My inspiration: my mother.

She is a versatile and innovative cook. She can cook a delicious meal even when out of groceries.

Cooking is her passion and escape from daily struggles at the office.

She likes to feed us or anyone she can. When we were there, she experimented her recipes on us and now she does on my father and her colleagues.

She socializes with a lot of people daily as part of her work life – present and past colleagues, travel buddies, etc. Over the past 30 years, she has inveigled recipes and tips over lunch from her numerous colleagues.

Whenever she tries an unfamiliar dish brought by one of her colleagues, she will come back and prepare the same. And persists until she attains similar taste. This was also the case with dishes eaten at restaurants.

Even now she searches recipes online and cooks them, replacing ingredients and quantities according to her judgment. And later shares her successes with me over our daily call.

She follows a strict principle: “Never have leftovers wasted”. Most of us either throw the remains or eat them grudgingly the next day. But she will use them, include something fresh and concoct a new recipe. Often she kept the ingredients secret and only exposed them when we finished the meal.  This act of hers made sure we at least try her preparation before giving a verdict on it.

I stay fond of her famous parathas from leftover dals (lentils) or stuffed with leftover cooked vegetables.This recipe and story are hers, narrated by me.

Her Story

This morning I wake up and as per my routine venture into the kitchen to make morning tea. Next is to decide the breakfast. I open the fridge and find the leftover rice from yesterday. I recall my husband specifically mentioning he will not have them the next day. Remembering my conversation with my daughter about her poha cutlets, an idea of making rice cutlets strikes me.

Four potatoes are boiling inside the pressure cooker. Meanwhile, I chop the onions, ginger, and garlic. And grate carrot. After around 4 whistles, I switch off the flame and let out the steam. Soon after, I peel and smash those potatoes. To avoid burning my hands, I place the potatoes under running water first.

At that point, I take a bowl and combine the rice, salt, turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder and ginger-garlic paste to the potatoes. Next, I mix them well using my hands, smoothing out lumps, crushing rice into a smooth batter.

Side-by-side, I place a pan with 1 tsp oil on a burner. Saute the onion, ginger, and garlic until onions turn translucent. Then add the chopped vegetables, saute for a minute or two. Kill the gas and cover the pan with a lid. After few minutes, I add cheese and mix well. My filling is ready.

Now, I scoop around 1/4 cup of batter in my hand, I roll it into a cutlet with 1/2 inch thickness and flat oval shape. This batter makes 12 cutlets.Again, taking each cutlet, I put 1 tbsp of filling at the center. Then start folding from edges towards the middle to form a pouch. Pinch the peak to close the gap. Roll with gentle hands to form a sphere. The final step is to press the sphere gingerly into a cutlet again.

Pour semolina in a platter or bowl and dip each cutlet in it. Make sure semolina coats the entire cutlet.

A kadhai (deep pan) is in place on the burner with ample oil. The oil is hot now. I check by dropping a pinch of batter into it. If it approaches the top at once, oil is ready, else wait for a few more minutes.

I drop four cutlets one by one into the oil with extreme caution. The cutlets must float in oil and not touch the base. After two or more minutes, when cutlets are golden brown on one side, I turn them on to another side. This will make sure they cook evenly. Keep on checking after two to three minutes, else they might burn.

If the cutlets become dark brown or black, they are burning. Lower the flame if the oil fumes.
Take out the cutlets from oil when the entire cutlets are golden brown and place them on the plate lined with tissue paper. This removes the excess oil.

When remaining cutlets are done, I call my husband for breakfast. At first, he occupies himself in eating these delicious cutlets.

But with stomach almost full, he inquires, “What did you put in these cutlets? They are exquisite and tempting. I believe I can finish the entire lot.” And I answer, “The same rice you refused to eat!” This surprises him. He praises me and resumes his last cutlet.

The cutlets have a gooey center and a crunchy surface. When you break them into two, you can look at the cheese strands clinging to two sections. You can increase the quantity of cheese to get more cheesy bites.

Cheesy Vegetable Rice Cutlets (Using Leftover Rice)

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cup leftover rice
• 4 boiled potatoes, peeled and mashed
• 4 tbsp semolina
• 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1/4 cup finely chopped capsicum
• 1/4 cup boiled corn
• 1 medium carrot grated
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green beans
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger finely chopped.
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• Oil for frying
• 2 tbsp Cheese

Instructions

Rice Batter: 

1. Take a bowl and combine the rice, salt, turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder and ginger-garlic paste and potatoes.
2. Next, Mix them using hands/fork/food processor, smoothing out lumps and crushing rice into a smooth batter.

Vegetable Filling:

1. Place a pan with 1 tsp oil on a burner.
2. Saute the onion, ginger, and garlic until onions turn translucent.
3. Then add the chopped vegetables, saute for a minute or two. Kill the gas and cover the pan with a lid.
4. After few minutes, Add cheese and mix well. 

Cutlets:

1. Scoop around 1/4 cup of batter in your hand and roll it into a cutlet to 1/2 inch thickness and flat oval shape. Repeat the process until batter finishes.
2. Taking each cutlet, put 1 tbsp of filling at the center. Start folding from edges towards the middle to form a pouch. Pinch the peak to close the gap. Roll with gentle hands to form a sphere. The final step is to press the sphere gingerly into a cutlet again.
3. Pour semolina in a platter or bowl and dip each cutlet in it. Make sure semolina coats the entire cutlet.
4. Place oil in a kadhai(deep pan) over the burner.
5. When oil is hot, drop four cutlets one by one into the oil with extreme caution. The cutlets must float in oil and not touch the base.
6. After two or more minutes, when cutlets are golden brown on one side, turn them on to another side. This will make sure they fry evenly. Keep on checking after two to three minutes, else they might burn. 
7. Take out the cutlets from oil when the entire cutlets are golden brown and place them on the plate lined with tissue paper. This removes the excess oil.
8. Repeat steps 5 to 7 until all cutlets are fried.