Aloo Cutlets
آلو کے کٹلس
Aloo cutlets, often called aloo ke kabab at home, are soft spiced potato patties wrapped in a thin, lacy coat of fried egg. They turn up at iftar, in school lunch boxes and next to evening chai, usually with ketchup or green chutney. The secret is dry, well-cooled potatoes and a that is hot enough to set the egg the moment the cutlet lands on it.
- ⏱ Total: 50 min
- Prep: 30 min
- Cook: 20 min
- Easy
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Boil the potatoes in their skins in salted water for 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Drain, peel while warm and leave to cool completely, uncovered, so the steam escapes.
Mash the cold potatoes in a bowl until smooth. Add the onion, green chilies, coriander, mint, chili powder, cumin, coriander powder, garam masala, black pepper and salt, and knead with your hand until evenly mixed.
Wet your palms and shape the mixture into 12 smooth, flat oval cutlets about 1.5 cm thick. Press the edges so there are no cracks. Chill for 15 minutes if the mixture feels soft.
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt in a shallow dish until no streaks of white remain.
Heat a thin layer of oil on a or flat pan over medium heat. Dip each cutlet in the egg, let the excess drip off and lay it in the hot oil. Spoon a little extra egg over the top so the egg spreads into a lacy frill.
Fry for 2–3 minutes until the underside is golden and the egg has set, then flip carefully and fry the other side for another 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the rest.
Serve hot with ketchup, green chutney or imli chutney.
Kitchen notes
Waterlogged potatoes make cutlets that fall apart. Boil them in their skins and let them cool fully; leftover boiled potatoes from the fridge work best.
If the oil is not hot enough, the egg slides off and the cutlets soak up oil. A drop of egg should sizzle and set straight away.
Fry in batches and do not crowd the tawa, or the cutlets steam instead of turning golden.
A tea-time and iftar favourite
Aloo cutlets sit somewhere between a kabab and a snack. Many Pakistani homes make a big batch in Ramadan and keep them in the freezer, ready to fry for iftar next to pakoras and samosas. They are just as common at evening tea, in lunch boxes, or tucked into a bun with ketchup and sliced onion for a quick aloo burger.
Dry potatoes, hot tawa
Everything depends on the potato mixture. Potatoes boiled in their skins absorb less water, and cooling them completely lets the last of the steam escape, so the mash holds its shape without any binder. Mash them smooth but don’t overwork them into a paste. Taste the mixture before shaping: it should be well seasoned and slightly spicy, because the egg coat mutes the flavour.
The egg dip is what makes these different from crumbed cutlets. A shallow layer of oil on a hot sets the egg at once into a thin golden skin with crisp, lacy edges. Spooning a little extra egg over the top as the cutlet goes down gives a fuller coat. Medium heat is right: high heat browns the egg before the inside is warm.
Variations
- Keema cutlets: mix 150 g of cooked, dry chicken or beef mince into the potatoes.
- Vegetable cutlets: add boiled peas and finely grated carrot.
- Crumbed: dip in egg, then breadcrumbs, for a crunchier, café-style finish.
Storing and serving
Shaped, uncooked cutlets keep for two days in the fridge or a month in the freezer. Fried cutlets reheat well on a dry tawa or in an air fryer for a few minutes, which brings back the crisp edges far better than a microwave. Serve with ketchup, green chutney or a sweet-sour imli chutney.
Questions people ask
Can I make aloo cutlets without egg?
Yes. Coat them in a thin batter of besan and water, or roll them in breadcrumbs, and shallow-fry the same way. They will be crisper but lose the soft egg coat.
Can I freeze them for Ramadan?
Yes. Freeze the shaped cutlets, without egg, on a tray, then pack them in a box for up to a month. Thaw for 20 minutes, dip in egg and fry as usual.
Why are my cutlets breaking in the pan?
The mixture is too wet or too warm, or you are flipping too early. Add a tablespoon of cornflour or a slice of crumbled bread to bind it, and wait until the egg has set before turning.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 290
- Protein
- 7 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
