Bengali Dal Cutlets (Potato and Lentil Cutlets)

Bengali Dal Cutlets (Potato and Lentil Cutlets)

Today is a good day. Warm, Sunny Sunday - just the kind of day which allows you to sleep till late without an alarm clock.Enjoy a quiet Darjeeling  tea with crispy marie biscuits, read the big fat Sunday newspaper. Read the gossip columns too and that too, end to end. Its pure Luxury. If you don't - quite understand what am I saying here - Then go ask any mom of a toddler or two. She'll tell ya :)

Happy beginnings show a happy day. Right. Well sometimes the answer can be a disheartening NO . 

I just happened the step on that bathroom scale which seemed to move up north, much more than I would like.That's when the  awesomeness of the day just stopped for me.Period.  Specially after being to the gym whole of last week. No excuses. I rewarded myself with an indulging Birthday night dinner yesterday and all the goodness of the gym sweat went flying out of the window.And here I am , moping in despair..Now that you are thinking that I'll go - enter kitchen and dish something soupy for myself. You cant be far from wrong. For food is the perfect balm for a plunging will-power and expanding waist line.Still for the sake of gymming the entire last week , lets make something healthy and filing...Do you have some leftover dal (lentils) cooked from last night - if yes- lets begin :)

Aalo aar Daler  Cutlet 

Key Ingredients 
11/2 cup thick lentils/dal (any red/yellow or green lentil would do)
4 boiled potatoes
1tsp garam masala 
1 chopped frod onion
5-6 cloves garlic 
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp red chilly flakes (as per taste)
1 tbsp chopped Dhaniya(Cilantro)
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
Oil to fry

PREPARATION:
Cook the lentils until they are tender and drain out the excess water from them and mash them well. If you are using the leftover then all you have to do is to cook it 0n heat till the water dries out. Hands work best for mashing/else a blender can also be used . Chop and dice the onion and garlic finely. Heat a pan with some oil and add the diced onions and garlic. Sauté them for a few minutes until they are tender. Now add the sautéed onions to the mashed lentils. Mix. Add mashed boiled potatoes.Mix.Now add ginger-garlic paste, cilantro, salt, garam masala, chili powder  and mix everything well. Make small round cutlets out them and keep aside. Take the egg in a small bowl and whip. Keep aside. Take the bread crumbs in a bowl keep aside. Heat a flat bottomed pan with ¼ cup of oil. Create a work station arranging the plate with the cutlets first, the bowl with the egg batter next, and the bread crumbs plate next to that. lastly a plate if sesame seeds.When the pan is hot enough, take a cutlet and dip it in the egg batter. cover with bread crumbs. dip in egg again. Now coat with the sesame seeds. There should be some space between the cutlets while cooking to move them around. Let then cook for a few minutes till the top is golden brown and crisp. Flip all the cutlets and let them cook for few more  minutes. Repeat the same with the remaining cutlets and serve the hot cutlets hot with chutney or sauce.

The weighing scale dilemma. let's park it for another day.