Homemade Veggie Dogs

Ingredients:

For the patties

• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ¾ cup yellow onion, chopped
• 2-3 green chilies, de-seeded, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
• ¾ cup carrots, finely grated
• ½ medium beetroot, cooked, finely grated
• 3 medium Idaho® russet potatoes, cooked, mashed
• ½ cup peas, cooked, mashed
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• salt to taste
• 2-3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs

For the crumb coat

• ½ cup breadcrumbs

For frying

• vegetable oil, for shallow frying

Directions:

Make the veggie dog mixture

1. In a medium pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat.
2. Sauté the chopped onions with a pinch of salt until translucent. Stir in the chopped green chilies and ginger.
3. Add the grated carrots and cook for a minute, making sure all the water is evaporated.
4. Add the grated beetroot, potatoes, peas and ground spices. Season with salt, to taste.
5. Continue cooking until the excess water is cooked off and you get a firm, but soft dough-like ball of the veggie mixture.
6. Turn off heat and let cool completely.
7. Stir in the chopped cilantro and ¼ cup breadcrumbs until you get a stiff mix, ready to be rolled.

Shape the veggie dogs

1. Divide the veggie mix into 8 equal parts (roughly ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon each).
2. Using a small piece of clingfilm/wax paper, shape each ball into a sausage roughly the length of a hot dog bun, rolling with the help of the clingfilm/wax paper.
3. Wrap in the same clingfilm/wax paper to refrigerate/freeze/until ready to fry.

Fry the veggie dogs

1. Place ½ cup breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl or plate. Roll each veggie sausage in the breadcrumbs and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan for shallow frying.
3. Place the veggie sausages (2-3 in a medium pan) and fry them over medium-low heat until properly browned on all sides. Since the filling is pre-cooked, you’re only going to fry until the outsides crisp up.
4. Repeat with the remaining veggie dogs.
5. Place inside a hot dog bun, top with mustard/ketchup/mayo, relish and serve immediately.

Notes:

• The 3 medium Idaho® russet potatoes when cooked yielded 1.5 cups mashed potatoes.
• ½ medium beetroot, when cooked and grated, yielded 1 cup grated beetroot.
• I used roasted garlic flavored breadcrumbs. It greatly enhanced the taste. If you can't find any, just use your regular breadcrumbs mixed with garlic powder + Italian dried seasoning.
• You can pan-fry these with a little oil for a healthier version, but with deep-frying, you get a crispier crust. These were not meant to be grilled.
• These veggie sausages can be frozen in the clingfilm/wax paper placed in freezer bags for up to 6 months. They can also be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated until needed.
• They are best fried just before serving.