Chana dal & Spinach Cutlet | Easy High Protein Snack Recipe- is a very healthy crispy evening snacks recipe made with chana dal and fresh spinach leaves with addition of a few spices. This is a gluten-free, vegan and kids friendly recipe.
What is a Cutlet
Cutlet or Kebab term is usually used for snacks made with meat. They are rich in various types of essential nutrients as made of meat. But these veg kebab is also rich in protein, iron, and minerals essential for growth and development.
About chana dal and spinach cutlets
This recipe is very easy to make and doesn’t take much time to prepare. I have deep-fried them but they can be cooked on an iron griddle with a very less amount of oil or baked in an oven for few minutes. If you cook it on an iron griddle it is well suited to diabetic patients and weight watchers.
These kebab are best served with coriander chutney or coconut chutney. It’s a perfect starter or appetizer for kitty parties or family get-together.
You can also add some more veggies to it to make it more healthy and delicious.
Other snack recipes you would like to try
These kababs or cutlets are not only very flavourful and tasty but healthy too to include in your snacks list. You can pack them for kids’ lunch boxes or good for evening time finger food snacks for growing kids.
For making these kababs first chana dal is soaked, boiled, and then cooled completely. Spinach is also chopped and cooked till very low moisture is left. Then all the ingredients are mixed together and make small size patties that are deep-fried in hot oil.
Try these kababs with a hot cup of ginger tea or coffee. These cutlets are gluten free and vegan as we have not added any potato, cornflour or milk products here. Instead, use oats flour to bind them and coat them.
Why should you try these kebab recipes
- Delicious in taste
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Easy to make
- High in protein
- Rich in iron
- Kids-friendly
The Health benefits of spinach and chana dal
- Chana dal are rich in Vitamin B-complex which is important for glucose metabolism in our body.
- It is a good source of protein, and iron that keeps you active and energetic.
- Chana dal also contains good fat and fibre which does not make you weight gain but gets strong muscles.
- Spinach is rich in various essential nutrients like Vitamin A, C, K, iron, folate, and potassium.
- It is also a good source of fibre but too much consumption may cause gas, and bloating problems as it contains some oxalates which hinder its proper digestion. so, it is good to avoid it eaten raw.
- Studies show that spinach is a great food to burn belly fat. Also helps in lowering blood pressure, and cholesterol and has anti-cancerous properties.
Step by step preparation of chana dal and spinach cutlets/kebabas
1.Wash chana dal with water several time. Soak it with enough water for 1 hour.
2. After 1 hour, wash the dal again, transfer to a pressure cooker. Now add 1 and ½ katori water, ½ tsp alt, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, tej patta, black cardamom, laung and cinnamon stick. Close the lid and put it on the medium flame.
3. Once two whistles are gone, simmer the flame and cook it for 4-5 minutes. Switch off the flame.
4. After the pressure is released, open the lid and check if dal is become soft. Transfer dal to a strainer and let the extra water strain out and it also cools little bit.
5. Meanwhile, wash spinach, and finely chop it . Add it to a pan and roast it till its all moisture is gone. Switch off the flame and let it cool down.
6. Then transfer boiled dal to a big bowl, add sautéed spinach, around 1 cup of oats flour, besan, ginger and green chilli paste, salt, coriander powder, cumin seeds powder, chaat masala, black pepper powder, and lastly chopped coriander leaves.
7. Mix them gently and make a dough. If the dough is too soft add little more oats powder and bind together.
8. Divide the mixture into small balls and make 15 medium size patties out of it.
9. You can give any shape of your choice either round or cylinder shape. Now coat these patties with oats flour and place in a plate.
10. Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan on a high flame. Once the oil is heated, lower the flame to medium high setting.
11.Drop few patties in the hot oil. Add only 4-5 at a time and fry them till they become nice golden in colour.
12. Strain extra oil and transfer them to a serving plate. Serve warm with coconut chutney or green chutney.
Serving suggestions
Serve these crispy chana dal and spinach cutlets with coriander chutney or coconut chutney at snacks time with a hot cup of ginger tea or coffee.
Tips and tricks
- Soaking of dal for an hour helps in its cooking fast. Cook until dal is soft but firm. If the dal becomes too soft, dough will be sticky and difficult to make cutlets.
- You can add any vegetables of your choice to make variations in the cutlets.
- Cutlets can be grilled on tawa or baked in an oven to reduce the fat contet.
- If you are making these for breakfast boil dal and cool it also roast spinach beforehand and keep them refrigerated so that in the morning the job become easier and faster.
- You can also replace oats flour with fresh bread crumbs if not want it gluten free.
Recipe card
Chana dal & Spinach Cutlet | Easy High Protein Snack Recipe
Ingredients
For boiling dal
- 150 gm chana dal
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 clove or laung
- 1 bay leaf or tej patta
- 1 black cardamom or badi elaichi
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
For making patties
- 250 gm fresh spinach
- 1 and 1/2 cup oats flour
- 2 tbsp besan
- 1 tsp ginger green chilli paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp jeera powder
- 1 tsp chaat masala
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2-3 tbsp green coriander leaves
Instructions
Boiling of chana dal
- Wash chana dal with water several times. Soak it with enough water for 1 hour.
- After1 hour, wash the dal again, transfer it to a pressure cooker. Now add 1 and ½ katori water, add ½ tsp alt, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, tej patta, black cardamom, laung and cinnamon stick. Close the lid and put it on the medium flame.
- Once two whistles are gone, simmer the flame and cook it for 4-5 minutes. Switch off the flame.
Roasting of spinach
- Meanwhile, wash spinach, and finely chop it. Add chopped spinach in a pan, roast it till it all its moisture is gone. Switch off the flame and let it cool down.
- After the pressure is released, open the lid and check if dal is become soft. Transfer dal to a strainer and let the extra water strain out and it also cools little bit.
Making of cutlets dough
- Then transfer dal to a big bowl, add sautéed spinach, around 1 cup of oats flour, besan, ginger and green chilli paste , salt, coriander powder, cumin seeds powder, chaat masala, black pepper powder, and lastly chopped coriander leaves.
- Mix them gently and make a dough. If the dough is too soft add little more oats powder and bind together.
- Divide the mixture into small balls and make 15 medium size patties out of it.
- You can give any shape of your choice either round or cylinder shape.
- Now coat these patties with the oats flour and place in a plate.
Frying of cutlets/kebabs
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan on a high flame. Once the oil is heated, lower the flame to medium high setting.
- Drop few patties in the hot oil. Add only 4-5 at a time and fry them till they become nice golden in colour.
- Strain extra oil and transfer them to a serving plate. Serve warm with coconut chutney or green chutney.
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