If you are looking for a yummy snack that is healthy too, try this easy recipe of Pumpkin Aloo Cutlets! With the crunchy exterior and a soft inside bursting with spicy and savory flavors, these Vegetable Tikki or rolls are definitely a crowd-pleaser at any gathering!
I created this Pumpkin Potato Cutlet recipe to add a delicious twist to traditional potato cutlet or aloo tikki recipe from Indian cuisine. These golden brown crispy Vegetarian Cutlets or Savory Pumpkin rolls, made from boiled potatoes, fresh green raw pumpkin, chickpea flour, spices, and green chilies are a healthy snack that is so easy to make.
Whether it's the leftover mashed potatoes or pumpkin lying in the refrigerator, this delicious cutlet recipe helps you use your leftovers in such a simple way. With simple ingredients from the pantry and made with this easy recipe, enjoy these healthy snacks with tomato ketchup, green cilantro chutney or your favorite dip for a lazy evening snack!
Find more popular Pumpkin recipes from the blog: Pumpkin Tikki Patty Burger, Pumpkin pancakes Without Egg, Pumpkin Rolls with Cream Cheese Filling, and Roast Pumpkin Spinach Salad.
Find More Easy Appetizers: Vegan Potato Latkes / Pancakes, Onion Fritters, Mashed Potato Sandwich, Air Fryer Pakora
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Why Would You Love This Recipe?
- Easy Quick Healthy Appetizer.
- Bold in savory and zesty flavors that come from Indian Spices.
- Elegant yet Simple recipe for Veggie Cutlet!
- Can be Made ahead of Time
- Minimum Prepping Time.
- Can be made gluten-free by swapping bread crumbs with GF bread, crushed rice crackers or gf oats.
- Kids Friendly.
- The Best Vegan Pumpkin Aloo Cutlet Recipe Ever!
Ingredients
- Pumpkin- Raw pumpkin works great for this recipe. You may choose boiled pumpkin puree as well. But that would affect the flavor and texture of this recipe. Fresh pumpkin adds a mildly sweet and nutty flavor to the cutlets, contributing to both taste and texture. Zucchini, Sweet potato, or butternut squash can be used as alternatives.
- Potato- Boiled and mashed potatoes serve as a binding agent, adding a soft and comforting texture to the cutlets. Sweet potatoes or yams can replace regular potatoes, maintaining the binding quality with a slightly different flavor.
- Vegan Curd- Use any dairy-free curd of good quality. I love that it adds a tangy and creamy element to the cutlet mixture.
- Chickpea flour (Besan)- Gram flour/ Besan or chickpea flour works great for binding the mashed potatoes and grated pumpkin. You may also use rice flour, corn starch, chestnut flour, ragi flour, or amaranth flour.
- Bread crumbs- I have added bread crumbs to the boiled potato pumpkin spice mixture to add more texture. It helps absorb extra moisture from the freshly grated pumpkin or onions that have a tendency to leave the water. You may use it to coat the aloo cutlet for a more crispy exterior.
- Oil for frying- You may use any vegetable oil, olive oil, or coconut oil for shallow frying the cutlets. The same oil can be used to grease hands before making the cutlets from the potato-pumpkin mixture.
- Onion- Finely chopped red onions provide a savory and mild sweet flavor. You may swap them with white onions or green onions.
- Green Chili- Chopped fresh green chilies add heat and fresh spiciness to the cutlets.
- Red Chili Powder- Red chili powder adds a warm and earthy spiciness to the cutlets. Paprika or cayenne pepper can be used as alternatives, adjusting the quantity based on preferred spice levels.
- Garam Masala-Garam masala is a blend of ground spices that adds warmth and depth of flavor to the cutlets. Make your own garam masala by combining ground cumin powder, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves in equal parts, or use any combination of these spices.
- Lemon Juice- Fresh lime juice works well. You may use dry mango powder as well.
- Ginger garlic paste- A blend of ginger and garlic paste provides a pungent and aromatic flavor to the cutlets. Feel free to use freshly minced garlic and ginger or onion and garlic powder.
- Salt- Normal salt or kosher salt works well.
What To Team These Pumpkin Aloo Cutlet With?
Serve these Pumpkin Potato Cutlets with cilantro chutney, tamarind chutney, or a dip of your choice. You may serve it with Roasted Tomato Garlic Soup, 10 min Chickpea Salad, or Keto Greek Salad for a light brunch.
How To Make Pumpkin Cutlet With Boiled Potato
Step 1. Prepare the Mixture
In a large mixing bowl, combine the boiled and mashed potatoes with the grated pumpkin. Ensure that you've squeezed out any excess moisture from the pumpkin. To the mixture, add chickpea flour (besan), breadcrumbs, finely chopped onion, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, garam masala, salt, and fresh coriander leaves. Mix the ingredients thoroughly to form a uniform mixture. The chickpea flour and breadcrumbs act as binders, holding the cutlets together.
Step 2. Shape into Cutlets (Oval Shape)
Take a portion of the mixture and shape it into a flat, oval cutlet. Feel free to make any shape. Repeat the process with the remaining mixture. If your boiled potatoes are hot or warm, you may cool off the mixture for about 20 minutes by refrigerating it. This helps them firm up, making them easier to handle and preventing breakage during frying.
Step 3. Pan-Fry the Cutlets
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully place the cutlets in the pan. Fry until both sides are golden brown and crisp.
Step 4. Serve Hot
Serve the Pumpkin Aloo Cutlets hot with your favorite dipping sauce, or chutney, or alongside a light soup or salad.
Storage Suggestions
Store leftover cutlets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. When ready to eat, reheat the refrigerated cutlets in an oven or toaster oven for a crispy texture. I won't recommend freezing the cutlets. The leftover mixture can be frozen for a week, though.
Expert Tips
- After boiling and mashing the potatoes and grating the pumpkin, make sure to squeeze out any excess moisture. Pumpkin leaves water so keep a check that your mixture shall not be watery. It shall bind into a dough (not very tight but not watery). The texture should be such that you can make any shape out of it. This helps in achieving a crispier texture for the cutlets.
- Don't reverse them soon. Let them cook in steam for 2-3 min. They will start leaving the pan and then use knife to lift them and gently reverse to cook from the other side.
- I have taken a non-stick pan and shallow fried them, one may deep fry them as well. That said, Iron vessels are indeed best utensil for everyone.
- You may also add ghee/oil to bind the mixture and make it smooth. You may grease your hands with oil before making the shapes as this prevents the mixture from sticking to your hands.
- I have used the left over boiled potatoes. If you have freshly boiled the potatoes, make sure to cool them or else the mixture won't bind firmly.
Variations
- Add fresh Greens- Mix in finely chopped fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, or mint to impart a burst of freshness to the cutlets
- Add another ingredient- Add grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese for a cheesy cutlet. You may add boiled chickpeas, paneer (Indian Cottage cheese), or beans for protein intake or nuts like walnuts or white sesame seeds.
Stories From Kitchen
Though I love Pumpkin in any form specifically as kaddu ki subji but some people shy away from it. ( that include a few from my family as well). This crispy cutlet recipe assures that we can easily indulge in anything other than potato. That's why I used grated pumpkin and it was a hit in the family.
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If you make this recipe, share the image of it on our instagram account @veg.buffet or twitter account @vegbuffet.
Healthy Pumpkin Aloo Cutlet- Vegan Potato Cutlets
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 grater
- 1 pan for frying
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated raw pumpkin
- 2-3 piece boiled potatoes
- 1 small green chilly
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 medium onion chopped
- ½ cup besan (Chickpea flour)
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder (Lal Mirch)
- 1 piece bread dry grind for bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- salt as per taste
- 1 tsp Desi ghee / oil optional, to mix in vegetable mixture
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil for shallow frying
- 2 teaspoon vegan yogurt any vegan curd
Instructions
- Take pumpkin and wash under running water. Cut it into large uneven chunks. Keep other ingredients ready. I had boiled potatoes left over from yesterday's batch. Potatoes help in binding. If you don't have boiled ones, either boil them for two whistles on full and simmer for 5-10 min. You may also skip potatoes and increase the besan and bread as they help in binding too.
- Grate Pumpkin in a large container. It would leave water But no worries, we will add besan , bread to absorb that water. I dont prefer to throw it as its very nutritious.
- Take boiled potatoes and grate them too in the above mixture.
- Add salt, spices,ginger garlic paste, curd, lemon juice and mix well. I have added green chilli and red chilli both. If you dont like spicy, skip or reduce them.
- Add besan and bread pieces and mix well. Once mixed well, you add ghee/oil for making shapes.
- I have made a cylindrical shape. You may make any shape of your interest.
- Keep making them and placing them in a clean plate with little gaps.
- Take a heavy bottomed or non-stick pan and heat mustard oil in it. once hot then place the cutlet in it with gaps.
- You may place as many as can be placed with gaps. Keep flame on high for 2 min and then simmer the flame.
- Cover them with lid for better cooking.
- It takes around 5 min to cook one side. Turn them over to cook from the other side. Since they are not deep fried, keep checking that they are not sticking to the pan. And rotate them in all directions to cook from all sides. One batch takes 5-10 min.
- The delicious pumpkin cutlet are ready!! Serve them with your choice of chutney!!
Notes
- After boiling and mashing the potatoes and grating the pumpkin, make sure to squeeze out any excess moisture. Pumpkin leaves water so keep a check that your mixture shall not be watery. It shall bind into a dough (not very tight but not watery). The texture should be such that you can make any shape out of it. This helps in achieving a crispier texture for the cutlets.
- Don't reverse them soon. Let them cook in steam for 2-3 min. They will start leaving the pan and then use knife to lift them and gently reverse to cook from the other side.
- I have taken a non-stick pan and shallow fried them, one may deep fry them as well. That said, Iron vessels are indeed best utensil for everyone.
- You may also add ghee/oil to bind the mixture and make it smooth. You may grease your hands with oil before making the shapes as this prevents the mixture from sticking to your hands.
- I have used the left over boiled potatoes. If you have freshly boiled the potatoes, make sure to cool them or else the mixture won't bind firmly.
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Serving size: 2 | |
Servings: 6 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 153 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 4.6g | 6% |
Saturated Fat 1g | 5% |
Cholesterol 1mg | 0% |
Sodium 49mg | 2% |
Total Carbohydrate 24.3g | 9% |
Dietary Fiber 4.5g | 16% |
Total Sugars 3.4g | |
Protein 4.4g | |
Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
Calcium 29mg | 2% |
Iron 1mg | 8% |
Potassium 519mg | 11% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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