Mushroom Cutlets
These cutlets made with mushrooms, potatoes and some basic spices make for delicious accompaniments to lunch or can be served as appetizers. They are a perfect way to fussy eaters to enjoy mushrooms too!
Servings 8 medium sized cutlets
Ingredients
- 250 grams mushrooms, about 10 medium-big sized
- 1-2 small green chillies, minced (adjust to taste)
- 1 inch fresh ginger, minced
- 1 medium-big onion, approx 100 grams, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup loosely packed, fresh coriander and mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon or to taste pepper powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin, jeera powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1/2 teaspoon amchur (dry mango powder) or few drops of lime juice
- 175-200 grams 1 medium sized potato
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (store bought powder or homemade using stale bread)
- salt to taste
- oil for shallow frying
- breadcrumbs or pre-roasted semolina (rava) for coating
Instructions
- Pressure cook the potato with a little salt for 5-6 whistles. Turn off the heat and let the cooker cool down to room temperature. As soon as the weight (whistle) loosens up, open the cooker and remove the potato (see if it is done or return it to the cooker and cook for another 2 whistles). Remove the potato as soon as the whistle loosens up or else it will absorb excess water and make your cutlet mixture soggy and hard to shape. Peel the skin, mash and keep aside.
- Wash the mushrooms well and shake off excess water. Finely chop them, keep transfer to a kadai/pan and cook on full heat till almost all the water evaporates. Remove onto a plate.
- Wipe the kadai using a kitchen tissue, heat the oil and fry the ingredients one after the other in this order for a few seconds each - green chillies, ginger, onions (fry till translucent), chopped coriander and mint leaves.
- Reduce the heat, add the spice powders - pepper, cumin, garam masala, turmeric & amchur (or lime juice) and mix everything. Add the cooked mushrooms and salt to taste and give it a quick stir. Remove the pan from the heat.
- When the mixture has cooled a bit, add the mashed potatoes and the bread crumbs and mix everything together. The mixture at this point should be soft but dryish. If it sticks to your palms like a paste then you won't be able to shape the cutlets or flip them while frying (they will crumble totally). So it's important to get your mixture right. Add more bread crumbs to adjust the texture.
- Pinch out lemon sized portions of the mixture, roll into smooth, crack free balls and gently flatten them between your palms to form cutlets/patties. Coat with breadcrumbs or semolina
- Heat sufficient oil in a frying pan and fry the cutlets till golden on both sides on a medium heat (maintain the heat of the oil as it will burn the cutlets quickly - we only need to brown them as the mixture is pre-cooked anyway)
- Remove onto an absorbent kitchen tissue and serve hot as an appetizer with ketchup, dip or sauce of your choice or as an accompaniment to rice and curry/dal.