Spring Chicken Cutlet

How glorious is this pre-Summer weather!
The sun and the long weekend were keeping me away from my kitchen. But now that I am back, I want to introduce you to the slickest chicken cutlet with roots in coffee houses of erstwhile Calcutta.
Once upon a time the Fowl Cutlet was the thing to have over cups of coffee and idealistic Marxist discussions dripping with some antelle attitude. Not to mention the out-of-job writer with a cigarette in one hand looking for inspiration in a piece of the crispy fried chicken cutlet served with tomato ketchup and slivered onions. I have had a crush on these cutlets ever since I was kid. Not only have I learnt to serve these cutlets as cocktail hors d'oeuvre, but also believe think they are great as dinner with sides of soups and salads!

Ingredients for Fowl Cutlet are:

600 grams boneless chicken breasts
1 medium size red onion finely chopped
1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped fine
1 knob of ginger finely chopped
Handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
5-6 green chilies, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sattu (powder or flour of roasted gram)
Half teaspoon garam masala powder
2 teaspoons black pepper powder
1 teaspoon chaat masala
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
15-20 peppercorns
Half cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
Canola oil
Salt
Boil the chicken pieces in enough water, salt and one teaspoon black pepper powder. Retain the chicken broth and remove the pieces of chicken when cooked. Let them cool.

Churn the boiled chicken in your blender. Use the pulse mode, as we do not want a paste made of the chicken. Add the chopped ingredients, sattu and the dry spices. Crack one egg and mix well.
Make oval-shaped cutlets between the palms of your hands.
Heat canola oil in a pan. Beat an egg in a dish. Dip each cutlet in the egg batter and coat it in the bread crumbs.
Shallow fry each cutlet till golden brown. Drain excess oil on paper towels.

I served the Fowl Cutlets with some Mexican-inspired salsa along with some Asian-inspired noodle soup, which was made with the leftover chicken broth.
Mexican, Chinese and Bengali! Who said you couldn’t have soul-searching discussions over a dinner like that!