Spiced mashed potato and flaked fish patties coated in breadcrumbs and fried crisp, the beloved Sri Lankan tea-time snack known as fish cutlets.
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.
Serves 6
Heat oil and cook onion, curry leaves, green chile and ginger until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
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.
Chill the mixture 15 minutes, then shape into small ovals about the size of a golf ball.
Roll each cutlet in flour, dip in beaten egg, then coat thoroughly in breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the crumbs stick.
Heat oil to 175°C (350°F) and deep-fry the cutlets in batches until deep golden and crisp, about 4 minutes, turning once.
Drain on paper towels and serve warm, ideally with a cup of tea.
Chill the shaped cutlets for at least 15 minutes before frying — this helps them hold their shape in the hot oil.
Don't skip the flour-egg-breadcrumb triple coating; it's what gives cutlets their signature crunchy shell.
Fry at a steady 175°C (350°F); oil that's too hot browns the crumbs before the filling heats through.
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.
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.
Fish cutlets are a defining item of Sri Lanka's 'short eats' tradition — a broad category of savory bakery snacks eaten at tea time or on the go — and they're a fixture at nearly every Sri Lankan celebration and bakery counter.
Yes — poach and flake about 300g of fresh tuna, mackerel or any firm white fish, making sure to remove all bones before mixing it into the filling.
The filling is likely too wet or wasn't chilled long enough — make sure the potato-to-fish ratio is firm and give the shaped cutlets a full 15 minutes in the fridge before breading and frying.
Yes — freeze the breaded, uncooked cutlets on a tray until solid, then bag them; fry straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the frying time.
Per serving (140g / 4.9 oz) · 6 servings total
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