These spicy fish cutlets are one of the most popular comfort foods in Sri Lanka. This
Trust me, this recipe is an easy one to prepare. I make them mostly on those rainy days to munch on. Try it I know you will love it. This is by far the top best comfort food on my list.
These bite-size fish cutlets are not just for your tea time. It is a popular one to serve at parties, events and special occasions. Even though they come in small sizes they are full of mouth-watering flavors.
I learned to create my own fish cutlets by watching my mom make so many a times before. She learned from her mom and sisters, they learned from there elders and so on. This snack has been in the family for generations but never written down as a recipe until now.
There is no secret in making these delicious fish cutlets. Whoever is interested in making there own style of cutlets can freely use this method. Some like more onions, some prefer a lot of chunky fish pieces in each cutlet. I’ve made with cheese in the middle too. So don’t be afraid to play around with the ingredients to achieve what you are craving for.
My first attempt at making fish cutlets…
I don’t do cooking back in my teen years, I stay far from the kitchen (don’t ask). Instead, I devour the food my mom makes. She makes great comfort foods.
This reminded me of that one evening my cousins decided to stop by. On a day when my mom happened to be working. Normally if she was there she would spoil everyone with her home-cooked meals.
That day I’ve been craving my mom’s fish cutlets. I thought since I’m having people over I’ll give it my best attempt at making them my own.
Why not…no one needs to know I made them. I’ll be in and out of the kitchen in no time.
I followed just as how my mom would make it. There was no
My cousins are here but the food isn’t ready yet when my aunt saw how I was struggling she didn’t say a word, she took over what I was doing and made it all better.
She ended up serving it to everyone and me as well. I did enjoy the cutlets, it was not like how mom makes them but still tasted great.
It felt a little silly attempting to pull off mom’s delicious cutlets without getting caught. I remember it like yesterday lol and so from then on I have learned it the right way and made them so often. For parties, potlucks, picnics, even to gift friends and families. Everyone loves these.
Spicy Sri Lankan Fish Cutlets – Comfort Food
It's a popular and a crowd-pleasing appetizer to serve at just about any type of parties, gatherings, and even to use as snacks to treat yourself. What's not to love it's Spicy, Crunchy, and oh so delicious!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Red onions -80g thinly sliced
- 1 tsp Ginger -2.5g minced
- 2 -3 Thai green chili chopped
- 1 tbsp Curry leaves -2g thinly cut
- 1 tsp Black pepper powder -3g
- 1/2 tsp Salt or as needed
- 2 cans Chunk Light Tuna Fish -284g drained
- 2 medium size Potatoes -450g boiled, peeled and cut large
- pinch Chili powder and/or Chili flakes optional
- 1/2 Lime
- 1 Egg beaten
- Bread Crumbs
Instructions
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Use a deep mixing bowl to mix in the ingredients. Starting by adding the thinly sliced onions, minced ginger, chopped or thinly sliced green chilli, thinly cut curry leaves, black pepper powder, and salt. Mix them all well together.
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Add in the drained tuna fish and the already boiled and peeled potatoes -cut into big cubes- into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Add half the lime juice. If you prefer a little spice you may add a pinch of chili powder or some chili flakes for an extra heat.
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Next, carefully combine everything together. Try not to mash the fish, It should be broken into pieces. The same goes for the potatoes too, it should be broken into small pieces. If a few get mashed in the process no worries. It will help to hold the ingredients together.
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Once it is done mixing, taste test to see if you needed more salt or any spice. Add more black pepper powder if needed.
Shaping The Cutlets
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Take a small portion of the mixture and shape it into a timbit-size ball. You may also shape it into flat round like the crab cake.
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Once you have all of them made into the desired shapes, prepare and have the bread crumbs in one bowl and the beaten egg in another.
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Dip each cutlet into the egg first. Coat it well then dip the cutlet into the breadcrumbs. Make sure the crumbs cover the cutlets well all around. Repeat the steps to do the same with the rest of the cutlets and set aside.
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Prepare the deep-fryer. The cutlets can also be pan-fried too but I recommend deep-frying to gain an even tone on the outer layer.
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Note – When frying, use few at a time. Don't crowd the fryer. If pan-frying, keep a close eye on the cutlets, they can easily be burnt.
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Once each cutlet is fried into golden brown, place them in a paper towel covered plate so the oil can be soaked onto the paper. Serve while it’s still hot.
Few things to note.
Fish – Canned sardines are ideal for cutlets but you can use chunk or flaked light tuna. Canned salmon works fine too.
Onions – the pearl, red or the purple onions works best. This time I’ve used thinly cut purple onions but if the onions seem strong you may also sautee the onions slightly for better taste and to avoid the raw onion flavor.
When sauteing the onions, the quantity will be much less. So add about a handful of thinly sliced green-leaks along with a pinch of turmeric powder for added flavors while sauteing the onions.
Eggs – If there are no eggs to coat at the end. You may mix in ½ cup of all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt, and water to make a thick liquid consistency for an alternative. Also this way the cutlet will get a thicker crunchier outer layer.
Breadcrumbs – I used Italian style bread crumbs on these pics but I prefer Panko breadcrumbs better. It gives a lovely golden colour and a great crunch when fried.
Oil – Always make sure the oil is well heated before starting to fry the cutlets in small batches or they will get soggy and break into pieces.
Breaking cutlets – If the cutlets are breaking when frying, STOP … or you won’t get to enjoy the rest as it will all just break and dissolve. Cover the rest of the uncooked cutlets with cling wrap or aluminum foil and freeze for an hour or more before frying again.
Storing – Once the cutlets are dipped into eggs and bread crumbs, place them all lined in a freezer-safe container, plate, or a tray. Cover with cling wrap and freeze for as long as 3 days for later use.
This bite-size cutlet is just the perfect snack to serve at any type of parties, gatherings, and even to treat yourself.
If you’re like me there won’t be enough to serve. I always end up popping it in my mouth while the rest is still getting fried.
I won’t say let it cool before serving. This one is amazing once it’s hot off the fryer. Just be careful not to burn your tongue, and enjoy it with your friends and family… Or just have them all to yourself.
Using them as part of a meal…
If you ever had the lumprice before you would have noticed that a cutlet always comes with the meal. Lumprice is basically rice and curry wrapped in a banana leaf. At times I would use in between the bread to make a sandwich, or in between the hotdog-bun to enjoy as a meal.
Cutlets are the perfect treat to cheer you up on gloomy rainy days. When you’re in need of a snack to bite with your tea, cutlets are the way to go. Always best to keep cutlets pre-made and frozen so whenever you need a few, just grab a few frozen cutlets and deep-fry them and serve.
For more authentic Srilankan recipes like this one, take a look at our category HERE. Choose from many curries, sambals, snacks and desserts to enjoy with your loved ones.
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My hubby and I made Fish Cutlets over the weekend. It was super yummy! This will become our new snack 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear you guys enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by ^.^
Fish cutlets are my all time favourite… this will be the first thing I will try this weekend
I’m glad your gonna give this a try🤗. It’s one of my favourite too.