A little sweetness, a little spice: Sweet potato cutlets for tea time

Looking for a crispy snack to enjoy with your evening tea? Sweet potato cutlets are a delicious option, with a crunchy outer coating and a soft, flavourful filling. Made with mashed sweet potatoes, onions, green chillies and aromatic spices, these cutlets are easy to prepare at home. Serve them hot with mint chutney, tomato sauce or mayonnaise for a tasty tea-time treat.

Ingredients

1. 3 medium sweet potatoes
2. 1 onion, finely chopped
3. 2 to 3 green chillies, chopped
4. 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
5. 3 garlic cloves, crushed
6. 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
7. 1/2 tsp chilli powder
8. 1/2 tsp pepper powder
9. 1/2 tsp garam masala
10. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
11. Salt, to taste
12. 1 cup bread crumbs
13. Oil, as required

For the coating

1. 3 tbsp maida
2. Water, as required
3. 1 cup bread crumbs

Preparation

1. Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly and cook them in a pressure cooker or a regular pot until tender. Allow them to cool, peel off the skin and mash well.
2. Heat a little oil in a pan. Add the chopped onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Sauté until the onion softens. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, pepper powder and garam masala. Mix well.
3. Add this masala mixture to the mashed sweet potatoes. Season with salt and add the chopped coriander leaves. Mix thoroughly. If the mixture is too soft, add some bread crumbs to make it firm enough to shape.
4. Grease your palms with a little oil. Take small portions of the mixture and shape them into cutlets.
5. Mix the maida with enough water to make a smooth, lump-free batter. Dip each cutlet into the batter and coat it evenly with bread crumbs.
6. Heat oil in a pan and fry the cutlets until golden brown on both sides. Transfer them to tissue paper to absorb excess oil.
7. For a less oily version, shallow-fry the cutlets or cook them in a preheated air fryer at 180°C for 12 to 15 minutes, turning them halfway through.

Tips to enhance the flavour
Add cooked green gram, finely chopped carrots or beans to the sweet potato mixture for extra variety. A little cheese can make the cutlets more appealing to children. You can also use rava instead of bread crumbs for the outer coating. Serve hot with mint chutney, tomato sauce or mayonnaise.