Plantain Green Peas Cutlets

Plaintains are available all year round in the Indian Stores here in the US. I end up buying these pretty much every time I go grocery shopping. I usually use these to make phodis or chips and sometimes curry. I love to experiment by replacing potatoes with plantains in several dishes. This makes the dish healthier and the natural sweetness of the plantains makes it taste even better. Few weeks back, I bought some plantains, hoping to make some paneer stuffed veg shami kebab. However, I was so crunched for time that weekend that I ended up making these simple Plantain Green Peas Cutlets. These cutlets turned out to be so delicious, that I thought of making a note of the recipe, so I can make it many more times in the future.

Ingredients -
2 plantains
1 small onion
1 tbsp green chillies – garlic - ginger paste
1 cup green peas
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 pinch asafoetida/ hing
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp amchur powder
1/2 tsp Frankie masala/ chat masala
1/2 tbsp lemon/ lime juice
3-4 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 tbsp oil + oil for shallow frying cutlets

Method -
1. Cook the plantains in the pressure cooker, peel them and mash them into a smooth mixture while they are still warm.
2. Boil the green peas and grind them into a paste. Some frozen peas are already cooked and only need defrosting in the microwave.
3. In a pan, heat some oil. Then add cumin seeds, asafoetida/hing and turmeric powder.
4. Add finely chopped onions, salt and ginger- garlic- green chili paste and cook till the onions turn translucent.
5. Add the green peas paste and cook for sometime.
6. Turn the stove on low and then add the cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, amchur powder, Frankie/ chat masala and mix well.
7. Add mashed plantain mixture and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes.
8. Turn off the stove and add lime juice and cilantro and mix well.
9. Let the mixture cool and shape them into desired shape. Roll the cutlets in semolina and shallow fry them on a skillet. Fry both sides till they turn golden brown in color.
10. Serve with chutney or sauce of choice