Vegetable Chop Recipe | Bengali Style Veg Chop
Vegetable chop recipe with step by step photos. Vegetable Chop is one of the most popular street foods in West Bengal. These are addictive and no one can just eat one. This recipe is quite a simple one as well as vegan friendly too. You must definitely try it.
These fried crisp veg chops can be compared to croquettes or cutlets and have a slight sweet taste due to the addition of beetroot, carrot and peanuts. Very different in taste as compared to the regular Veg cutlets or Kabab. The peanuts give a nice crunch and texture in the otherwise smooth and soft chops which are crisp from outside.
Veg chop is a well known street food in Bengal as well as Bihar. Basically these are veg cutlets with beetroot as one of the main ingredient. There are some variations in preparing them.
One variation is to use grated veggies along with mashed potatoes and another variation is to cook and then mash all the veggies. I use the latter method as I find it easier. Along with this Veg Chop, another favorite is this Aloo Chop recipe that you must try.
These vegetable cutlets are crumb coated. it is important to crumb coat them as they become nicely crisp from outside and also do not break in oil while frying. Crumb coating takes time and you can skip it. But then you will need to add some binding agent like breadcrumbs to the chop mixture, so that they do not burst in oil while frying.
Preparing vegetable chop is easy but takes some time to prepare. So you can prepare and crumb coat the chops and then refrigerate.
In addition to the vegetables and peanuts in this recipe of Vegetable Chop, other ingredients that are used are green chili, ginger, and spice powders like garam masala powder and red chili powder. To bring in the authentic feel, it is best to use the Bengali bhaja masala in place of the garam masala powder.
However, if you don’t have it, then you can easily use the regular garam masala powder as a substitute.
If you have not tried veg chop, then you should try them for yourself as well as for your family. These are so good and make for a nice snack during winters or monsoons.
Serve vegetable chop hot with tomato ketchup, mint chutney or mustard sauce (kasundi) and onion salad.
How to make Vegetable Chop
1. Rinse the veggies (1 large beetroot, 2 large potatoes, 2 small to medium carrots) in fresh water and place them in a stovetop pressure cooker.
2. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt and add water just about covering them.
3. Pressure cook for 15 to 17 minutes or for 6 to 7 whistles on a medium heat. Drain the water and keep aside.
4. Meanwhile heat a small pan and add 3 tablespoons of peanuts.
5. On a low heat, stirring often roast the peanuts till their skins chars a bit and they become crunchy. Let the peanuts cool down.
6. Remove the skins of the peanuts by rubbing them between your palms. Keep aside.
7. Now peel and grate the veggies in a mixing bowl or pan.
8. Then add the following ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon of finely chopped green chili
- 1 teaspoon of finely chopped ginger
- 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves
9. Add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, ¼ teaspoon sugar and salt as per taste.
Usually Bengali bhaja masala is added, but not everyone has Bengali bhaja masala.
Also a point to be noted is that saunf powder (fennel powder) is also added. But since the homemade garam masala powder I have used has saunf in it, I have not added saunf powder.
if your garam masala does not have saunf, then you can add ½ teaspoon saunf powder.
10. Add the peanuts.
11. Mix very well. I have not used any binding agent in the chop mixture. But if the mixture looks loose and very moist, then add some breadcrumbs.
The moisture content of the beetroot can be more or less depending on its quality.
Making vegetable chop
12. In a small bowl, 3 tablespoons maida or all purpose flour and 6 tablespoons water.
13. Mix very well to make a smooth batter.
14. Now take a portion of the mixture. Shape into a cylindrical shaped cutlet.
15. Coat the veggie chop with the batter. These cutlets are light, so be gentle when coating with the batter. Do not coat too much as then the cutlets will break.
16. Now coat the batter coated veg chop in breadcrumbs. You can use both breadcrumbs or sooji (rava). I have shown both ways.
17. Here is a pic of the veg chop coated in sooji.
18. Crumb coat all the vegetable chops this way. Keep aside. If you do not plan to crumb coat, then add breadcrumbs in the mixture. You can add 2 to 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs or as required.
Frying vegetable chop
19. Heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai. If you plan to shallow or pan fry, then add breadcrumbs in the mixture and shape in patties or cutlets.
Otherwise the cutlets may break while shallow frying. when the oil becomes hot, test a small piece of the chop mixture. If it does not break, then you can easily fry the remaining veggie chops.
20. Place the veg chop gently in the hot oil and fry at medium temperature. Do not over crowd the pan.
21. When one side is golden and crisp, then with a butter knife, turn the veg chops. Its easier to turn them with a butter knife than with a slotted spoon.
22. Flip a couple of times more and fry till the outer coating becomes crisp.
23. Remove with a slotted spoon draining extra oil in the kadai itself.
24. Drain fried vegetable chop on paper kitchen towels to remove excess oil.
25. Prepare all the vegetable chops this way.
26. Serve vegetable chop hot with tomato ketchup or coriander chutney or kasundi and onion and lemon salad.
If you are looking for more Party Snacks recipes then do check:
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
main ingredients for vegetable chop
- 180 grams beetroot or 1 large beetroot
- 250 grams potatoes or 2 large potatoes
- 120 grams carrots or 2 small to medium carrots
- 3 tablespoons roasted peanuts
- 1 green chili – finely chopped or 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chili
- 1 inch ginger – finely chopped or 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala or bengali bhaja masala
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder or red chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon sugar – optional
- salt as required
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs or ¼ cup sooji (rava or cream of wheat)
- oil for deep frying
for batter
- 3 tablespoons maida or all purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons water
Instructions
making vegetable chop mixture
- Rinse the veggies and then pressure cook them with ¼ teaspoon salt and enough water just about covering veggies.
- Pressure cook for 15 to 17 minutes or for 6 to 7 whistles on a medium flame. Drain the veggies very well and keep aside.
- Meanwhile heat a small pan and add 3 tablespoons roasted peanuts.
- On a low flame, stirring often roast the peanuts till their skins chars a bit and they become crunchy. Let the peanuts cool down.
- Remove the skins of the peanuts by rubbing them between your palms. Keep aside.
- Now peel and grate the veggies in a mixing bowl or pan.
- Add all the herbs, spice powders, roasted peanuts, sugar and salt.
- A point to be noted is that saunf powder (fennel powder) is also added. But since the homemade garam masala powder I have used has saunf in it, I have not added saunf powder. If your garam masala does not have saunf, then you can add ½ teaspoon saunf powder.
- Mix very well. I have not used any binding agent in the chop mixture. But if the mixture looks loose and very moist, then add some breadcrumbs. Moisture content of the beetroot can be more or less depending on its quality.
assembling and making vegetable chop
- In a small bowl mix 3 tablespoons maida or all purpose flour and 6 tablespoons water to a smooth batter.
- Now take a portion of the mixture. Shape into a cylindrical shaped cutlet.
- Coat the veggie chop with the batter. These cutlets are light, so be gentle when coating with the batter. Do not coat too much as then the veg chop will break.
- Now coat the batter coated veg chop in breadcrumbs. You can use both breadcrumbs or sooji (rava).
- Crumb coat all the veg chops this way. Keep aside. If you do not plan to crumb coat, then add breadcrumbs in the mixture. You can add 2 to 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs or as required.
frying vegetable chops:
- Heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai.
- When the oil becomes hot, test a small piece of the chop mixture. If it does not break, then you can easily fry the remaining veggie chops.
- Place the vegetable chops gently in the hot oil and fry at medium temperature. Do not over crowd the pan.
- When one side is golden and crisp, then with a butter knife, turn the vegetable chop. Its easier to turn them with a butter knife than with a slotted spoon.
- Flip a couple of times more and fry till the outer coating becomes crisp.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper kitchen towels.
- Prepare all the vegetable chops this way.
- Serve vegetable chops hot with tomato ketchup or coriander chutney or kasundi and some onion salad.
This Vegetable Chop post from the archives first published on December 2016 has been republished and updated on January 2023.
hi Dassana,
this and the mishti doi recipe posted by you reminded me of Sweet Bengal which i used to visit often when i lived in Mumbai at the Inorbit mall malad. Will definitely try these. Thanks for such wonderful recipes.
welcome veena. even i used to buy sweets from there. i have fond memories of visiting inorbit mall for shopping both with my family members and my office friends ????
i tried with corn flour but at the end it was too much corn flour..maybe i am doing something wrong.
thanks anu for replying. could be. the thing with corn flour is that if you add less its fine. if you add too much, then the entire mixture will become pasty and sticky. if using corn starch then you can use in combination with maida or rice flour. next time i would suggest to add bread crumbs. just grind 1 to 2 bread slices in a grinder and you will get breadcrumbs.
It was too difficult to bind the consistency was very thin…didnt work for me
fine. the mixture is light and its consistency depends on the moisture in the veggies. i did not face any issue while binding. so if for any recipe like this, if you are unable to bind, then add breadcrumbs and mix again. the breadcrumbs will absorb the excess moisture and you can easily shape the chops or cutlets. you can even add crushed poha or oats powder. even maida (all purpose flour) or corn starch or besan can be added to bind. hope this helps.
i had try this. healthy and easy recipe…. also tasty. Thank you
Welcome Manali