Indian Cutlet Recipes for Kids – 3 Easy and Healthy Ideas

Mothers in India face one same problem every evening. What to make for kids that is tasty and also healthy. Kids want something crispy and fun to eat. Mothers want something with vegetables and less oil.

This is where Indian cutlet recipes for kids become the best answer. Cutlets are soft from inside. Crispy from outside. And kids love to eat them with ketchup or green chutney.

In this article I will share three Indian cutlet recipes for kids. All are vegetarian. All use normal Indian kitchen ingredients. You will also learn veg cutlet recipe ingredients indian style. And a very easy bread cutlet recipe. Let me first tell you why cutlets are good for your child.

Why Cutlets Work Very Well for Kids?

Many kids do not like eating boiled vegetables directly. But the same vegetable when mashed and made into a cutlet becomes fun. The crispy outer layer makes the child curious. The soft inside hides the vegetables very well.

Cutlets are also easy to hold. Small children can pick them with their fingers. You can make them round, oval or even small bite sized pieces. Another big reason is you can make cutlets in advance. Keep them in the fridge. Fry just before serving. This saves a lot of evening time for working mothers.

Read More: Grilled Shrimp Scampi Dinner Under 30 Minutes - Quick Recipe

General Tips for Perfect Cutlets

Before we start the recipes, keep these points in your mind.

• Always boil potatoes properly. Over boiled potatoes become watery. Then cutlets break while frying.
• Squeeze out extra water from boiled vegetables like cabbage or bottle gourd. Wet mixture will not bind well.
• Use fresh bread crumbs for coating. Grind two slices of normal white bread in a mixer. This gives better crispiness than market bread crumbs.
• Keep oil on medium flame. High flame will brown the outside but leave inside uncooked. Low flame makes cutlets oily.

Now let us go to the first recipe.

Recipe 1 – Veg Cutlet Recipe Ingredients Indian Style

This is the most common cutlet made in Indian homes. It uses simple vegetables and spices. Children who do not like spicy food also eat this happily.

Veg Cutlet Recipe Ingredients Indian Style (for 8 cutlets)

• Potato – 2 medium sized
• Carrot – 1 small
• French beans – 5 to 6
• Green peas – 2 spoon
• Onion – 1 small finely chopped
• Green chilli – 1 very finely chopped (skip if child eats less spice)
• Ginger paste – half spoon
• Coriander leaves – few
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Red chilli powder – a pinch (optional for kids)
• Garam masala – a very small pinch
• Salt – as per taste
• Fresh bread crumbs – for coating
• Oil – for frying

Step by Step Method

1. First boil potato, carrot, beans and peas together in a pressure cooker. One whistle is enough. Do not over boil.
2. Let them cool down completely. Then peel the potato. Mash everything together with your hands. Do not use mixer. Hand mashing keeps small vegetable pieces which give nice bite.
3. Now add chopped onion, green chilli, ginger paste, coriander leaves and all dry spices. Mix very well.
4. Check salt. Taste the mixture. It should taste slightly more salty than normal because bread crumbs and ketchup will balance it later.
5. Make small lemon sized balls from this mixture. Press gently to make flat round cutlet shape.
6. Roll each cutlet in fresh bread crumbs from all sides.
7. Heat a non stick tawa. Add two spoons oil. Place cutlets gently. Cook on medium flame for two minutes. Flip carefully. Cook other side till golden brown.
8. Your veg cutlet is ready.
9. Serve with tomato ketchup. You can also put one cutlet inside a small pav bun. Kids like this burger style very much.

Recipe 2 – Bread Cutlet Recipe

Many times you do not have vegetables at home. Or child refuses to eat anything with green pieces. At that time bread cutlet recipe comes to your rescue.

Bread cutlet is very soft. It does not need many vegetables. Even one potato and few bread slices are enough.

Ingredients for Bread Cutlet Recipe

• White bread slices – 4
• Potato – 1 medium (boiled and mashed)
• Onion – 1 small finely chopped
• Green chilli – 1 small (optional)
• Coriander leaves – 2 spoons
• Red chilli powder – a pinch
• Cumin powder – a pinch
• Salt – as per taste
• Extra bread crumbs for coating

Method

• First take bread slices. Remove the brown edges. Dip each slice in water for just one second. Immediately squeeze out all water with your hands.
• The wet bread becomes like soft dough. Put this in a big bowl.
• Add boiled mashed potato, onion, green chilli, coriander leaves and all spices. Mix everything very well. The mixture should feel smooth and soft.
• Make small round cutlets. Roll in dry bread crumbs.
• Shallow fry on medium flame till both sides become golden.
• This bread cutlet recipe takes only ten minutes. Children like it because it is very soft. No hard vegetable pieces. Just smooth tasty inside and crispy outside.

You can also make this bread cutlet recipe without potato. Just use two extra bread slices instead of potato. But potato gives better binding.

Recipe 3 – Cheesy Corn Cutlet for Kids

Sometimes children get bored of same taste. At that time this cheesy corn cutlet brings smile on their face. Every child likes cheese and sweet corn.

Ingredients

• Sweet corn – half cup (boiled)
• Potato – 2 medium (boiled and mashed)
• Cheese grated – 2 to 3 spoons (normal processed cheese)
• Corn flour – 2 spoons
• Chaat masala – a pinch
• Salt – as per taste
• Bread crumbs – for coating

Method

• Boil sweet corn for five minutes. Do not over boil. Drain all water completely. If corn has extra water, cutlet will break.
• Mix boiled corn, mashed potato, grated cheese, corn flour, chaat masala and salt in a bowl.
• Mix gently with fingers. Do not mash corn fully. Small corn pieces give nice bite.
• Make small flat cutlets. Roll in bread crumbs.
• Shallow fry on medium flame. Cheese inside melts slightly. Corn gives sweetness. Children ask for second and third piece.

This is one of the best Indian cutlet recipes for kids who do not eat spicy food.

How to Serve Cutlets to Kids?

Serving style matters a lot for children.

• Do not just put cutlet on plate. Make it look fun.
• Put one cutlet in small bowl. Put ketchup in another small bowl. Give a toothpick. Kids enjoy dipping themselves.
• You can also make mini cutlets with same mixture. Smaller size is more attractive for small children.

On birthdays you can put these cutlets in paper cups with little chutney at bottom.

You May Also Read: Mutton Stew Recipes for Winter: Warm and Healthy Comfort Food

Can You Make Cutlets in Air Fryer or Oven?

Yes you can. Many mothers ask this question.

• If using air fryer, brush little oil on cutlets. Put at 180 degree for 8 to 10 minutes. Flip once in between. The outside becomes crispy without deep frying.
• If using oven, put cutlets on baking tray. Bake at 200 degree for 12 minutes. Turn once. But oven gives less crispy outer layer compared to pan frying.

For children, pan fried cutlets taste best. That one or two spoons oil is not harmful if child plays and runs daily.

How to Store Cutlets for Later Use?

You can make cutlet mixture in morning. Shape into cutlets. Keep in fridge in a closed box for up to 8 hours. Fry fresh in evening. If you want to store for longer, fry all cutlets lightly till light golden. Let them cool. Freeze in a box with butter paper between each cutlet. They stay good for one month. When needed, take out directly from freezer. Fry on medium flame for three minutes. No need to defrost.

FAQs

My cutlets break while frying. What to do?

This happens when mixture has extra water. Next time add one spoon corn flour or bread crumbs in mixture. Also keep cutlets in fridge for twenty minutes before frying.

Can I make these cutlets for one year old baby?

Skip green chilli and red chilli powder. Use only boiled vegetables, potato and little salt. Make very small bite sized pieces. Fry very lightly. For babies below one year, ask your doctor first.

My child does not eat any vegetables. Which cutlet should I make?

Make bread cutlet recipe first. Then slowly add very little mashed carrot or peas inside bread cutlet. Increase vegetable quantity slowly over many days.

What is the best chutney for kids with cutlets?

Make curd chutney. Take fresh curd. Add roasted cumin powder and little salt. Mix well. This is cooling and tasty. Most children like it more than spicy green chutney.

Final Words

These Indian cutlet recipes for kids are not very hard to make. All ingredients are already in your kitchen. You do not need any fancy things. Just boiled potato, some vegetables or bread, basic spices and bread crumbs.

Start with the simple bread cutlet recipe today. Tomorrow try the veg cutlet. Then once you feel confident, try cheesy corn cutlet on weekend.

Your child will slowly start enjoying homemade food more than market chips and biscuits. And you will feel happy seeing them eat vegetables without any fight.

Make these cutlets once. Your child will ask again and again. That is the biggest happiness for any mother.