Masala Tuna Tikkas (Spicy Tuna Cutlets)
A slightly tangy, spicy fish cutlet made together with mashed potatoes, spices, and herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 7 oz can tuna in water (Albacore or otherwise )
- ¼ cup yellow or red onions (finely chopped-approximately 2 oz)
- 2-3 medium potatoes (approximately 9 oz )
- 2 oz fresh green cilantro (coriander leaves) (chopped)
- 1-2 tsp green chilies (optional) (finely chopped, adjust to suit your taste)
- ¼ tsp red chili or cayenne (adjust to suit your taste)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ¼ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp amchur powder (available at your local Indian grocery store)
- 1 tsp salt (adjust to suit your taste)
- 1 medium egg ( or the egg wash )
- dash pepper and sal (for the egg wash )
- 4 tbsp oil ( to shallow fry the tikkas)
Instructions
To Prepare
- Scrub and boil the potatoes with enough water to cover them (approximately 25-30 minutes).
- Insert a skewer to check if the potatoes are done. Then, pour the hot water out of the pan and add cold water several times to cool the potatoes.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and mash them in a bowl. If they are still a little hot, leave to cool.
To Cook
- Open the 7 oz can of tuna and drain out all the water. Use a strainer to drain out as much as you can. Spoon into a medium-sized bowl.
- Now add the boiled and mashed potatoes along with the onions, chopped cilantro, green chilies, and spice powders. Mix well together, ensuring there are no lumps and all the ingredients are well blended. If you prefer to use a food processor, then you can put the ingredients into it and pulse a few times till coarsely blended.
- Divide the mixture into eight portions. Form into tight balls and then flatten into round, compact cutlets. Refrigerate for 10-15minutes.
- Break the egg into a wide bowl, add a dash of pepper and salt. You can also add a dash of chili powder if you like it spicier.
- Beat lightly until the yolks are blended. Set aside near your cooking area.
- Now, heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan.
- Dip the cutlets in the eggwash, drain excess wash back into the bowl, and shallow fry 3 minutes on each side till nice and golden.
- Serve with mint, coriander chutney, or ketchup. The cutlets can be used as snacks, or for lunch or dinner.
Notes
If the cutlets are not holding their shape and breaking apart while you are forming them, you can add bread crumbs or even a tablespoon of besan (chickpea flour)or corn starch to the mixture. This happens if the tuna retains too much of the canned moisture or the onions have excessive juice.
Don't flip the cutlets too soon while frying, as they may break.
If you prefer a crispy crust to your cutlets, then before you refrigerate them, dip them in the egg wash, coat with bread crumbs, and then refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
You could also substitute canned salmon, chicken, or crab meat for the tuna. I have even used leftover rotisserie chicken that I blend separately in a processor before adding the rest of the ingredients.
