Kerala Chicken Cutlet

There’s something about this Kerala chicken cutlet that’s so good, satisfying and highly irresistible!

A quintessential dish of every special occasion, this is one of my all time favorite appetizers or starters. Whenever I plan for traditional party food, these cutlets are always my first choice. If there are any leftovers, I pop them in burgers or wraps to make a delicious lunch.

These Kerala chicken cutlets are made with cooked, minced chicken and potatoes. While chicken is the star flavor in this recipe, potatoes act as a binding agent. Ginger, garlic, and spices maximize the flavors making these cutlets droolicious. Minced meat, veggies, eggs and even paneer are great substitutions for chicken in this recipe.

These cutlets are usually served with a slightly tangy and crunchy onion salad. Since it’s a popular side dish for cutlets and biryanis, I think it deserves a place of its own. So stay tuned for the recipe coming up very soon. (Updated: Find the recipe for challas or onion salad here)

When you make these Kerala style chicken cutlets, make sure you make in big batches. You won’t be able to stop at just one!

The first step is making the mashed potatoes. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan along with 2-3 cups water, ground turmeric and enough salt. Cook. Drain. Mash the potatoes. Set aside.

The second step is making the minced chicken. Make a smooth paste using ginger garlic paste, ground turmeric, ground black pepper, enough salt and a little water. Rub this paste onto the chicken pieces. If you have time, marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Place chicken in a pressure cooker. Cook for one whistle. When ready, open the cooker and allow the chicken to cool slightly. Place it in the food processor and mince. Do this in batches. Minced chicken (as you see in the above picture) is ready. Set aside.

To make the chicken cutlets, first, heat oil and fry onions until browned. Fry ginger, garlic and green chilies. Add garam masala, and fry for a minute. Add minced chicken, mashed potatoes, coriander leaves and enough salt. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Leave to cool slightly.

Now you can start making the patties for the cutlets. Make a ball out of the mixture, and flatten it slightly to make a circular or oval shape. Repeat the process until all the mixture is used up.

Now heat oil for deep frying in a large pan. Place eggs in a small bowl. Whisk. Place breadcrumbs in another plate. Dip the cutlets first in breadcrumbs and then roll in breadcrumbs.

Deep fry. Drain on an absorbent towel.

Yield: 20 cutlets

Kerala Chicken Cutlets

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An easy, fantastic recipe for Kerala style chicken cutlet filled with spicy minced chicken and veggies.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

To Make Mashed Potatoes:

• 3-4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• A pinch of ground turmeric
• Salt to taste

To Make Minced Chicken:

• 600g boneless chicken, Cut into small pieces (I used chicken breasts)
• ½ tsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

To Make the Patties:

• 1 small onion (1/2 cup), finely chopped
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 small green chili, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves or curry leaves
• Salt to taste

To Fry Cutlets:

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• 2-3 cups oil, for deep frying

Instructions

To Make Mashed Potatoes:

1. Place potatoes, ground turmeric and salt in a large saucepan. Place it over medium-high heat, and add water to cover the potatoes. Cook, covered, for 5-6 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain and mash the potatoes. Set aside.

To Make Minced Chicken:

1. Combine together ginger garlic paste, ground turmeric, ground black pepper and enough salt in a small bowl. Stir in a little water to make a smooth paste. Marinate chicken for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Place chicken in a pressure cooker and cook for 1 whistle. When the steam has escaped, open the cooker and leave it to cool slightly.
3. Place chicken (in batches) in a food processor and mince. Set aside.

To Make Chicken Patties:

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium - high heat. Add onions, and saute for 2-3 minutes or until browned.
2. Add ginger, garlic and green chilies. Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add garam masala. Saute for a minute.
3. Stir in potatoes, chicken, coriander leaves and enough salt. Saute, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Leave to cool slightly.
4. To make the patties, make a lemon sized ball out of the mixture, and flatten slightly. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. I made around 20 patties.

To Fry the Cutlets:

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium - high heat.
2. Place eggs and breadcrumbs in two separate bowls.
3. Dip each cutlet first in egg and then in breadcrumbs. When the oil is hot enough, deep fry the cutlets. Drain on an absorbent towel.

Notes

- I cooked the chicken in a pressure cooker. Alternatively, you can place it in a large saucepan and add enough water to cook over medium heat.
-If you prefer to use curry leaves instead of coriander leaves, feel free to do so.
-To check whether the oil is hot enough for deep frying, drop a small piece of bread or the mixture to the pan. If it rises to the surface quickly, oil is hot enough for deep frying.
-After coating with breadcrumbs, you can freeze the cutlets for up to 3 weeks.
-If the cutlets don’t hold their shape while frying, don’t panic, add a few teaspoons of breadcrumbs to the chicken mixture and mix well. This will do the trick.

Nutrition Information

Yield

20

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 572Total Fat 73gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 63gCholesterol 50mgSodium 204mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 2gSugar 2gProtein 14g

Like this Kerala style chicken cutlet recipe? Then check out these recipes:

• Sweet Banana Cutlet