Delicious tuna cutlets. — Photos: JANITHA SUKUMARAN
Most of us love fish cutlets as there are no bones and they are full of flavour. Growing up, my mother used to take the tedious route to making the best cutlets with fresh fish.
Her favourite choice of fish was ikan parang (wolf herring) which gave the cutlets a great taste, but was my private hell as I was often the one tasked with removing the millions of tiny bones from the fish after it was steamed. With time and after much protest from me, she chose an easier option – tenggiri (mackerel) which had larger bones, mainly the spine and fins.
One fine day, she shared a secret my grandmother had taught her that would cut the prep time by half. It was what Amma used during hard times, when she couldn’t go to the market or finances were tight – canned tuna!
Canned tuna is versatile and handy; it can be used in pasta as a stirfry and for cutlets.
Tuna cutlets can be served as appetisers, snacks or with rice and curry. If you like a good fish cutlet without having to spend hours in the kitchen, then this recipe is for you. — Contributed by Janitha Sukumaran; sjanitha.wixsite.com/injipuliandstuff
Getting all the ingredients ready for tuna cutlet.
Ingredients:
2 cans of tuna flakes in water
(do not use those in oil or with chilli)
1 medium sized potato
1 small onion − chopped
2cm ginger − chopped
2 green/red chillies − deseeded and chopped
1 egg (separate yolk from
the white)
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp pepper and salt to taste
Chopped fresh coriander leaves (optional)
Roll the tuna mash into golf-ball size before dipping into the egg white and coating with bread crumbs.
Method
1 Boil the potato and when cooked through, remove the skin and roughly mash up in a large bowl.
2 Drain the water from the tuna before adding it to the mashed potato. Add in the chopped onions, ginger and chillies. If you are using coriander then add that in as well.
3 Add the pepper and salt, as well as the egg yolk which will acts as a binder.
4 Use your fingers to mix everything up but don’t overwork the mixture.
5 Now, with slightly damp hands, make a small ball with the mixture about the size of a golf ball. You don’t want to make the balls too large or it may not cook through evenly. Ensure the tuna balls are firm and tight otherwise they may break apart during frying.
6 Beat up the egg white in a bowl and in another bowl, pour in the bread crumbs.
7 Take a ball and lightly flatten it while keep the mixture intact. You can also keep the cutlets in a round shape.
8 Dip each of the cutlet into the egg white mixture and then, into the bread crumbs. Be sure to coat each cutlet well. Keep aside.
9 Heat up a flat frying pan with enough oil to cover the tuna cutlets during frying. Once the oil is hot, lower the heat and gently slide the cutlets in. Do not overcrowd the pan as you want enough space between each piece to allow it to cook well.
10 Cook each side for about 2-3 minutes. When the cutlets turn a nice brown you know they are done. Remove and drain on kitchen paper towels.
