Chana Cutlet or Chickpea Cutlet

After a long time, I decided to make Chana Masala and soaked Kabuli Chana last night. I always decide the day before what I should cook the next day. Sometimes I cut and keep vegetables and other ingredients required for the dish ready the day before it self so that I can cook fast the next day. How ever being prepared do not help me always.  Things do not work sometimes (read always :( )  according to my plan. Disasters ( Read Cooking emergencies) occur during the time of cooking ... Sometimes due to negligence... Sometimes due to lack of knowledge... Sometimes due to the basic circumstances in our home... While cooking my chana masala, I overcooked the chanas in my eagerness to prepare the perfect chana masala possible. Well, That didnt prevent me from cooking up my chana masala... I have mastered the habit of ignoring my hubby's complaints ( less salt, no sugar... the list is endless). I mashed up some of my overcooked chanas to add to the gravy and I started reminiscing the days when I first started cooking with my room mates. Well, cooking is relaxing for me and that is the time I use sometimes to clear up my thoughts....  And suddenly just like that, I thought of cutlets... And felt a craving to eat them all of a sudden... Brain storming ... trying to find sufficient time in life to cook cutlets... I hate potatoes and do not like to eat them unless its french fries... sigh... cant survive with out junk food and with junk food as well... Hmm... My mashed chanas are giving me an idea... why not try cutlets with chana instead of potatoes... The idea was big and exciting for me... And the disappointing thing was I couldnt find time the whole day to try them out... Next day I couldnt control myself and prepared them the first thing in the morning. 

After preparing I resisted my temptation to try them out and concentrated on preparing the lunch... Then started the photography session for the cutlets :) Took a long time to get pics according to my satisfaction... By the time my hubby had arrived for lunch and I still had not tasted my cutlets !!! My hubby was extremely surprised when he found that he was being offered the chana cutlets instead of the usual rice and curries and he asked "Did you prepare it?". Ha.. I think he was just trying to be polite and not trying to ask "is this all for lunch?" or was he being expected only for tea time... Anyway I had managed to prepare some easy but not exciting curries for lunch... My husband tried the first bite of the cutlet and he loved them!! The satisfaction you get when you know your loved ones love your cooking is simply great :)

Chana cutlets are something that you can prepare with your leftover cooked chanas...  Or more easier one .... Like me if you have overcooked the chana one day... If you are planning to prepare anything with chanas/chickpeas, keep some aside after cooking and try out the delicious chana cutlet :) 

Chana or Chickpea Cutlets:

Prep Time: 10  min

Cook Time: 15 min

Total Time: 25 - 30 min

Ingredients: 

1 cup cooked Kabuli Chana or White Chickpeas 

1 small onion

1 small carrot (You can add other vegetables as well. I had only carrot with me)

1/2 green chilly

1 inch ginger

1 slice of bread - (I used whole grain bread. You can use any that you like)

Bread crumbs

Coriander Leaves

Salt

Oil for frying

Prepping:

Step 1: Need cooked chanas for this step. Mash the cooked chanas well. You can do it in a mixer/blender/grinder with out adding water.  Keep aside. 

Step 2: Cut onion, green chilly, ginger and carrot. 

Step 3: Remove the edges of the bread and Soaked a bread slice in very little water for around 10 min. 

Note: I prepared bread crumbs out of the removed bread edges. 

Method of Preparing:

Step 1: 

Heat oil in a non stick pan and when the oil becomes hot, add onions and saute till they are brown.

Step 2:

Add crushed green chillies and ginger and saute for 2 min.

Step 3:

Add carrots and stir well. Cover and cook for 2min. 

Step 4:

Add turmeric, chilly powder, garam masala and salt and mix well. Switch off after 2 min.

Step 5: 

In a wide bowl, mix mashed chanas, soaked bread slices, the onion- carrot filling, coriander leaves and mix well. Make round balls out of the them. 

Step 6:

Heat oil in a pan for frying. Dip the round balls in the bread crumbs mixture, make it into a pattie like shape and fry them when the oil becomes hot. Fry till they become golden brown in color and take them off from the pan. Put them in a paper towel so that the oil comes off. 

Repeat till the round balls are over. Serve hot with green chutney or any sauce. Serve them as a starter or a tea time snack... 

I am sending the recipe to MLLA 56 event which was started by Susan, the author of "The Well seasoned Cook". This month the event is hosted by Lisa of Lisa's Kitchen.  Do check out the event and the wide variety of recipes in their sites.

  

Also sending the recipe to the event " Cooking with seeds - Dal" hosted by Priya's versatile recipes.