Bajra Cutlets

By: Urvashi Swami
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8 to 10 pieces
In India, given our love for all things fried, the ubiquity of the cutlet doesn’t come as a surprise. Recipes for the cutlet—and its many flavours—change from region to region across the country, perhaps even household to household. What is largely common is that each one makes for a crisp, comforting appetiser that can be enjoyed at any meal. In this vegetarian cutlet, Urvashi combines boiled bajra with mashed sweet potato, crushed peanuts, and spices for a warm, filling snack that is perfect for the monsoon and winter months.

For the Cutlets:

Bajra (pearl millet), whole, soaked ¼ cup or 60 grams approx.
Water ½ cup or 120 ml approx.
Sweet potato, diced 1 ½ cup or 200 grams approx.
Peanuts ½ cup or 65 grams approx.
Garam masala 1 teaspoon
Besan ½ cup or 45 grams approx.
Onion, finely chopped ½ cup or 75 grams approx.
Green chillies, chopped 2
Amchur powder ½ teaspoon
Cumin powder ¼ teaspoon
Coriander leaves, chopped 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Oil or ghee ½ cup

For the Garam Masala:

Black cardamom 1 pod
Cloves 8
Poppy seeds 1 tablespoon
Black peppercorns, whole 8
Cinnamon a 1-inch stick
Mace ½ blade
Green cardamom 4 pods
Dry Kashmiri chilies, whole 1
Nutmeg, grated ¼ teaspoon

What You Will Need

A pressure cooker, a mixer grinder, a mixing bowl, a kadhai or deep-bottom pan, measuring spoons, measuring cups, a masher, a slotted spoon, a strainer, and a spatula.

Instructions

1

Wash the bajra grains and soak them overnight. The next morning, rinse and strain the grains, then discard the water.

2

Place the pressure cooker on the stovetop on a medium-high flame, and add the soaked bajra to it along with water and a pinch of salt.

3

After one whistle, reduce the flame to low, and continue to cook the bajra for 10 to 13 minutes. Turn off the flame and let the pressure release naturally. The grains should be well cooked and soft. Set the cooked bajra aside.

4

Clean the sweet potatoes well under running water.

5

Place a pot on the stovetop on medium-high heat with enough water to cover the sweet potatoes.

6

Boil the sweet potatoes until they are tender and a fork goes clean through.

7

Peel the sweet potatoes and mash them well while they are still hot. Set aside.

8

Place a pan on the stovetop on low heat, and dry-roast the peanuts. Once they are toasted, remove from heat and crush them. Set aside.

9

You will need one teaspoon of garam masala powder in this recipe. To make the garam masala powder, dry-roast the listed spices in the pan for about a minute, until lightly aromatic. Remove the roasted spices from the pan and let them cool down to room temperature. Grind the roasted spices in a mixer grinder until you get a fine powder. 

10

In the same pan, roast the besan until it is fragrant. Set aside.

11

Place the cooked bajra, mashed sweet potato, onion, coriander leaves, crushed peanuts, besan, green chillies, cumin powder, amchur powder, garam masala powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

 

12

Mix all the ingredients together until they are well combined.

13

Shape the mixture into oval cutlets, each about the size that fits inside a closed fist.

 

14

Place a kadhai on the stovetop on medium-high heat. Add oil or ghee.

15

Once the oil is  hot, deep-fry the cutlets until they are crisp, and turn golden-brown on the outside.

 

 

16

Serve the bajra cutlets hot with a chutney or dip of your choice.

Tips:

  1. Soak the bajra for a minimum of six hours, if you are unable to soak it overnight. 
  2. Store the homemade garam masala in an air-tight container for a longer shelf life. 

Variations:

  1. You can substitute sweet potatoes with potatoes. 
  2. You can add vegetables like grated carrot, cabbage, or cauliflower, boiled green peas, finely chopped capsicum, or freshly chopped methi leaves to the cutlet dough if desired. The quantity of vegetables added should be two tablespoons and not more, since the vegetables will release moisture into the dough. More than two tablespoons might make the dough soggy.

Urvashi Swami is a development professional with a passion for sustainable food. Following her Master’s degree from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai, she worked in the agriculture and nutrition sectors. Urvashi wants to spread awareness about how climate-resilient and nutritious millets are, and help bridge the gap between millet producers, consumers, and suppliers.

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