This Fish Cutlet recipe is very easy to make.
It can be served as an appetizer, snack or a side dish.
It is good to include an oily fish in our diets at least thrice a week. So if you want you can use an oily fish or a white fleshy fish for this recipe.
Make the cutlets as hot as you desire. The idea is to balance all the flavors.
To make these cutlets you will need
- 500 g fish steak (oily or white fish)
- 300 g of potatoes (approximately)
- 2 medium Onions (Chopped finely)
- 3-4 green Chilies (chopped finely)
- 1 cup fresh Coriander (chopped finely)
- 2 Tbsp of Ginger-Garlic paste
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 Tsp red Chili powder
- 2 Tsp Coriander powder
- 1 Tsp Roasted Cumin powder
- 1/2 Tsp Garam masala (optional)
- 3-4 Garlic cloves, 1 inch ginger, 7-8 peppercorns and 1 tsp fennel seeds
- Water
- 1 egg (lightly beaten with a pinch of salt)
- Bread crumbs
- Oil for frying
To boil the fish, place the fish in a saucepan and cover it up with water (just enough to cover the fish). Pound the garlic cloves and ginger knob and add it in the water, along with the peppercorns and fennel seeds. Bring it to a boil and cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until the fish is done. Let it cool down.
Meanwhile boil the potatoes (in a pressure cooker or as you please). Grate or mash.
Also keep the beaten egg in a bowl and bread crumbs in a flat plate.
Remove the fish from the water, clean the bones and put all the flesh in a bowl. Add the mashed potatoes, chopped onions, chilies, coriander leaves, ginger-garlic paste, salt, lime juice and the rest of the dry powders.
Get your hands dirty. Mash and mix well. Sneak a taste and make adjustments if any.
Make the cutlets by shaping as desired (round or oval). Shape into small balls and place in between your palms and press gently, to flatten them a little.
Take each cutlet, dip it in egg and immediately roll it on all sides in the bread crumbs. Place all on a tray and once all cutlets are done, cover up with a cling wrap and put in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This helps the bread crumbs to set well on the cutlets.
Heat the oil for frying in a deep pan or kadai, and deep fry the cutlets in batches of 3-4 on a low to medium heat. When evenly brown on all sides, take out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Serve with a dip or sauce of your choice.
Tips:
Always fry just one cutlet first, to check if the temperature of oil is ok. This way you lose just one if something goes wrong.
Make lots at one time and store in the freezer for up to a month. This saves a lot of time. Defrost and reheat under a hot grill or on a griddle on the stove. Do not heat in the microwave.
When you put the cutlets in the oil for frying, avoid turning them immediately, lest they might break. Wait for a minute or so and then turn them over. Keep turning occasionally to get an even brown color.
You can strain the water in which the fish was boiled as a mild and quick fish stock,to make a soup or sauce.