Fish cutlet combines tender Bhetki fish marinated with several aromatic spices and other ingredients, covered with breadcrumbs and fried to perfection. If you do not know the process to make fish cutlets at home, here in my step-by-step guide, you will learn about the secrets to making these flavorful golden-brown delights quickly and easily.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Fish cutlets are favorite for any occasion and in any season.
- If you have made additional cutlets but do not want to fry them now, store them in an airtight container in your fridge.
- Serve these delicious cutlets alongside mint chutney, tamarind sauce, a cool and creamy yogurt dip, cucumber raita, tomato salsa, simple green salad, fresh lemon wedges, and any sweet and spicy dipping sauce.
- Fish cutlets taste succulent, tender, spicy, and crispy with a hint of savory undertone.
- You will get a similar taste as fish cutlet if you try fish tikka, fish kebabs, fish fry, fish finger, fish kobiraji, and fish kofta.
The Ingredients:
- 500 gm fish (Bhetki, 5 pieces)
- Water – as required
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 4 pieces bread (edges removed and cut into small cubes)
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 piece onion (small, grated nicely)
- ½ tsp green chili paste
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ½ cup coriander leaves (finely chopped)
- 1 piece egg (yolk)
- Bread crumbs – As required
- Eggs – As required for egg wash
- White oil – As required to shallow fry
- Onion and cucumber slices – As required for salad for garnishing
- Tomato sauce (optional) – as a dipping sauce
I was lucky to find this recipe scribbled on the inside cover of a novel. Lucky because the recipe is so good that everyone liked it and praised me for my culinary expertise! It felt like a hidden treasure. I followed every word of the recipe, even the odd advice.
It turned out surprisingly delicious. I still don’t know who wrote it or why it was there, but I’ve passed it along to others like you like a little secret. It is now one of those dishes that not only features in every party at home but also feels almost too special to explain.
How to Make Fish Cutlet? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Take a wok, heat it, pour enough water, add 1 tsp of regular table salt, mix it, and put 5 pieces (500 gm) of Bhetki fish in it. Turn them after a minute or two and then cover the wok to cook the pieces nicely for about a minute or so.
Step 2: While it cooks, take 4 slices of bread, and cut their edges. Then cut them into small cubical pieces and keep them aside.
Step 3: Now, turn off the flame of your gas stove, remove the lid, take the pieces of fish out, and remove their skin. Also, debone them and keep them in a bowl.
Step 4: Now, to the bowl, add 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste, 1 small piece of onion (grated nicely), ½ tsp of fresh green chili paste.
Step 5: Follow it with 2 tsp of fresh lemon juice and ½ tsp of salt.
(Pro tip: Be careful about the salt as you have added it while boiling the fish before. The amount of green chili paste may vary depending on how spicy and hot you want your cutlet to be).
Step 6: Then add ½ cup of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and 1 egg yolk.
Step 7: Finally, add the cubical pieces of bread you have cut before and kept aside. Mix everything nicely and make a paste.
Step 8: Now, take about 1.5 tbsp of this mixture or paste and press it with both your hands to give it the flat round, or oval shape of a cutlet.
(Pro tip: Be gentle while pressing because it is very soft).
Step 9: Now, coat it with bread crumbs on both sides. Then dip it in eggwash, put another layer of bread crumbs, and keep it aside. Repeat this process for all the cutlet pieces.
(Pro tip: Press the cutlet pieces gently so that the bread crumbs stick to the surface nicely and do not come off while frying them).
Step 10: Now, give every piece of cutlet the final shape you want in it by using your hand and a knife. Keep them all aside on a plate.
Step 11: Now take a deep-bottom wok or frying pan and add enough cooking oil to shallow fry the pieces of cutlet and heat it on a high flame on your gas stove. Add the pieces one by one carefully. Do not add too many pieces at once.
(Pro tip: The amount of oil needed will depend on the size of the pan and the number of pieces to fry. Also, be careful while adding the cutlet pieces. Add gently not to splash the hot oil).
Step 12: Fry for about a minute or two in a medium to high flame. Turn them carefully to fry them evenly on both sides. Take them out when they turn to a nice golden-brown color. Repeat the process if you cannot accommodate all the pieces at once.
(Pro tip: You may put them on tissue paper to drain the excess oil for health reasons).
Step 13: Your homemade fish cutlet is ready. Garnish the cutlets with a little bit of salad and serve them hot. You may serve tomato or mustard sauce alongside them.
Recipe Card
Fish Cutlet
Ingredients
- 500 gm fish Bhetki, 5 pieces
- Water as required
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 4 pieces bread edges removed and cut into small cubes
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 piece onion small, grated nicely
- ½ tsp green chili paste
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ½ cup coriander leaves finely chopped
- 1 piece egg yolk
- Bread crumbs as required
- Eggs as required for egg wash
- White oil as required to shallow fry
- Onion and cucumber slices as required for salad for garnishing
- Tomato sauce optional – as a dipping sauce
Instructions
- Take a wok, heat it, pour enough water, add 1 tsp of regular table salt, mix it, and put 5 pieces (500 gm) of Bhetki fish in it. Turn them after a minute or two and then cover the wok to cook the pieces nicely for about a minute or so.
- While it cooks, take 4 slices of bread, and cut their edges. Then cut them into small cubical pieces and keep them aside.
- Now, turn off the flame of your gas stove, remove the lid, take the pieces of fish out, and remove their skin. Also, debone them and keep them in a bowl.
- Now, to the bowl, add 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste, 1 small piece of onion (grated nicely), ½ tsp of fresh green chili paste.
- Follow it with 2 tsp of fresh lemon juice and ½ tsp of salt. (Pro tip: Be careful about the salt as you have added it while boiling the fish before. The amount of green chili paste may vary depending on how spicy and hot you want your cutlet to be).
- Then add ½ cup of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and 1 egg yolk.
- Finally, add the cubical pieces of bread you have cut before and kept aside. Mix everything nicely and make a paste.
- Now, take about 1.5 tbsp of this mixture or paste and press it with both your hands to give it the flat round, or oval shape of a cutlet. (Pro tip: Be gentle while pressing because it is very soft).
- Now, coat it with bread crumbs on both sides. Then dip it in eggwash, put another layer of bread crumbs, and keep it aside. Repeat this process for all the cutlet pieces. (Pro tip: Press the cutlet pieces gently so that the bread crumbs stick to the surface nicely and do not come off while frying them).
- Now, give every piece of cutlet the final shape you want in it by using your hand and a knife. Keep them all aside on a plate.
- Now take a deep-bottom wok or frying pan and add enough cooking oil to shallow fry the pieces of cutlet and heat it on a high flame on your gas stove. Add the pieces one by one carefully. Do not add too many pieces at once. (Pro tip: The amount of oil needed will depend on the size of the pan and the number of pieces to fry. Also, be careful while adding the cutlet pieces. Add gently not to splash the hot oil).
- Fry for about a minute or two in a medium to high flame. Turn them carefully to fry them evenly on both sides. Take them out when they turn to a nice golden-brown color. Repeat the process if you cannot accommodate all the pieces at once. (Pro tip: You may put them on tissue paper to drain the excess oil for health reasons).
- Your homemade fish cutlet is ready. Garnish the cutlets with a little bit of salad and serve them hot. You may serve tomato or mustard sauce alongside them.
