FoodWithBai is a new foodie feature on tamilyouth.ca that explores and reveals the various aspects of cooking, in particular dishes loved by the Tamil community. Today, we have a recipe to make fish cutlets!
Written by: Bairavi Sripalan
Fish cutlets are addictive and are enjoyed by many! They are a really yummy savory snack or appetizer that can be easily manipulated to fit anyone’s spice levels! They are coated in breadcrumbs, deep fried, and loaded with tuna, potatoes, green chilies, onions and plenty of savory spices. It can be found at many Tamil bakeries and restaurants! Don’t miss the chance to try these out, definitely can’t stop with just having one!
Ingredients
– 2 cans of drained and flaked tuna
– 1 – 1 ½ cups of cooled cooked potatoes, mashed up
– 1 cup of diced onions
– 3-4 green chilies, thinly sliced
– 1 handful of finely chopped cilantro
– ½ tsp. turmeric
– 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
– 1 tsp. garham masala
– Salt to taste
– 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
– 3 large eggs
– 2 cups of bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs
– 1 tbsp. of water
Materials
– 1 large bowl
– Can opener
– Measuring cups/spoons
– 2 medium/small bowls for breading and egg wash
– Deep fryer or Pan with Oil
Preparation
– Cook the potatoes by steaming them or boiling them; once cooled mash them up (with or without skin, it’s all just preference)
– Drain and flake the tuna
– Prep the veggies, by dicing the onions, slicing the green chilies and chopping the cilantro
– Preheat the deep fryer OR get a pan ready with 1-2inches deep of oil on medium-high heat
– Line a plate with napkins to soak up excess oils
Directions
1. Get a large bowl and combine: tuna, potatoes, onions, green chilies, cilantro and mix until all ingredients are properly incorporated.
2. In a small bowl combine: turmeric, cayenne and garham masala and mix them.
3. Add about ¾ of the spice blend into the tuna-potato mixture; save the remainder of the spice for the panko breadcrumbs.
4. Add ½ tsp. of pepper and salt as needed (use your own discretion as sometimes the canned tuna can be extra salty or not salty at all).
5. Add 2 eggs into the mixture and the mixture should look like that of a sticky dough or meatball-like texture. Wrap it up and let the tuna-potato mixture sit in the fridge for anywhere between 30 minutes to overnight.
6. Get the cooled mixture and begin to form balls that are about 1-2 tbsp. of the mixture.
7. Prepare the breadcrumbs by throwing them into a bowl with the remainder of the spice blend from step 3, and additional ¼ tsp. of salt and ¼ tsp. of pepper. And beat the 1 large egg with the 2 tbsp. of water in a separate bowl.
8. Get them to the fryer/pan and deep fry for about 1-2 minutes, completely submerged and take out when golden brown.
9. Allow them to cool for about a few minutes and then enjoy!
Enjoy with hot ketchup, or any other sauce of your choice or just by themself!
Tweet us @CanTamilYouth with pictures of your fish cutlets with the hashtag #FoodWithBai!
Author
Bairavi Sripalan is a Toronto girl with a strong passion for cooking and all things food related. She grew up being inspired by the Food Network and her mom as she cooked daily in the kitchen. She has admired how balanced flavours and ingredients create beautiful dishes. She believes that with cooking, there is always something new to be learned, tried, and experienced. You can follow Bairavi for more updates @foodwithbai!
