Spinach and Broccoli Patties/Cutlets

I got this recipe from my friend Anu. ~Thanks Anu.
The ingredient measurements below are roughly given. There is no hard rule-use your sense of taste!


Ingredients:
Spinach- 3 big bunches/1 frozen pack
Broccoli - 1 bunch /1 frozen pack
Onion - 2
Black-eye peas - 1 cup cooked
Potato (boiled or pressure cooked or cook in microwave oven until tender)
Bread crumbs (plus coarse semolina/sujji – optional )
Salt & Chili powder - to taste
Oil
Optional:
Chaat Masala and Amchur (dried raw mango powder) for extra flavor.

Preparing the black-eye peas:
If you are using canned ones you are good to go. But I like make from scratch-it has a better taste. I usually buy the dried ones from the store. Put the black eyed peas in a bowl and add double the water of the peas. Let it soak for more than 8 hours. Drain the water and rinse the peas in cold water. Pressure cook the peas with water and salt. If you don’t have pressure cooker, boil the peas in a sauce pan until tender.
Since this is a long process, I prepare a big batch of black-eye peas and freeze the leftover portion for next time. In this way, when I come home after work and feel like making broccoli and spinach patties, I have to just take out the frozen black-eye pea and thaw it in microwave oven.

Method:
1. Put a spoon of oil in a pan on a medium flame. Toss in the cut onion and cook till the onions are translucent.
2. Add spinach and cook with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Watch out when you add salt to any green produce as the quantity of greens looks greater before cooking – afterwards, it reduces.
3. Once the spinach is half-way done, add broccoli and let it cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the mashed potato and black-eyed peas. Mix it well.
5. Now add the flavor – salt (if needed), chili powder, chaat masala and amchur. Mix them all together and turn off the flame. Let it stay for a while so that it is cooled down enough to work with.
6. Prepare a baking tray by brushing oil on it or line it with aluminum foil and coat it with oil. I like the aluminum foil … because the cleaning is easy.



7. Rub bit of oil on your palm. Take a scoop of cooked broccoli and spinach mixture into you palm and shape it into a ball. Slightly press the ball and flatten a bit to form patties shape.



8. Roll the patties in Bread crumbs and semolina mixture - …this gives that extra crispiness to the patties. Place the patties on the greased aluminum sheet or the baking tray.

Labels: Appetizers, Chaat, Snack, Vegetarian