Kotlet (Persian Cutlet) Recipe
Kotlet (Persian cutlet,کتلت) is a kind of Persian dish formed by ground meat and potato mainly. There is no definite evidence that where didi it originated first. Since the term Kotlet is very similar to the French word(côtelette), it seems that this food was originated in Iran at the same time when Iranians were strongly affected by France. It’s culture on late Gajar and early Pahlavi kingdoms.
However, it is still not clear is this a Persian food with a french name or it is a french dish that has been welcomed in Iran.
Cutlet is one of those foods that takes a lot of effort while making, but once it is ready and its alluring smell is spread in the house, you can not help eating it.
Kotlet different types
Depending on the type of meat you utilize in making Kotlet, you can have different types of it. The most popular kind of Kotlets make by beef, chicken, and turkey. However, pork cutlet has its fans out of Iran.
There is another Persian food, Shami kabab which is very similar to it but it contains a notable amount of peas, too.
All over Iran, the main ingredients, are potato and ground meat. However, you can taste different flavors of Kotlet because of the difference in the cooking process, and minor components use. For example, in some regions, like Azerbaijan, people add split chickpeas to Kotlet. In Karaj, people mostly shred raw potatoes into the ingredients instead of adding boiled potatoes.
NUTRITION FACTS
Since Kotlets are fried in oil, they have a quite high calorie. Each 100 gr of Kotlet has 300 kcal.
Cutlet is an excellent source of protein with about 10 mg protein per 100 gr. It also has a high percentage of calcium and iron and different kinds of vitamins. However, because it absorbs a high amount of oil while frying you would better be preceptive in choosing your oil, to prevent further cholesterol related problems.
SERVING STYLE
Kotlet is usually served as a sandwich. It can be an excellent choice for workplace meals or picnics. For making a Kotlet sandwich, you need bread (typically french budget), or any other kind of bread you can make a sandwich with. You also need pickles, tomatoes, and parsley.
Other ingredients may people use in their Kotlet sand which are onion slices and ketchup.
You can either make the sandwiches or serve the sandwich-making equipment separately next to a dish of Kotlet.
Iranians usually eat Kotlet as the main course, but a small one can be eaten as a brunch, too.
Vegetarian tips
If you are a vegetarian and you are thriving to eat Kotlet, you can use ground soybeans instead of meat. Omitting the beef is not an option, and you should replace it with something else. Because there are only two main ingredients and deleting one of them enhances the other one’s full flavor that is not pleasant. To use soybeans as a vegetable protein source, ground them, soak them and strim them in a pan then use them as meat and follow the rest of the recipe.
These ingredients are adequate for four to six people. You can make 15 Kotlet (palm size) out of this recipe. The preparation span is about 1 hour, and the frying time is about 1 hour.
What are the ingredients?
The main ingredients of Kotlet are potatoes and meat. However, in some regions such as Azerbaijan, people add ground split chickpeas to the mixture of potatoes and meat. Like any other Persian dish, onions accompany ground meat while cooking. The amount of potato is significant because adding more potato makes your Kotlet taste like Kuku Sibzamini.
Other ingredients are saffron, turmeric, and pepper. Since Kotlet is hamburger like food, it is served as a Kotlet sandwich. For making the sandwich, you need bread (usually french baguettes), pickles and sliced firm tomatoes and some parsley. Parsley is optional, and you can deploy it with sliced onions or scallions.
Cooking process:
To cook Kotlet, you have to make a paste-like primary mixture of potatoes and meat. You ground the meat and onion together. Then you squash the half-cooked potatoes and add it to the combination. If you are following an Azari type recipe, and your ingredients contain split chickpeas, you should ground them before adding to the mixture. At last, you will shape your paste to your favor and fry them in the oil.
For a Kotlet Sandwich put 2 or 3 Kotlets in baguette along with sliced tomatoes pickles and parsley.
Kotlet
Ingredients
- 2 cups Ground beef(or lamb)
- 1 Onion
- 1 medium Potatoes
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 pinch Saffron
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 cup Crackercrumbs or bread crumbs(you can use flour)
- ½ fryingVegetable oil
To make a kotlet sandwich
- 4 Baguet
- 2 firm Tomatoes
- 200 gr Pickles
- 1 bunch parsley
- Ketchup (to your taste)
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes and wait until they are half cooked.
- Shred onions into ground meat and mix them.
- Peel the half-cooked potatoes and shred them, then add them to the mixture.
- Agitate the egg and add it to the composition.
- Add turmeric, salt, and pepper.
- Pout the crunch on a flat dish. For example, a tray.
- Divide the composition into 15 circles(like meatballs)
- Flatten the circle in the tray of crunch and dip it with crunch back and forward.You can use cooking metal patterns to make better-looking kotlets.
- Use a nonstick frying panFry the Kotlet in the oil
- Slice the tomatoes and the pickles
- Put 3 or 4 Kotlet with an adequate amount of pickles, tomatoes, and parsley in a slice of bread and enjoy your sandwiches.
Video
Notes
UNIQOP’S ADVICE:
- You can add ½ cup cooked split chickpeas to the mixture of meat and potato and enjoy Azerbaijani version of the kotlet.
- Using a cast-iron made-pan, helps you to consume less oil.
- If you let the composition rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours before frying, you can extract a better flavour. This task allows the ingredients to mix much.
- If your mixture slated (because of the shred onions) pour out the water before frying.
