Green Peas Stuffed Cutlets

Green Peas - memories that I associate with green peas are of stealthily going into the shopping bags when mom or dad would get them from the bazaar and opening the pods and eating them. They were sweet and tender and merely the act of quietly taking them and eating them was immensely pleasurable. By the time it was time to cook them, we had already finished half of them raw. These days you get the frozen peas which are already cleaned and ready to cook - but oh! for the simple pleasures of peeling and eating these peas fresh from the pod. Whenever possible, I still do go and buy them fresh so my children too can experience the same joy I had of eating them from the pod - and they too manage to stealthily take a few and peel and munch them before I can shout at them to stop - because I need them for my recipe.

Green peas stuffed cutlets is not a very difficult dish to prepare and can be eaten as a snack or an aperitif.

Preparation Time : 45 minutes

Makes 12 cutlets

Ingredients

Green Peas (shelled) - 1 cup

Boiled Potatoes - 5

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Bread Crumbs - 1 cup

Corn Flour - 1 tbsp

Thin vermicelli - 100 gms

Coriander Leaves - 1 tbsp

Oil for deep frying

Green chillies - 2

Salt

Method:

For the stuffing: Boil the green peas with a little salt. Drain water and add the chilli powder. Mix well and keep aside.

Mash the boiled potatoes. Add the chopped green chillies, bread crumbs, corn flour, coriander leaves and salt and mix well to form a mixture.

Now divide the potato mixture into small portions. Flatten each portion, place a little of the peas filling in between and seal to form an egg shaped cutlet.

Roll the cutlet over the vermicelli to cover all sides. Shape the rest of the cutlets in the same way. Heat oil in a pan, and deep fry cutlets on medium heat till brown.

It can be served with a chutney or sauce or eaten just as is.