Ituna Cutlets (Vegetable Cutlets)
A unique Parsi-style vegetable cutlet recipe from 1900 featuring a blend of native gourds like bottle gourd and ridge gourd mixed with finely sliced French beans. The vegetables are sautéed in ghee and spiced with ginger, garlic, and cumin, then enriched with a vibrant mix of fresh herbs including coriander, mint, parsley, and celery. Bound with egg and flavored with savory Worcestershire sauce and vinegar, these cutlets offer a fascinating historical fusion of Indian and colonial flavors, resulting in a soft, savory interior with a crisp, golden exterior.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Fresh ginger, crushed (Originally '6 annas weight'. Converted to approx 1 tsp.)
- 1/2 teaspoon Fresh garlic, crushed (Originally '5 val'. Converted to approx 1/2 tsp.)
- 1 medium Onion, finely chopped (Originally '1 pasher' (approx 125g).)
- 1/2 cup Ghee (Originally '1 pasher'. Used for sautéing vegetables.)
- 1/2 pound Mixed vegetables (Bottle Gourd/Dudhi, Ridge Gourd/Turiya, French Beans) (Diced small (chickpea size). French beans should be sliced very fine.)
- 1 teaspoon Salt (Heaped teaspoon in original.)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Level teaspoon.)
- 1/2 cup Fresh coriander leaves, chopped (Originally '3 bunches' (historical bunches were likely smaller). Estimated quantity.)
- 2 whole Green chilies, finely chopped (1 to 2 depending on heat preference.)
- 8 leaves Fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Celery, finely chopped
- 1 whole Egg (for binding)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (Originally 'Velati sauce'.)
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Strong vinegar
- 2 whole Eggs (for coating)
- 2 pinches Salt (for egg wash)
- 1 cup Breadcrumbs (Quantity estimated. Implied by standard cutlet frying technique referenced in text.)
- 1/2 cup Ghee or Oil for frying (Quantity estimated for shallow frying.)
Instructions
- 1Peel and crush the ginger and garlic. Peel and finely chop the onion.
- 2Heat the ghee in a pan. Fry the chopped onions until they turn an almond-brown color. Add the crushed ginger and garlic, fry briefly until aromatic, then remove all the fried solids with a slotted spoon, leaving the ghee in the pan.
- 3Peel and dice the bottle gourd (dudhi) and ridge gourd (turiya) into pieces the size of large chickpeas. Remove strings from the French beans and slice them very finely (like vermicelli). Wash and dry the vegetables. Add them to the remaining ghee in the pan and cook over a slow fire, stirring constantly, until they are tender and turn a pale red color. Remove from heat and drain from the ghee.
- 4Add the salt and cumin to the cooked vegetables. Grind or mash the mixture slightly (traditionally on a stone) to bind it together. Mix in the previously fried onion, ginger, and garlic mixture.
- 5Finely chop the coriander, green chilies, mint, parsley, and celery. Add these to the vegetable mixture. Beat one egg well and mix it in. Add the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and vinegar. Mix everything thoroughly until uniform.
- 6Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts. Shape each into a smooth ball, then flatten into an oval or leaf-shaped cutlet. Beat the remaining 2 eggs with 2 pinches of salt. Dip each cutlet into the beaten egg (and optionally coat with breadcrumbs for a crispier finish). Fry in hot ghee or oil until golden brown on both sides.