Meat cutlet is one of my all time favorite appetizers. I don’t need any special occasions to make this; it’s often served as an appetizer or as an entree for dinner. The cutlet mix could be made ahead of time and could be fried just before serving.  Hence, this is a time saver dish for any parties. This was the only one dish I knew and used to make when I was young. Now when I make this, I feel nostalgic. I must thank my mom for most of the recipes, especially for this one. I strongly believe that without her, I wouldn’t have developed a passion for cooking. So I dedicate this Meat cutlet blog for my dear mom.

Cooking the meat:

Ingredients:

• Chicken/beef/mutton(boneless)- 1pound
• Chilli powder-1tsp
• Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
• Fennel powder-2 tsp
• Cardamom(3)/cloves(3)/cinnamon(1 inch slice)- grind these into powder
• Salt- to taste

Preparation:

• Combine the chicken with all the above mentioned ingredients and cook covered in a wide pan.
• Cook until all the water evaporates and the chicken has cooked well.
• If you are using Beef/Mutton(Lamb), cook in a pressure cooker until 3-4 whistles.
• Shred the meat with a fork or coarsely blend it in a food processor.

Preparing the Mix:

Ingredients:

• Onion finely chopped- 3
• Ginger/Garlic paste-2 tsp
• Green chillies, finely chopped- 2
• Garam masala-1 tsp
• Cooked/shredded Meat- 1 pound
• Cilantro chopped-1 handful
• Potatoes boiled and mashed -2
• Salt-as required
• Oil-2 tsp

Preparation:

• Heat a skillet and add the oil.
• Saute onion till translucent, add salt to it.
• Add ginger/garlic paste, green chillies and garam masala, saute for 2 minutes.
• Now add the cooked and shredded meat to this and combine well.
• Add the boiled, mashed potatoes and mix everything well.
• Finally add cilantro.
• Cutlet mix is ready.
• Make small balls out of this mix and flatten in between the palm of your hands and keep aside.

Coating the Cutlet mix:

Ingredients:

• Eggs beaten (use just egg whites or both)- 2
• Bread crumbs plain-1 cup
• Oil- enough for frying

Method:

• Beat the eggs using a fork or whisk.
• Place the bread crumbs on a platter.
• Dip each cutlet balls in the egg and then coat it with the bread crumbs.
• Deep fry the cutlets in oil until golden brown.
• This meat cutlet could be served with Tomato ketchup or along with an easy cutlet salad.

Quick Salad: Click on the link for the recipe

http://thasneen.com/cooking/quick-salad-for-any-meat-appetizer/

Tips:

• The cutlet mix coated with the bread crumbs can be made ahead of time and it can also be freezed for about 2-3 days.
• Thaw well and fry before the party or guest arrives.

For vegetable cutlet:

• Use veggies of your choice( carrot, beans, cauliflower) and boil it in water, drain and pat dry it.
• While making the mix: add the vegetables to the sauteed onion, along with chilli powder, turmeric powder and fennel powder.
• Follow the other steps as in meat cutlet.

For Fish Cutlet:

• Use canned Tuna for making fish cutlet.
• After sauteing the onion, add ginger/garlic/green chillies/garam masala and add the tuna, along with the masalas: chilli powder, turmeric powder, fennel powder and follow the other steps.