First, you will have to roast and grind the ingredients to make the spice powder. Take a frying pan, heat it on a low flame, and put 3 pieces of dry red chilies without their stalk along with 1 piece of bay leaf, torn in half, in it. Stir it for a few seconds and then add 1 tsp of coriander seeds, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, and 1 tsp of fennel seeds to it. Stir them continuously to roast them on a low flame for about a couple of minutes until they change slightly golden in color. Transfer them to a plate, cool them, and then grind them to a fine powder.
Now, in the same frying pan, put 2 tbsp of mustard oil to cook the vegetable stuffing of the chop. Heat the oil on a medium flame nicely and then add about 2 tbsp of deskinned peanuts. Stir them and fry them nicely for about 2 minutes until they start to change their color. Transfer them from the frying pan to a separate plate. (Pro tip: I am using mustard oil because I like its flavor. You can use any type of oil you like or have at home).
Now, add 1 tsp of Indian Five Spice Blend (panch phoron) to the same oil and let it fry for about a minute or so. When you can smell the aroma of the fried panch phoron, add 1 cup of fresh coconut (cut into small pieces). Stir them and fry them nicely until they turn slightly brown in color. (Pro tip: You can remove the fried coconut pieces from the pan if you like and proceed with the following steps and add them later with the vegetables. However, I prefer cooking it along with other ingredients).
Now, add 2 tsp of fresh and crushed ginger to it. Stir it and cook for a minute or so. (Pro tip: Try to use crushed fresh ginger instead of a paste of it because the ginger pieces will enhance the taste and flavor in every bite of the vegetable chop).
Now, add 1 tbsp of crushed fresh green chilies. Let everything cook nicely, change the color, and emit a lovely fragrance. (Pro tip: You can add more or less green chilies if you want. Adjust according to your taste preference).
When they are cooked nicely, add 200 gm of beetroot and 200 gm of fresh carrots, both cut into thin slices, to the pan. Mix them nicely with the oil and spices. Fry them on a medium flame for about 3 to 4 minutes. (Pro tip: You can use pre-boiled carrots and beetroot at this stage. However, in that case, the taste will not be as good as fried vegetables. If you boil the beetroot and carrots, do not use too much water).
Now, add regular table salt to taste and mix it nicely with the vegetables. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the flame of your gas stove to low after some time. This will prevent the vegetables from getting burnt while cooking. (Pro tip: Do not add any water because the salt added will help the vegetables to release their water which will cook them eventually. However, if you have to add water to it to cook, add it judiciously and gradually).
Now, use a masher to mash the cooked beetroot and carrots nicely. If you do not have a masher at home, you can use a stainless-steel glass or other similar objects to mash the vegetables.
After the carrots and beetroot are mashed properly, add 2 medium pieces of boiled potatoes to it. Mix it or mash it nicely with the vegetables. Cook it for another couple of minutes to make sure that there is no water in the stuffing. If it is dry and soft, it will be difficult to give the right shape to the chops.
Now, to the stuffing, add 3 tsp of the fried and ground spices you made before and 1 tsp of sugar, which will give the customary sweetness of vegetable chops. Also, add the roasted peanuts and mix everything nicely. Transfer it to a separate place, spread it, and let it cool. (Pro tip: Cooling the stuffing is very important because you will have to shape the chops with your hand).
While the stuffing cools down, take in a packet of toast biscuits. Break them with your hand. Put them in a mixer grinder and grind them to a fine powder. (Pro tip: If you do not want to go through all these hassles, you may use store-bought bread crumbs).
Transfer the bread crumb to a plate and add ½ tsp or a pinch of white pepper (shah marich) powder and ½ tsp of black salt to it. If you do not have black salt or white pepper powder at home, you can add regular table salt and black pepper powder respectively as an alternative to it as well. Mix them all nicely and transfer the crumbs to a bowl.
Now, to make the batter for the chops, take another bowl. Put 1 tbsp of refined wheat flour (maida), 1 tbsp of corn flour, salt to taste, and ½ tsp of white pepper powder. Make a paste of it of medium consistency using water as required. Do not make it too thick because then the coating on the chops will be too thick, which is not desired.
Now, take a small portion of the vegetable stuffing and give it your desired shape, oval, cylindrical, or round, and keep them in a plate.
To coat the chops, keep the bread crumbs, batter, and the pieces side by side. Use one hand to take and dip a piece in the batter, coat it, and then put it in the bowl containing the bread crumbs. Use your other hand to coat the piece with the crumbs. This way one hand will be wet and the other dry, making it easier and faster to coat the pieces.
Repeat the process to coat all the pieces. Once you are done coating every piece once, do the same to coat it once again and keep them on a separate plate. (Pro tip: Double coating ensures better crispiness and perfect frying of the vegetable chops without breaking or splitting in the hot oil. You may not double-coat them if you use a thicker batter and store-bought bread crumbs).
Now, take a deep-bottom wok, put an adequate amount of refined oil of any type in it, heat it in a high flame nicely, turn the flame to medium, and put the pieces one by one in the hot oil very carefully so that you do not splash it. Add only 3 to 4 pieces of chops at a time. Fry them until they are golden brown. Take them out using a strainer. Put them on a piece of tissue paper to absorb the excess oil. Fry all the pieces this way.
Now, your homemade tasty and spicy vegetable chops are ready. Put them on a plate, sprinkle a pinch of table salt and a pinch of chaat masala powder on them, and serve them hot along with a few cucumber pieces and onion rings.