Veg Lollipop is an extremely yummy and crunchy treat that can turn any day into a festive event. The combination of mashed potatoes, chopped vegetables, spices and herbs gives birth to tasty balls, which are covered with breadcrumbs and fried until golden brown. The lollipop shape of this dish attracts children’s attention, while its spicy taste makes Veg Lollipop a hit among grownups as well.
The main advantage of this dish is the simplicity of its cooking process and many possibilities for creative experiments with ingredients. Whether you are making some snacks for your guests, family or just want something delicious on a weekend, homemade Veg Lollipop will be a perfect choice for you.
Veg Lollipop Recipe Summary
Recipe Details: Veg Lollipop requires 25 minutes of preparation, and the cooking time is around 20 minutes. The total time taken to prepare the dish is 45 minutes, and it serves four people. It is an Indian appetizer/ evening snack that can be made through deep-frying and air-frying methods.
Ingredients Required: To make the vegetable combination, you will require 2 boiled and mashed potatoes, ½ cup of finely chopped cabbage, ¼ cup of grated carrot, ¼ cup of finely chopped capsicum, 1 small finely chopped onion, 1 tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste, ½ teaspoon of red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon of garam masala, ½ teaspoon of chaat masala, 2 tablespoons of rice flour/cornflour, salt to taste and 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves.
To coat and fry the vegetables, 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, ¼ cup of water, 1 cup of breadcrumbs, oil for frying and lollipop sticks/wooden skewers are required.
How To Make Veg Lollipop
1. Preparation of vegetables
Boil potatoes till they become soft, remove peels from them and blend them smoothly in a mixing bowl. Add finely chopped cabbage, grated carrots and onions. Vegetables should be cut into small pieces, as otherwise the mixture will not hold together properly.
2. Add spices & prepare mixture
Ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, garam masala, chaat masala, coriander leaves, and salt should be added to the mixture to taste. Proper mixing of all these ingredients should be done after adding rice flour/corn flour to bind them.
3. Making of Lollipops
Small quantities of the mixture should be taken out of the bowl and rolled into balls. This process should be continued until the mixture is used up. If the mixture is too soft, it can be placed in the fridge for around 15-20 minutes.
4. Coating Mixture Preparation
The all-purpose flour must be added to the water to form a coating mixture. The breadcrumbs must be arranged on a separate plate. Every ball must be coated with the mixture and then the breadcrumbs.
5. Deep-Frying
Add some oil to a deep pan. Heat the oil over medium flame. Add the balls into the heated oil carefully. Fry them till they are completely crisp and golden brown on the outside.
6. Inserting Sticks to Serve
It is advisable to let the balls cool down before pricking each one with wooden sticks. Serve these on a plate with tomato ketchup, green chutney, or Schezwan sauce.
Hints to Prepare Veg Lollipops Perfectly
Get rid of extra moisture: Extra moisture in vegetables will make it difficult to mould them. Remove excess moisture from the vegetables, if necessary.
Use binding agents: Adding rice flour, cornflour, or breadcrumbs will keep the balls together.
Maintain medium oil temperature: Too hot oil tends to burn the coating before heating the inside thoroughly.
Chill the balls: Chill the formed balls to ensure that they are firm when frying.
Air frying: Coat the balls lightly with oil and air fry at about 180°C until the balls turn crispy by half turning them.
My Serving Suggestions & Variations
Hot and crispy, Veg Lollipops can be served along with mint chutney, garlic mayonnaise, tomato ketchup or Schezwan sauce. You can also try some other ingredients such as paneer, sweet corn, peas or even finely chopped beans with your vegetables.
As a healthy option, bake or air-fry the lollipops rather than frying them. In addition, you may use the chilli powder according to your preference for a particular level of spiciness.
Personal Choice
What I particularly like about Veg Lollipops is a combination of a crispy outer layer and a soft vegetable inside. I also enjoy using some extra chaat masala along with spicy Schezwan chutney as the topping to make my lollipops tastier.
What I like in this recipe is that its way of presentation allows for making something special from the most ordinary vegetable cutlets – just place them on small sticks. This is not a very complicated trick, but it may still bring additional pleasure.
Conclusion
In my opinion, this Veg Lollipop is an easy, tasty and versatile snack that should be included in your homemade recipe book. With the help of basic ingredients such as vegetables, potatoes, spices and breadcrumbs, you may cook a tasty and crispy starter that is good for parties, family gatherings and all other occasions. Try to prepare this dish at home and enjoy freshly made Veg Lollipops.
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