Sri Lankan Fish Cutlets (Malu Cutlis)

About This Recipe

Fish cutlets, or malu cutlis, are one of the most common items on the Sri Lankan short-eats table, sold at bakeries and served at every family gathering alongside sweeter treats. Canned or poached fish, usually tuna or mackerel, is flaked and mixed with mashed potato, sautéed onion, curry leaves and green chile, then bound with egg into a mixture firm enough to shape into small ovals. The shaping and coating process is what makes cutlets distinct from a plain fishcake: each patty is rolled first in flour, then dipped in beaten egg, then coated thoroughly in breadcrumbs, giving a shatteringly crisp exterior once fried that contrasts with the soft, well-seasoned filling inside. Getting the ratio of potato to fish right matters — too much potato and the cutlets taste starchy and bland, too little and they fall apart when fried. These are classic tea-time and party food across Sri Lanka, eaten warm with a cup of tea or alongside other short eats like patties and rolls, and a good cutlet should be crisp enough to hear when you bite into it, giving way to a soft, well-spiced center.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 2 canscanned tuna(drained and flaked, or 300g cooked mackerel)
• 3potatoes(boiled and mashed)
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 1onion(finely chopped)
• 1 sprigcurry leaves(chopped)
• 2green chiles(minced)
• 1 tbspginger(grated)
• 0.5 tspturmeric
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 1egg(for binding the filling)
• 0.5 cupall-purpose flour
• 2eggs(beaten, for coating)
• 1.5 cupsbreadcrumbs
• 3 cupsvegetable oil(for deep-frying)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the filling base

   Heat oil and cook onion, curry leaves, green chile and ginger until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Combine the filling

   Add flaked tuna, turmeric and salt, cooking briefly to combine. Remove from heat, mix in mashed potato and one beaten egg, and mix until firm enough to shape.

   The mixture should hold together firmly when pressed; if it's too soft, add a spoonful more mashed potato.

3. 3

   Shape the cutlets

   Chill the mixture 15 minutes, then shape into small ovals about the size of a golf ball.

4. 4

   Bread the cutlets

   Roll each cutlet in flour, dip in beaten egg, then coat thoroughly in breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the crumbs stick.

5. 5

   Fry until crisp

   Heat oil to 175°C (350°F) and deep-fry the cutlets in batches until deep golden and crisp, about 4 minutes, turning once.

6. 6

   Drain and serve

   Drain on paper towels and serve warm, ideally with a cup of tea.

Variations

• •

  Use flaked leftover cooked salmon or mackerel instead of canned tuna for a different flavor.

• •

  Add finely grated carrot to the filling for extra texture and natural sweetness.

• •

  Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 20 minutes, flipping once, for a lighter, non-fried version.

Storage

Refrigerate uncooked, breaded cutlets up to 2 days, or freeze up to a month; fry directly from frozen, adding a minute or two extra. Fried cutlets keep 2 days refrigerated and reheat well in an oven or air fryer.

Frequently Asked Questions