at home. That’s how I ended up going to blog about Indian street food this month. 

I decided to go with A-Z theme and had a healthy dish planned for this first post but my husband wanted some aloo chaat instead. I went to the Bengal region to pick this lip smacking version called aloo kabli instead of doling out the common one. As the name indicates, this one is a potato – chickpeas (kabuli chana) salad and is lip smacking good with a zesty sauce as the background. Though the ingredients' list is long, this is quite a simple recipe to dole out. You can even add cucumber pieces and tomato if preferred. The freshly ground bhaja masala lends an inviting cumin flavor and the tamarind sauce lends a blend of sweet, spicy and tangy flavor base to this quick and yummy chaat. This aloo - kabli can be eaten as a quick snack or even a light meal. 

Recipe source: Here

Ingredients:

2 medium sized potatoes (about 1.5 cup cubed)

1/4 cup chickpeas (1/2 cup cooked)

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 small green chili, cut into thin rounds

2 tbsp. cilantro finely

Black salt to taste

1 tsp. lemon juice 

Ingredients for bhaja masala:

1 or 1.5 tsp. cumin seeds

2 red chillies (Use 1 chillie if less spice is preferred.) / 1/2 tsp. red chili powder 

Ingredients for tamarind sauce:

2 tbsp. tamarind chutney (I used store bought one.)

2 tbsp. water

1 tsp. bhaja masala

Salt to taste

1 small green chillie, finely chopped 

To garnish:

Sev (Fried thin chickpea flour vermicelli)

Toasted and skinned peanuts

Minced cilantro

Method:

* Peel and cube the potatoes. Cook on stove-top in a sauce pan and in a microwave just until done. Do not overcook them or turn them mushy. Drain  the water and keep them aside.

* Soak the chickpeas overnight and cook them until tender. Or use canned chickpeas for a shortcut. Remember to rinse them well before use.

* Dry toast the cumin seeds on low flame until they start to brown. Toast the red chillies if using. Cool and grind them together fine.

If using chili powder, toast cumin seeds only. Grind cumin and mix chili powder to it. This is bhaja masala.

* Combine the ingredients under tamarind sauce in a small bowl. Mix and keep it aside.

* Save some minced onion, chili and cilantro for garnishing. Now add the cooked potato cubes, cooked chickpeas, remaining chopped onion, chili & cilantro, remaining bhaja masala, black salt and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Toss them together and let it sit for about five minutes.

* Now divide the mixture into 2 or 3 serving bowls. Drizzle some tamarind sauce over them. Garnish with onion, chili, cilantro, sev and peanuts. Serve immediately.

 

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