A snack that goes just as well with chai as it does a cocktail. These crispy, golden cutlets are made with ground meat, potatoes, and a blend of fragrant spices.
What is a Cutlet?
If you’re a Malayali, you know all about this crazy delicious snack. This is a really popular Keralite (Christian) recipe and is typically made with beef but you can use another type of ground meat (lamb is great!) if you’d like.
I remember the very first time I ate a Keralite cutlet. I was in my third year of college and Roby brought me some of his mom’s cutlets to try. I ate them, and they blew my mind – so much so that it’s still one of my most vivid food memories. I remember saying (in-between bites), “Whoa… this is like a Tikki… but with meat!”
I know, it’s not the most poetic description lol, but it still feels pretty accurate. Cutlets were my introduction to Keralite cuisine.
“Thank you! It turned out to be really yummy. So easy to make too. Thank you for the recipe. Will be definitely making it again.”
Nikki
What’s the Difference Between a Tikki and a Cutlet?
There are some other differences between an Aloo Tikki and a meat cutlet, outside of the obvious (meat).
For starters, these two fried patties are spiced very differently. Keralite cutlets call for “Meat Masala” which is a South Indian Garam Masala that’s very different from the north Indian blend that you’ll find available in stores. Kerala cutlets also call for curry leaves, which add a really unique citrusy flavor to the patties.
Another major difference is the texture. Aloo tikki calls for Yukon/yellow potatoes which are creamier than the russet potatoes used when making cutlets. Both patties melt in your mouth, but I’d say cutlets are a bit heartier.
How to Make Cutlets Easily
Cutlets are made with spiced meat and potatoes which you mash together and then form into little oblong-shaped patties. You dip them into beaten egg, roll ’em around in breadcrumbs, and then fry them.
Typically, the meat and potatoes are cooked separately… but we’re cooking them together in 6 minutes! (But like all IP recipes, that doesn’t include the time it takes to reach pressure, of course).
Once that’s done cooking, we mash it all up! And make a bunch (25-30) of patties.
Then bread and fry them!
Once they’re done, you’re left with golden cutlets that are crispy on the outside with a melt-in-your-mouth middle. Kind of like french fry meets spiced ground meat. ❤️
Can I Make This in Advance?
Yes, absolutely! These taste great several days after you make them but like all fried food, it’s going to be best soon after frying. That said, they’re still awesome when you reheat them in an oven or on a pan.
If you’re serving these cutlets as a snack or as an appetizer, make sure you serve them with ketchup and pickled onions (see how to make Kerala pickled onions in the recipe card below)!
You can also make a cutlet burger – just make a large patty, stick it in a sandwich bun, and top with ketchup and pickled onions and chilies.
These cutlets would also be the perfect side to some Kerala stew (Veggie Stew or Chicken Stew). But if you do serve them as a side, just be prepared for them to steal the show.
Instant Pot Kerala Ground Meat Cutlets with Pickled Onions
Instant Pot Kerala Ground Meat Cutlets with Pickled Onions
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil I like avocado oil
- 1 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 Serrano pepper minced
- 1- inch ginger minced
Spices:
- 1 ½ teaspoon homemade Kerala meat masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne optional
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 pound ground meat beef/lamb
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped curry leaves
- 1 egg whisked well
- 1 cup fine bread crumbs not panko. I use schar gluten-free breadcrumbs but any fine bread crumbs will work
- 1 cup oil enough to shallow fry the cutlets
Pickled Onion Salad (Challas)
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onions
- 1-2 serrano peppers thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
Instructions
To Make Cutlets:
- Press saute, add the oil and once it’s hot, add onion and serrano pepper and saute for 7-8 minutes, or until the onions start to caramelize a bit.
- Add the ginger and saute for a minute.
- Add the spices, stir, then add the ground meat and vinegar. Cook until the meat is no longer pink (break the meat up with a wooden spoon).
- Add the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of water and give this a stir.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 6 minutes at high pressure.
- Quick-release pressure.
- Open the lid, add the finely chopped curry leaves and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes into the meat until well combined.
- Allow the mixture to cool (russet potatoes will absorb any extra liquid). Once cool enough to handle, take a scoop of the mixture and roll it into an oblong-shaped patty and place the patty on a plate. Repeat until you’ve used all the mixture to form patties.
- Place the patties in the fridge overnight to firm up (this will prevent the patties from breaking when you fry them).
- Dip the patties into the whisked egg and then into the fine bread crumbs.
- To shallow fry the cutlets, add oil to a frying pan (or dutch oven) over medium heat and once the oil heats up, shallow fry the patties in batches until both sides are golden brown (don’t be surprised if you see that the oil turns a bit dark as you continue to fry the cutlets).
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the cutlets and place them onto a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat until done.
- Serve with ketchup and pickled onions.
To make Kerala Pickled Onions (Challas):
- Combine the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well – the onions will soften as it sits (I like to make mine the night before serving).
- Serve at room temperature with the cutlets.
Julie says
Hi Ashley! I am so excited to try your recipes. I wanted to use ground turkey instead of ground beef. Do you have any recommendations for the pressure cook time of the ground turkey (93/7)
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Julie, I haven’t tested this recipe using ground turkey but I’d stick to the same cook time – you’re unlikely to overcook ground meat.
Mercy says
Hi Ashley – love your blog!! I should be knowing how to do these by now since I’m an older generation mom😄- but I haven’t made them for years – anyway I thought the instapot would simplify the steps… but I had a technical difficulty… either the quantity was too much (3lbs of meat) or i should have looked for lean meat… but the pot was brimming with oil ; even after draining out the oil (got 1 small plastic container full) there was a lot of moisture, even after mashing the potatoes. So the patties didn’t hold up firm even after adding half a cup of breadcrumbs… wonder whether you have faced this situation?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Mercy, I haven’t had this issue but now that you mention it, I do always buy grass fed meat and it could be that meat is leaner. My photographer used regular ground meat here though, so I’m not sure… did you put the patties in the fridge to firm up before adding the bread crumbs?
Jessie says
Love this recipe. After I prep them, I put them in the freezer instead of frying them. Then, when I am ready for a snack, I take a few out, lightly mist it with oil and put it in the air fryer. Crispy, but a lot less oil and fat.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Jessie, that’s great to hear! Also, thanks for sharing the air-fryer tip! I’m sure that’ll be helpful for readers 🙂
Nikki says
How much temperature and time do you air fry?
Love this recipe
Ashwin says
An excellent recipe! mine tuned out well, except maybe the outer “crust” didn’t keep it together as well is I’d have liked. Memories of home, thanks for this,Ashley!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Ashwin! Glad to hear it brought back memories of home 🙂
Sandy says
Thank u! I was asking though about lemon juice INSTEAD of white vinegar. He went to the store and bought everything else BUT that. 🤦🏽♀️. First time using an instant pot for beef cutlets. Never knew that could work!! I have the instant pot duo plus. Hope all comes together nicely! 🤞🏽
My Heart Beets says
Ah sorry I misread that – yes, you can use lemon juice! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Sandy says
Will these still be ok if I’m not able to refrigerate them 24 hours overnight? My husband is hoping it’ll be done today. 😂. Also, I do not have white vinegar, can I use lemon juice instead? Also I have two pounds of ground beef. Does that mean doubling up on ingredients and/or cook time?
My Heart Beets says
Sandy, lol! Yes, I think it’ll be fine just keep them in the fridge as long as you can – it’ll help keep them together when you fry them. And yes, vinegar is fine. For two pounds, I would double the recipe ingredients but keep the cook time the same. Let me know what you guys think!
Deepa says
can we bake these?do you have some recommendations on baking/ freezing..
also can i double up the recipe?
Priya says
Your recipes never disappoint! I made three different ones today and they all turned out great. These cutlets were delicious! My first time making meat cutlets rather than tuna… Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Priya, that’s so awesome to hear! Happy to hear that you made so many recipes and liked them all!
Brandy says
I thought I added regular breadcrumbs to my grocery order just for this recipe, but somehow I didn’t get them. Now it’s Christmas Eve-eve and all I have are panko crumbs 😬
Is the reason you specify not-panko-crumbs because they aren’t as fine or is it something else? I was thinking of pulsing them in the food processor for a second if they only need to be finer.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Brandy, that’s okay! The only reason I wrote not to use panko is because they’re sometimes seasoned and also a bit larger, but use them if that’s what you’ve got! It’ll still be great 🙂
Brandy says
Whew, thank you for your reply at this busy time 😅 I’m using your plan to make a nice dinner for my live-with family– I haven’t made these before, but I follow your recipes to the letter and they always turn out. I’ve been looking forward to these!
Happy holidays ❤️☃️
My Heart Beets says
That’s so nice to hear 🙂 I hope you love these – let me know how they turn out if you get a chance! Happy Holidays!
Vinitha says
Hi Ashely,
Do you have any plans to share a recipe for tuna cutlet?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Vinitha, here’s a link to my tuna cutlet recipe: https://myheartbeets.com/tuna-croquettes-canned-tuna/ let me know if you try it!
Nikita says
Hii! This recipe sounds awesome. I was wondering if how much time I need to pressure cook if I replace ground beef with ground lamb. I am big fan of lamb!
Thank you in advance 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Hi Nikita, I’ve made these cutlets with ground beef and also with ground lamb using the same cook time listed in the recipe 🙂 Let me know what you think of this!
Nikki says
Do you wash the ground before putting it?
I am going to try this recipe today! Really excited.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Nikki, no I don’t wash ground meat before using. Let me know how it goes!
Nikki says
Thank you! It turned out to be really yummy. So easy to make too. Thank you for the recipe. Will be definitely making it again.
My Heart Beets says
Nikki, I’m so glad! Thanks for letting me know how they turned out 🙂
Jiji says
Hi Ashley! Just wanted to mention that I make these with chicken (rotisserie or even canned) and they turn out amazing too! Also, they can definitely be air fried but of course don’t come out quite as crispy as when you fry them but delicious and healthier too. Thanks for all your amazing recipes! I love so many of them!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Jiji, that’s really great to know – thank you so much for sharing! I’m sure this will be very helpful to other readers as well 🙂
Joe Varghese says
This was great … memories of my mom making this .. of course my wife makes it now with stew beef chunks cooked in the IP and then shredded in the blender. I think it has a better texture than using ground meat. Thanks for posting this recipe Ash!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Joe! I have yet to try cutlets with shredded beef (I’ve only watched my MIL use ground meat, though I’m sure she has used stew meat in the past and I just haven’t tried it). That’s good to know about the texture – I’ll have to give that a try soon!
Navya says
Can these be baked?
Maneesha says
Woww! So cool! i Can’t wait to try these! Do you think they can be made in the air fryer? Just wondering hmmmm
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Maneesha! That’s a good idea! I’m sure you can fry them in the air-fryer though they may not taste the same? Let me know what you think if you try 🙂
Jenita says
Oh no you didnt!! I can’t wait to try these… I grew up on these., cutlets with chapati were a staple school lunch… even today as a grown woman, I ask my mom to make these for me (well she really does it for her grand daughters) whenever she visits and she stocks up my fridge with these…. Ashley you made me miss my mom and I miss kerala!! Will post a review soon … but I’m sure these are fantastic
My Heart Beets says
Jenita, lol I totally did! I can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipe 🙂 Also, Your mom sounds amazing!!
Rose says
This was one of my favorite treats growing up. I am so happy you make an easy instant pot recipe. I will have to try this soon.
My Heart Beets says
Rose, I can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂