vegetable chop - a bengali street style beetroot cutlet recipe

Vegetable Chop – a Bengali Street Style Beetroot Cutlet recipe

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Vegetable chop recipe, also known as Bengali beetroot cutlet, is a very popular niramish(no onion and garlic) street food snack from Old Calcutta(today’s Kolkata) days. Vegetable chop is a simply delicious & flavoursome, crumbs coated, deep fried, crispy, slightly sweet, without onion and garlic Bengali beetroot cutlet(croquettes). Prepare this vegetable chop with beetroot, carrot, potatoes, peanuts, ginger, green chilli paste, a special homemade bhaja masala, amchur powder, sugar & breadcrumbs for crispy outer coating. Serve with kasundi(bengali mustard sauce) or tomato ketchup and a salad made by mixing onion, cucumber, beetroot and carrot. As my method is simple, my steps are also simple and nicely described with pictures, making this recipe very easy; if the ingredients are in your kitchen.

To prepare Bengali vegetable chop, first, chop the beetroot, carrot and potatoes into cubes and boil the vegetables in a pressure-cooker with 1 cup of water. Pressure cook the veggies with 1 whistle, cook until they are soft but not mushy. Mash half the amount of veggies, keep the other half intact once they have cooled down. Roast the veggies with ginger and green chilli paste, special bhaja masala(with fennel seeds, bay leaves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, red chillies, black pepper and whole garam masala), amchur(dry mango powder), sugar, salt and turmeric powder. Vegetable chop stuffing is ready. Mix the stuffing with peanuts. Cool down the stuffing. Give it a cylindrical or flat shape. Dip them in cornflour or arrowroot, or maida batter and coat in breadcrumbs. Deep fry in refined oil and serve.

bengali vegetable chop or vegetable chops are served with kasundi and tomato ketchup

Is Bengali vegetable chop different from other Indian style veg cutlets? Yes, vegetable chop tastes different from other Indian style veg cutlets. The difference is made by the flavour of our special Bengali bhaja masala. This bhaja masala is made with dry roasted cumin seeds, coriander seeds(dhone), fennel seeds(mouri), green cardamom(choto elach), cloves(lobongo), cinnamon(dalchini), peppercorns(golmorich), bay leaves(tej pata) & dry red chillies. These dry roasted spices are ground to make this special bhaja masala powder. 

vegetable chop recipe or vegetable chops recipe or beetroot cutlet recipe plating

In Kolkata, this beetroot chop is mostly served in the evening with a cup of piping hot tea(with milk & ginger), but not with coffee. Tea, paired with Bengali vegetable chop or alu chop, was part of any traditional Kolkata Bong adda. Since living far away from Kolkata, to have a good vegetable chop, we either have to buy it from a Bengali restaurant at a high price or make it at home. I chose the last one, and the result is in front of you.

If you try this vegetable chop at home and you like it, please do share your valuable feedback about this recipe by leaving a comment in the comment section below this blog post.

You may like my other kolkata style evening snacks recipes, i.e,

Mochar Chop recipe

Bengali Fish Fry recipe

Bengali Chicken Cutlet

Prawn Cutlet (Mitra Cafe Style)

Vegetable chop – a Bengali street style beetroot cutlet recipe

Ingredients of vegetable chop

  • 3 medium Beetroots 
  • 1 cup Carrots (Cut into medium cubes)
  • 3 medium-sized Potatoes
  • 1/2 inch Ginger(paste)
  • 1 Green Chilli(paste)
  • Special Bhaja masala(Described Below)
  • 1/2 tsp Amchur(Dry Mango Powder)
  • a Handful of Dry Roasted Peanuts
  • 2 tbsp Sugar(as per taste)
  • 1 tsp Turmeric powder
  • Refine Oil/ Vegetable Oil(for Deep frying)
  • Salt(good to taste)

Special Bengali Bhaja Masala for Vegetable chop recipe

  • 1 Bay Leaf(if big) or 2 Small Bay Leaves(tejpata)
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds((gota jeere)
  • 1 tsp Coriander Seeds(Dhonia)
  • 1 tsp Fennel Seeds(mouri)
  • 4 Green Cardamom(choto elach)
  • 3 Cloves(lobongo)
  • 1/2 inch Cinnamon Stick(dalchini)
  • 8 Black Peppercorns(golmorich)
  • 1 or 2 Red Chillies(as per taste)(shukno lonka)

For Batter

  • 6 tbsp Cornflour or Arrowroot, or Maida
  • Little Water
  • A Pinch of Salt

For coating

  • 1 cup Bread Crumbs
  • 1/2 tsp Salt

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Served in: 55 mins

Course: Evening snacks

Cuisine: Bengali

Served for: 8-9 people

Author: Moumita Paul

How to make vegetable chop with step-by-step detailed pictures

Instructions

Cut the Beetroot, Carrot & Potatoes

  • First, take beetroots, carrots, and potatoes, wash them thoroughly and peel them.
  • Cut beetroots and carrots into medium-sized cubes(as shown in the pics).

how to cut beetroot and carrot to boil for vegetable chop recipe bengali style or vegetable chop oriya recipe

  • Then cut the potatoes into 8 pieces as shown in the pic.

how I cut the potatoes to prepare vegetable chop recipe bengali style or even vegetable chop oriya recipe too

Boil the veggies 

  • Take a pressure cooker, put all three vegetables in it and add 1 cup of water to it.

adding water to the veggies to boil it in pressure cooker for making vegetable chop recipe bengali style or vegetable chop oriya recipe too

  • Place the pressure cooker on the medium flame and wait for one whistle.
  • Let the pressure cooker release its pressure automatically.
  • Then remove the lid, strain the water from the vegetables.

boiled veggies on the strainer to remove the excess water for making vegetable chop recipe bengali style or vegetable chop oriya recipe with the veggies

  • Keep the vegetables under the running fan for 15 mins or keep it in the refrigerator to dry up the water. (explained in tips)

 Making Special Bhaja Masala

  • Take a pan, add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, green cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf, and dry red chillies.
  • Dry roast the spices till the aroma comes out.

veg chop masala recipe ingredient for making vegetable chops recipe

  • Completely cool down the spices.
  • Put them in a grinder or use mortar-pestle and turn them into powder(as shown in the pic below).

grounded veg chop masala recipe ingredients in the mortar and pestle for making bengali vegetable chop

Prepare the stuffing 

  • Once the veggies cool down, half mash the veggies.

mash the vegetables for making bengali vegetable chop recipe or beetroot cutlet recipe

  • Keep some small chunks to get kolkata street vegetable chops like texture, as shown in the pic.

showing the small chunks of vegetables like bengali street style vegetable chop recipe or beetroot cutlet recipe

  • Then, take 1/2 inch ginger and 1 green chilli, paste it nicely.

showing the ginger and green chilli, was used for making the patties of vegetable chops recipe or veg chop recipe

  • Now take a pan, place it on medium heat, Once the pan is hot, add 1 tbsp oil to it.
  • When oil is hot, add the ginger-green chilli paste to it.
  • Add turmeric powder and stir it well.

first add ginger-green chilli paste and then add turmeric powder to the pan for making bengali street style vegetable chop recipe or veg chop recipe

  • Then add bhaja masala and sauté for the next few secs(keep stirring to avoid burning).

adding bhaja masala for vegetable chop to the pan for making this vegetable chops recipe or veg chop recipe

  • Add the half mashed veggies to the pan and mix them nicely with the other spices.

after adding the mashed or crumbled veggies to the pan and mixing it nicely with the sauteed bhaja masala for vegetable chop for making this bengali vegetable chop or beetroot cutlet recipe

  • Then add salt  and give them a good mix.

adding salt to the veggies to prepare veg chop recipe or vegetable chop recipe

  • Next, add 2 tbsp of sugar. You can increase or decrease the amount of sugar as per your need.

adding sugar to this mashed veggies for making bengali street food vegetable chop

  • Now add amchur or dry mango powder and mix it well.

adding amchur or dry mango powder to this mashed veggies for making authentic bengali street food vegetable chop or beetroot cutlet recipe

  • Stir the veggies until the moisture evaporates, and the veggies will easily leave the pan.
  • As shown in the pic.
  • Then turn off the heat. Vegetable chop’s stuffing is ready.

continuous stirring is required till the moisture goes off and when mashed vegetables leave the pan that indicates veggies are ready to prepare this bengali veg chop recipe

Add Peanuts

  • Now add dry roasted peanuts with the mixture and mix it nicely. 

adding dry roasted peanuts to the veggies for making bengali vegetable chop recipe

  • Remove the stuffing onto a plate.
  • Keep the plate under a running fan until it completely cools down.
  • Or you can put it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes for quick cooling.

stuffing of vegetable chop is ready to make bengali veg chop recipe or beet root cutlet recipe

Give it shape

  • Once the stuffing cools down, start making the patties from it.
  • Means give them shape, here I give a cylindrical shape.
  • You can give give them a flat shape too.

cylindrical shape patties for making bengali street food vegetable chop recipe or bengali vegetable chop

Coat with breadcrumbs

  • Now take cornflour or arrowroot or maida in a bowl.
  • Add a little water to make a slurry or batter.
  • And add a pinch of salt to the batter.

adding water to the cornflour or arrowroot for making a batter which will help to coat the bengali veg chop or vegetable chop

  • Spread the breadcrumbs in a plate, mix with 1/2 tsp little salt.

after putting the veg chop patties to the cornflour or arrowroot batter, going to put it into the breadcrumbs to prepare this veg chop or beetroot cutlet

  •  Take patties, dip it into batter and nicely coat with breadcrumbs from all sides.

first putting the beetroot cutlet patty to the breadcrumbs then roll it in breadcrumbs to coat it nicely for making bengali vegetable chop or vegetable chops recipe

  • Then place the cutlets in the freezer for 10-15 mins to get more crunch.

bengali beetroot cutlet or veg chop is ready, keep it in the freezer for getting extra crunch

Fry the chop

  • Place a pan on medium heat, once the pan is hot, add refined oil/ vegetable to the pan.
  • When the oil is hot and realease smoke, add chop one by one in hot oil.

deep frying vegetable chop or chops in the oil to get the crunchy vegetable chop recipe bengali style or vegetable chop oriya recipe

  • Once the chop is golden from one side, gently turn them.
  • When the cutlets get a golden brown colour from both sides.(As shown in the picture below)
  • Then remove them from the pan and place them on a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

removing the vegetable chop or beetroot cutlet from the pan to plce it on the paper towel for soaking excess oil and make ready vegetable chops recipe

  •  Kolkata street style vegetable chop, aka Bengali beetroot cutlet, is ready.
  • Serve it hot with kasundi(Bengali mustard sauce) or with tomato ketchup.
  • Do not forget to serve the beetroot, carrot, onion, and cucumber salad if wants kolkata street style taste. bengali style vegetable chop recipe or beetroot cutlet recipe with kasundi and ketchup

Important Tips

  • How to double coat – I generally prefer to coat my vegetable chop twice to get the extra crunch. If you want to do the same, use double the amount of breadcrumbs. After a single coating, again dip it into the batter and coat it once again with the breadcrumbs. Then place it in the freezer for minimum 10-15 mins befor frying.
  • How to store – You can preserve this veg cutlet(without frying) for atleast one week. Store them in the deep freeze in an airtight container. But must separate them using a perchment paper or butter paper.

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vegetable chop recipe - a bengali street style beetroot cutlet recipe
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2 thoughts on “Vegetable Chop – a Bengali Street Style Beetroot Cutlet recipe”

  1. Hi Moumita,

    I am really thankful to you.I prepared by following the way you did,It came out tasteful.My wife,Kid,Neighbors all enjoyed it and I got all positive feedback..

    Reply

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