Buttery, savoury mashed potato filling studded with sweet corn and spicy green chilies with a cheesy flavour throughout - this easy peasy Potato Cutlet Recipe is a fun take on a classic!
Story telling is no longer the vogue with blog posts. That said, for me this Aloo Cutlet or Aloo Kabab was part and parcel of my childhood. During my teen years whether I was home or not, my friends could be find in the kitchen foraging through my mothers well packed deep freezer. She always had shami kabab in it, but it was these Potato Cutlets that everyone was looking for.
Some of my happiest memories from those days are the ones that were made in my sweltering kitchen, friends sitting around the table, plates with cutlets and ketchup smears and lots of the unrestrained laughter that is the hallmark of teenage years.
Let's Talk FLAVOUR
As Pakistanis we are conditioned to think of flavour as being reliant on spice and spices. These cutlets are a departure from that approach - their flavour comes from the art of seasoning, the interplay of basic ingredients with that back note of mustard from the mustard powder.
The most important tip for ANY potato cutlet that you will freeze is that when you taste your mix it should be a little stronger in flavour than your palate before freezing because the flavours mellow after freezing.
Ingredients
Flour & Spice friends will recognize some of these flavours from my Lemon Chicken Roast (another Mama Jafri recipe).
Potatoes: creamy yukon gold are my favourite
Salt: lots. Okay maybe not lots, but don't be stingy ok?
Pepper: for that smoky kick
Green Chilies: I use thai chilies for their bright spice and aroma, but use whatever you like and as many as you can take.
Mustard Powder: this is an odd one I know, but it's flavour is both mellow and distinct and it does wonders here.
Corn: I use frozen, but you can use whatever is handy
Butter: for an ultra luxe mash
Cheese: I loving using a punchy cheddar, a monterey jack, or a habanero jack - any cheese with a little attitude. Mozzarella need not apply.
You can grate the cheese in which is what I usually do or cut a piece and place it in the center of your cutlet for a cheesy middle!!
Breadcrumbs: Panko or regular, whatever you want
Eggs: for an egg wash
Step By Step
Boil your potatoes in heavily salted water until fork tender, drain, and then let cool enough to handle. I like to peel mine while they are still warm, then add the rest of the mix ingredients and the butter so that it melts right in as I am mashing.
Add in your grated cheese and your corn, mix well. NOW TASTE IT! As these flavours sit they will mellow so you want it to be a little saltier and a little punchier than if you were eating them all right away.
Now I like to portion my mix out with ice cream scoops because it is the fastest way to make sure they are all evenly sized. Now get your breading station in place and get going!
When you are shaping any cutlet/kabab the most important thing is to not start by rolling, but by pressing into a ball. That pressure is going to help you create a cutlet that is easier to roll into a round, and one that holds its shape.
Then it's egg, breading and a tray.
You can fry these right away, but unless you need all 20 or so you may want to freeze them. Instructions below!
Shumaila at The Novice Housewife was kind enough to try these out recently and baked them instead of frying them. She recommends baking at 400 for 40 minutes, and basting with oil when turning them over.
How to Freeze and Store these Aloo Cutlets
I fill a tray with my breaded Aloo cutlets then move it to the freezer to flash freeze. Once they are hard, 2-3 hours, you can transfer them to a freezer safe container. To avoid frostbite just make sure there is as little air as possible in your container/freezer bag.
The cutlets from this Potato Cutlets Recipe keep well for upto six months.
Right up your alley?
Then these recipes would be too!
- Chicken and Cheese Casserole
- White Sauce Chicken Pasta
- Spinach & Artichoke Braided Bread
- Lemon Stovetop Chicken Roast
Thank you for being here! If you make this Potato Cutlet Recipe I'd love and a comment and rating and do tag me in your recreations on Instagram @flourandspiceblog - Happy cooking my friends!
Cheesy Corn & Potato Cutlet Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds yukon/yellow flesh potatoes
- 3 tbsp butter (if your potatoes aren't warm then melt it))
- 2 tbsp milk (keep on hand but only use if you NEED it to mash)
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¾ - 1 tsp mustard powder
- ¾ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup corn
- 1 heaped cup shredded cheese - cheddar or monterey jack
- 2-4 minced green chillies
- 1.5 cups bread crumbs Panko recommended
- 1 egg whisked with a little water
Instructions
- Cover the potatoes with salted water and bring to a boil.
- When they are tender then drain the water and peel when they are cool enough to handle.
- Transfer to a large bowl, add the butter, chillies, salt, mustard powder, and pepper and mash very very well. Add a splash of milk if needed.
- When the mixture is fairly smooth add your corn and cheese and mix well.
- Taste for seasoning. Please do remember that for a delicious kabab/cutlet you want the mix to taste a little salty, not positively briny, just a little salty.
- Once that is done I prefer to make almost golf ball sized balls cutlets with an ice cream scopp and fill my tray up with them.
- When the potato mixture is finished then with my left hand I pick one up give it an egg bath and move it into the breadcrumbs, roll it around with my right hand and move it to the tray (also with my right). So left is my egg hand and right is my breadcrumb hand.
- When you are ready to eat them then pan fry on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or till golden brown. Baking instructions in the post.
Notes
-These freeze beautifully. To freeze them just flash freeze on the tray you made them and transfer to a freezer safe ziploc bag for up to 6 months. Just remember to 'thaw' them a little before frying, either in the microwave or at room temperature.
These look fabulous Sarah...I love your story and can imagine how good your moms cooking may be. The addition of mustard and the green chillies sounds very good. I plan to give these a try.
Thanks so much Zeba, hope you do and enjoy them as much as we do! mamas are the best cooks 🙂
These look great! I definitely want to try them. Do you shallow fry in a pan, or do you have a proper deep fryer?
Thanks Kim! I shallow fry these, if you deep fry them then they fall apart - do let me know how it goes!
Ohhhh yes please! And I agree.....these beat a Starbucks muffin any day!
Thanks Deepa! Let's hope that one day my girls agree too 🙂
Looks delicious.
Thank you so very much!
The description makes me want to make and eat them right now, instead I will pin the recipe for now and hope I make them soon, because they do sound absolutely delicious.
They look delicious! Have you ever tried baking these? Would that work? Xx
Thank you Shamim! I haven't ever tried baking these, but I do find that the tops crisp up reasonable well in less oil than you would use for standard cutlets. If you bake them then please let me know and I'll add a little note here!
Sarah, I made these the other day. I followed your base recipe and made these with a few of my additions and they were absolutely delicious. Thanks for the recipe, and for the commenter who asked whether you can bake them- I did with a little oil brushed on top and they baked super crunchy. I had to bake them for 40 min on 400 F, keeping a check on them and brushing them with oil after turning them over.
oh wow I am so happy to hear this! thank you so much for trying this out - would love to hear what you added to them! that's a really useful note on bake time, will update the recipe to incorporate it pronto
Thanks! Will do
Can we use mozarella cheese ? And do we freeze them before frying or after frying ? Thanks in advance.
Hi! You could use mozzarella but it is mild in flavour so you may need to adjust the seasoning. I'd test fry one and see before making all the kababs! Also you freeze them uncooked. Happy Kabab Making and do let me know how they turn out!
Okay, thank you.
I've batch made these a few times now and have frozen them - and so good! They remind me of the aloo burgers in Pakistan and. I lather with green chutney, thinly sliced onions, and one slice of tomatoe.
It makes me unbelievably happy to hear you have been making and enjoying these - thank you!!!!