I'm very excited to post this recipe! This is the first recipe with a full set of step by step pictures – a recipe picture tutorial :). You remember the survey we took some time ago? Step by step pictures topped the list of features desired on this blog. This was something I never thought of doing. So thanks for your suggestion! As I've mentioned before, I'm not a person who is passionate about taking photos. I like it, but don't love it. But since you asked for it, I decided to give it a try. Though I'm not promising this for all the recipes. Sometimes I completely forget about it and at times I remember it only half way through the cooking. Anyways, I'll try my best to keep it going. I've kept the size of the pictures small, because already there are some complaints that this site takes time loading. I dont want to test your patience any further ;)
I've posted fish cutlet recipe before, but this recipe is somewhat different from that. Canned tuna is something I stock up in my kitchen cupboards. I mainly stock it for two reasons… there is no hazzle of cleaning the fish and it gets cooked in a jiffy. I think there is a mixed reaction for the canned tuna. Some people like it, while others just dont. But let me tell you something, if you make this cutlets, its hard to tell whether its tuna. With all the spices and masala it almost, well I said almost.. tastes like chicken. Btw, if you cant stand the taste of tuna, you can try this recipe with chicken also. I've given the details in notes section of the recipe.
Other thing about the recipe is that, this is more like bakery style cutlet recipe. If you check out my previous cutlet recipes, you can see that there are no masala powders other than garam masala. But if you've tried the bakery cutlets, you can see that the filling is a bit yellowish in colour and you get more masala taste. Though I'm a big fan of homemade cutlets, I like bakery cutlets too, just for the different taste. After all, you know my love for bakery food ;)
This is the first time I've tried adding veggies to tuna cutlets. I got this idea from my aunt, Tesschechy. I happened to take some tuna cans for her. She wanted to make tuna cutlets for a family get together. But since she had to feed an army, she added some veggies and oppikalfied (adjusted) the qty for the whole bunch. I liked it very much and wanted to try it since then. Also this is one of those snacks/appetizers which you can make ahead. It sure comes handy when you are lazy to cook ;)
Here is the step by step pictures:
Canned tuna
Boiling the potatoes..
Cooking chopped onions, ginger & garlic, green chilli & curry leaves…
Adding grated carrots & chopped beans..
Adding masala powders..
Adding tuna pieces..
Mixing tuna mixture & boiled potatoes..
Cutlet mix is ready..
Shaping the cutlets..
Egg white batter & bread crumbs for dipping & rolling the shaped cutlets..
Ready to fry/freeze…
Patties in between layers of parchment paper..
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
- 4 cans Tuna (net weight of 1 can is 100 gms)
- 1 medium Carrot (grated)
- 1/4 cup Chopped beans
- 2 big Potato (cubed)
- 4 medium Onion (chopped)
- 1 – 1.5 tbsp Ginger & garlic (chopped)
- 3-4 Green chilli (chopped)
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1.5 – 2 tsp Coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp Fennel powder
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 1/2 – 1 tsp Pepper powder
- Salt
- Oil
- Curry leaves
For coating
- 2 Egg whites
- 2 tbsp Plain flour
- 1.5 – 2 tbsp Water
- A pinch Salt
- 2-3 cups Bread crumbs
Instructions
- Drain the oil from tuna.
- Cook the potatoes with salt till it is well done. (I cooked them on stove top, you can pressure cook them also). Let it cool completely.
- Heat oil in a pan & add chopped onions, ginger & garlic, green chilli & curry leaves. Cook till the onions becomes soft & start changing the colour. Add grated carrots & chopped beans. Cook till the veggies are done. Add the masala powders, salt & mix well. Cook for 2 mins. Add tuna pieces & mix well. Cook for 5-7 mins, till everything is combined well. Let the mixture cool down completely.
- Add the cooked potatoes to the tuna mixture & mash them & combine the two. Make sure there are no lumps. Shape the mixture as per your liking (refer notes).
- Make a thick paste with flour & water & salt (a pinch). Add the beaten egg whites to this & whisk till you get a smooth batter. Dip the shaped cutlets in this batter & roll in bread crumbs. At this stage the cutlets are ready to freeze. You can store it in a ziplock bag & freeze it for 1-2 months. Keep the frozen cutlets at room temp for 30-45 mins before frying.
- Heat oil in a pan on med – high flame. When the oil is really hot (not smoking) add the cutlets & fry it till its golden in colour. Drain on a paper towel & serve hot.
Hi Maria .. thank you for a fantastic recipe .. made this for a dinner yesterday .. was a great hit and well appreciated..credit goes to you!
Hai Maria chechi,
I love authentic Kerala dishes ,I’m getting married so started learning cooking …i just loved your recipe & planning to make it by this weekend . The pictures are really colorful it would .Ensure that all Ur future recipes has step by step picture !! All the very best !!
Hi San,
Congrats for your good news :)
Hope your cooking experiments become successful! I’ll try my best to share the step by step pictures for all the recipes..
Wish you a happy married life!
happy cooking and all the best!
Cheers
Maria
Mariaaa.. I made this for a get together using light meat tuna in brine and not a single person could make out that it was tuna and not chicken. Everybody loved it, thanks to you! :) and adding the veggies..brilliant! I followed your recipe to the word and the result was awesome! Thank you girl! Keep rocking! :) :)
Zerene
You are welcome dear :)
yeah it’s a good recipe to mask tuna ;) I’m glad that it was a hit with you..
Thanks a lot for sharing your feedback here.
Cheers
Maria
Dear Maria,
I tried this Tuna cutlet recipe for my son as a weekend snack. also I given few to my friend which became a huge hit and they also asked for the recipe so I told about your site..
I found your recipes very appealing and love the way you mix masalas, very precise to perfection.. I am huge fan.. Tried pepper chicken.. hot and sour pickle(date and lemon)..Love it… truly a lickle(courtesy grandmas)..
Hi Sangeetha,
Thank you so much for the comment :) Great to know that the cutlets were a hit.
I do hope you get to try more recipes and like them too.. Btw, thanks for sharing the website with your friends.
Cheers
Maria
hi maria pls check ur Facebook msg box there is a surprise for you regarding ur tuna cutlets
Hi Sonia, saw it , thank you :)
here maria ji…last time i was not able to post the pics…
i know the cutlets pic is not that perfect…but the taste is SUPERB :)
thankssss
here maria ji…last time i was not able to post the pics…
i know the cutlets pic is not that perfect…but the taste is SUPERB :)
thankssss
Hi Sonia,
Thanks a lot dear for taking pics to share with me, appreciate it very much :) I’ll share it on the FB page soon.
I’m glad the cutlets worked out well for you..
Cheers
Maria
Thanks dear :) May be next time you can take photos.. I havent tried prawns cutlet yet..
Cheers
Maria
Hai Dear
First time my cutlet came good. Credit goes to you. My kids gave me mark 100/100.
So good to know that this recipe came out perfect for you :) Thanks for the comment.
Cheers
Maria
Hi Maria..
:)
Another good recipe. I’ve always made plain fish cutlets the way my mom makes it as mentioned in your other recipe(the typical ‘homemade’ fish cutlet) and this one caught my eye simply because it had some veg mixed in… a brilliant way to sneak in some healthy stuff for fussy kids.I’ve often thought its something I should try out but hadn’t so far. It came out well and am happy to send something different in the two lunch boxes for tomorrow( along with some peas pulao). Fingers crossed. (The only downside about the preparation was that while making this it suddenly had me craving some thai fish cakes – I am hopelessly addicted to thai food.) So, overall, an inspiring dish. wtg!
Thanks a bunch Rekha! I do hope the cutlets were a hit at your place :) I’m also a Thai food fan :)
Cheers
Maria
Hi Maria, I am planning to make this cutlet for xmas party. Can i substitute tuna with any other fish? And also what would be difference in quantity if i want to skip veggies?
Hi Anon,
I think you are looking for a fish cutlet recipe. I’ve posted one such recipe in the past. Please have a look at it:
https://mariasmenu.wpcomstaging.com/fish/fish-cutlet
You can use any fleshy fish to make these cutlets.
Cheers
Maria
Hi Mohini,
Thank you! Glad you liked it :) Btw, I didnt get the pic.. can you please email it to mjm@jpm.cc
Cheers
Maria
MARIA THANK YOU FOR YOUR AMAZING RECIPES… MY FAMILY LOVES DEM!!!!!!
You are welcome! Great to know that these recipes are appreciated by your family :)
Cheers
Maria
Hi, in your notes you mentioned that you didn’t coat the cutlets in egg batter and breadcrumbs and that you shallow fried it. How did it turn out? I’m going to try that version soon…Â
Hi Pramila,
I made two versions with the same filling. One, I made like the traditional cutlets, dipped in egg whites n rolled out in bread crumbs.
I also made a patty kinda version, for that I didnt use egg batter n bread crumbs. It comes out well and you can use it as a burger or something…
Cheers
Maria
Amazing the visit was
worth…
chennaiflowerplaza.com
These cutlets turned out so yum! Simple,.yet so delicious…my 3 year old simply loved them. Thanks for the recipe Maria. Keep up the good work.
Thank you Smitha dear :) I’m really happy to know that your little one also enjoyed the dish.
Cheers
Maria
Hi Maria,
I am also big fan of your receipe.The reason is that ingradinets you are using is easily available. Nadan beef fry is fantastic. Keep it up.Â
Thank you Sheeba! Great to know that you like the site :)
Cheers
Maria
Hey Maria, I am a great fan of cutlets :) love both making n eating them. Tried this recipe with Chicken. It came out well. Thanks Maria :-)
Hi Sindhya,
Thank you :) I’m also a big fan of cutlets. Happy that you liked this recipe.
Cheers
Maria
Always loved cutlets,loved making them,better still loved eating them.Fantastic pictures .Will try making with seer fish.Loved your blog.Will be happy to have your suggestions on the recipes in my blog.
Hi Paddy,
Thanks for dropping by and also for the comment :) Will drop in sometime at your place. Best wishes for your blog!
Cheers
Maria
Hi Maria,
 This is my first comment to any cookery blog. I am a regular reader of your posts but havent tried any of them, basically because I suck at cooking. I am very bad in it, as mostly most recipes I read online are just vaguely written just because the authors think that the reader already knows that. So I was a failure in that area.
Then I came across your blog and I liked it. Just because you use those simple ingredients and your narration is clear and to the point. So as let started I wanted to make some vegetarian dishes to complement my diet and then I came across this recipe. I decided to try this without fish and just the vegetables. The only change I made was I added beetroot…the rest of the instructions I followed as it is..The cutlets came out yummy and picture perfect in looks. My husband is very impressed and I am thankful to you !..My Mummy is a great cook and she makes the yummiest cakes ever…she wanted to try muffins and I emailed your muffin recipe to her and she found it useful too ! Thanks a lot Maria..! And just saying ‘thanks’ is an understatement. :)Â
Hi Anita,
Thank you very much for taking time to share your feedback with me, appreciate it very much dear :) I’m really happy to know that you find this site helpful.
Thanks again for sharing the recipes with your mom too… Please do try out other recipes too when time permits…
Take care dear..
Cheers
Maria
Hi Maria
Â
Tried out the tuna cutlet…it was yummmmy…every one at home loved it.
This site is a blessing for people like me.The step by step pictures also help a lot.I am a regular visitor to ur site now.Have also tried out ur butter chicken,bhaigan manchurian,cheese cake recipes.They all came out sooo well…Thanks a lot and keep up the good work
Hi Smitha,
I’m thrilled to hear that you’ve tried many recipes from here :) Thanks a lot dear! I’m glad that you like the recipes posted here.
Cheers
Maria
Hai Maria,
Thank you sooooooooo much for sharing this recipe. I made it with chicken and was very yummy……..as u said, it taste like traditional bakery type cutlet. Frozen some of them for my weekend guests.
 Keep up the good work Maria!!! Step by step illustration is very useful for us But I really wonder about the additional effort u will have to put for each recipe
.
Hi Sandhya,
I’m really glad that you liked the cutlet recipe and that it reminded you of the bakery cutlets :)
Thanks a lot for the comment and also for your concern. Yep, step by step pics is def extra work for me :) But I’ve been getting requests for the same since long time. So I thought I’ll just give it a try and see how it goes :)
Cheers
Maria
I baked the potatoes,Wrap the potato in a wet tissue and place it with two  tea spoons of water in a microwave dishware ,If potatoes are big ,make incisions in it (Poke deeply)in centre or two other places for steam to escape,It is almost cooked with 2 minutes on high.However I turn the potato upside down and microwave it for another 2 minutes,,allow to cool,This way you get potato with less moisture,Also I love scraping it rather than mashing ,
Even for stufferd parathas ,using a scaraper is better than mashing ,,This recipe came out well,Thanks Maria,I live in Texas and we really enjoyed it ,
Thanks Ponnu, for sharing the details here.
Nice to know that the cutlets came out well. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers
Maria
wow..sounds scrumptiously tasty..
hopped in from FB..amazing space you have..
lovely presentation with stunning cliks..
happy following you..;)
do stop by mine sometime..
Tasty Appetite
Congrats Maria. I have been recently visiting your site often. when ever there is a guest, when ever there is a special occasion, checking ur site n making a menu has now become a habit.
The step by step photo was one feature I have wanted for ur site…thanks for the effort and please do continue. It helps us understanding the recipe much better and I think, for you, it reduces the pain of explaining. Not for this recipe I guess, but there are many recipes for which you really cant explain the so called “paakam” of things. pictures will help you.
So please continue the effort. Keep up the good work.
Regards,
Raji
Hi Raji,
Thanks dear! Great to know that you are a regular visitor here :)
I’m happy that you find the step by step pictures helpful. I do hope that I could continue doing that. Let’s see how it goes :)
Thanks again for your kind words..
Cheers
Maria
love fish cutlets.
tried it,,, no wrds it was super tasty,, to be honest i ahd never tried tuna in cans b4, my hubby nd me ,v din like its smell,, but whn i saw this i thght y dnt giv it a try,, tried it nd it was my hubby who ate more hehe,, he has given his thnkz to u for sharing this recipe :)
Hi Juvaria,
Thanks a lot dear! Even some of my friends who doesnt like the smell of canned tuna, like these cutlets. I think all the spices & masala does the trick :)
I’m so happy to know that you and your husband liked it. Thanks dear for the comment :)
Cheers
Maria
the steps drwan by pictures is really awesome…..tnks alot for the pain and the dedication…………
You are welcome Princy & thank you vey much for your encouraging words.
Cheers
Maria
can we use the shredded canned tuna in sunflower oil ?
Congrats on the new endeavour…..Must say, the step by step pictures add to the interest of making the dish….and as always your pictures are awesome…Keep up the good work Maria and will let you know how my cutlets turn out when I try them…..
Thanks Preethi dear :) I’m glad that you like the step by step pics… Hope you get to try the cutlets soon..
Take care,
Maria
Hi Maria , i visit ur blog often ,love ur baking too, can u please tell me ways of using fresh Tuna?
Hi Niki,
Thank you :) Sorry dear, I havent tried fresh tuna yet. So I’m not sure… but I think you can make some curries with it just like other fish. Also may be cutlets. Please check out the fish cutlet recipe.
Hope it helps..
Cheers
Maria
These are delightful cutlets.
I love canned white, albacore tuna but do not care for fresh tuna, weird I guess. We always have canned tuna in our cupboard.
Thanks Anthony! Your comment reminds me that even I havent tried fresh tuna yet :)
Cheers
Maria
Yummy Recipe…I am gonna make it soon..Bookmarked it..
Aarthi
http://yummytummy-aarthi.blogspot.com/
Thanks for showing the step by step process..will really help the readers…Have a gr8 blogging ahead !!
You are welcome Neenu! Nice to know that you enjoy the step by step pictures.
Cheers
Maria
Cutlets look good and love the change in format…Why did you decide to go the step-by-step-photos route? Isn’t it more work?
Thanks Anu! Yep, its definitely extra work… but then many readers were asking for it. So I thought of giving it a try :)
Cheers
Maria
great recipe I love the step by step guide
Thanks Betty :) Hope you get to try it soon.
Cheers
Maria