Fish cutlets are Indian style fish cakes prepared with cooked shredded fish, potatoes, shaped into patties and pan fried. Recipe has step by step photo instructions.
Post originally published in Feb 2011. Republished with new content and images.
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Iron Rich Ingredient
Fish is a good source of iron and protein. Tuna, haddock, sardines are very good sources of iron. Besides, fish is a power house nutrients.
Tilapia does not have as much iron as the other mentioned fish but 3.5 oz / 10 grams of tilapia has about 4% of daily required iron. This is heme-iron, which human body easily absorbs.
A-Z iron rich food is a series I started last year and post a recipe with an iron rich ingredient for each alphabet. For 'F' it is fish. Below are a few recipes from the series.
About the Recipe
Fish cakes or fish cutlets recipe prepared in Indian style is an easy recipe but with multiple steps. Beauty about this recipe is that it is pan fried, making it a guilt free snack and a meal.
First cook and shred the fish, boil & mash potatoes, saute both along with onions & spices. Then shape into cutlets and pan fry. Since these are pan fried, cutlets are soft, unlike the deep fried ones.
For an easier version check fish patties and salmon burger patties. Both recipes prepare patties with raw fish and one uses bread crumbs and the other does not.
Ingredients
- Fish - Tilapia, catfish or any firm fish fillets work. I prepare with tilapia and catfish.
- Potatoes - Use any variety.
- Spices - Chili powder, coriander powder, chaat masala or garam masala or both are the key spices. Some roasted cumin powder goes a long way but it is optional.
- Other Ingredients - Chopped onion and green chilies. Substitute green chilies with chili powder or black pepper but we prefer green chilies.
Preparation
Boil potato (step #1), peel and mash. Cook fish with some chili powder, salt and ginger garlic paste (step #2-4). Lightly mash or shred the fish pieces (#5).
Saute onions, green chilies, ginger garlic paste (step #6), add spices (#7), potato mash (#8-9), followed by fish (#10). Saute until mixture is dry and then add cilantro (#11).
Take mixture into a plate cool (#12). Add bread crumbs (#13), mix well and shape into discs (#14). Pan fry on medium high flame, flipping once or as needed (#15-16). Serve with your favorite sauce.
For deep fried version, use egg as a binder. Add egg to fish mixture and shape into cutlets or shape the cutlets, dip in lightly beaten egg. Then roll in the discs in bread crumbs and dust it.
Expert's Tips
- Fish cutlet mixture should be dry. If the mixture is moist, saute a bit longer or add more bread crumbs to absorb the moisture.
- Use egg as a binder if cutlets fall apart when frying. For deep fried versions, use egg and roll & dust cutlets in bread crumbs, before deep frying.
FAQ
Cutlets fall apart when there is too much moisture and unable to bind. To fix it, add egg to fish mixture and then shape into cutlets or shape the cutlets and dip in lightly beaten egg mixture. Then roll & dust in bread crumbs. Also check first tip above.
Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
Fish Cutlet
Equipment
- Cutting board & knife
- Frying pans & spatula or a spoon
Ingredients
- ½ lb Potatoes or 4 small - medium sized potatoes.
- 1 lb or 3 Fillets of Tilapia Catfish or fish of your choice
- 1 ½ teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- 6 tablespoon Oil Add extra 2 tablespoon if needed when pan frying cutlets.
- 1 medium Onion chopped or ¾ cup chopped Onion
- 1 ½ tablespoon Ginger Garlic paste
- 6 - 7 Green Chilies Chopped
- 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala Substitute with garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ cup Bread Crumbs
- ½ cup loosely packed chopped Cilantro
Instructions
- Boil Potatoes, peel and keep aside.
- While potatoes boil, chop the veggies and keep aside.
- Wash and cut the fish into small pieces. In a frying/sauté pan take the fish and rub ½ teaspoon salt, ½ chili powder and 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste.
- Add about ¼ of water to the pan, cover and cook on high flame.
- Stir it between and cook until fish is cooked. This will take about 3 – 5 minutes.
- Fish cooks very fast, so keep an eye on it. Lightly mash it and transfer to a wide mouth bowl or a plate.
- In the same pan, take 2 tablespoon of oil, when hot add onion, green chilies, ginger garlic paste and cook until the rawness of the ginger disappears.
- Add remaining chili powder & salt, coriander powder, chaat masala and mix well.
- Add mashed potato and give a good stir.
- Then add cooked fish and sauté until all the liquid evaporates.
- Continue to sauté for few more minutes until the mixture is dry. The whole process would take about 5 – 7 minutes.
- Add cilantro, mix well and transfer the mixture to the plate and let it cool.
- This is the time to taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning if required.
- When the mixture is cold enough to handle, add the bread crumbs and mix well. Sometimes I add an egg to bind the mixture together but did not use it this time. You can fry one or two cutlets for a trial and if it falls part, add more bread crumbs or roll and dust the cutlets in some crumbs before frying.
- Take 2-3 tablespoon of fish mixture and shape into round balls and lightly flatten to form a disc. You can also shape into oblong rods.
- Heat about 2 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Add cutlets to hot pan and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side flipping once.
- Depending on the size of the pan, do it in batches. In 12" pan, it takes 2 batches.
- Serve with your favorite sauce.
Notes
- Fish - I use tilapia or catfish. Feel free to use any white fish of your choice.
- Frying - Recipe calls for pan frying but you can deep fry or shallow fry cutlets. If following one of these methods, add an egg to bind the mixture together and roll & dust cutlets in bread crumbs before frying.
- Cutlets not holding shape - use egg as a binder if cutlets fall apart when frying. For deep fried versions, use egg and roll & dust cutlets in bread crumbs, before deep frying.
- Nutrition - Recipe yields 20 pieces and nutritional values are approximate calculations.
Nutrition
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Post originally published in Feb 2011. Republished with new content and images.
Rujuta says
Usha,
Completely drooling...
Nice recipe and gr8 presentation...
The cutlets look crisp and tempting..
Best Wishes
Rujuta
http://theworldaccordingtorujuta.blogspot.com/
savitha says
spicy and tangy fish cutlet....loving ur presentation as well
veena says
great presentation and loved the way you have categorized the marathon bloggers:-)
Srivalli says
Lovely presentation Usha..
Krithi says
Yummy fish cutlets... so tempting...
http://krithiskitchen.blogspot.com
Min Joshim says
The cutlets look perfect.
rekha says
Very perfest recipe cutlets looks so tempting..
santosh says
1st time here i didnot have ur sit add and there is prolem in opning cutlets are teempting and ummy do visit my site
saraswathi says
nice recipe...good for healthy....
Priya says
Delicious and my favourite cutlets, love it..
Meena Thennaapan says
Fish is very healthy.
Love your presentation
Shanavi says
today am fasting...otherwise i would b drooling now
Smitha says
Yummy fish cutlets...they sure disappear in my house...save some for me!