Cook the channa dal in a pressure cooker or stovetop until soft. Drain the excess water and then grind it into a coarse paste or mash it using a masher. I used the masher to mash it and it worked very well.
Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a deep pan and sauté the chopped onions.
Once the onions are translucent, add the ginger-garlic paste and green chili paste and fry for a minute.
Now add the chopped spinach and fry well until the raw smell leaves the spinach and it is cooked (about 7 mins).
Add the mashed dal, salt, and garam masala powder and mix well. Fry the dal until all the excess moisture disappears and the mixture looks like a dough. Add the lemon juice, mix one more time and take it off the flame. Let the mixture cool down a bit.
Dip the bread slices one by one in water and then squeeze out all the excess moisture.
Add the squeezed bread slices, about 3 tablespoon of bread crumbs, and cornflour to the dal/spinach mixture.
Knead well with your hands and make the dough. Leave the mixture in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the cutlets or at least for ½ hr.
Make 20 even-sized balls out of the mixture and then flatten and shape it into then cutlet. Coat the shaped cutlets in the remaining bread crumbs.
Heat a large cast-iron pan/tawa. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and then add the shaped cutlets.
Fry the cutlets on both sides until golden brown and crispy. Drain on a paper towel.
Serve the green cutlets hot with dates chutney/green chutney/ketchup!