kobiraji cutlet

[susruta]

Does anyone have a recipe for kobiraji cutlet? We'd like to try it at home but have no idea how to get the right "fuzzy" texture.

[Pan]

Does anyone have a recipe for kobiraji cutlet?

←

What?

[Nayantara Majumdar]

What a coincidence, I was thinking about posting the same question.

That fuzzy texture- my guess is maida, eggs but how?????

Btw, Pan kobiraji cutlet is a hot favourite snack in Kolkata, Cutlets which have been deepfried ,the outer covering looks somewhat like a flattened birds nest!

[Pan]

Thanks, Nayantara.

[Episure]

What a coincidence, I was thinking about posting the same question.

That fuzzy texture- my guess is maida, eggs  but how?????

Btw, Pan kobiraji cutlet is a hot favourite snack in Kolkata, Cutlets which  have been deepfried ,the outer covering looks somewhat like a flattened birds nest!

←

What's inside?

[Edward]

What a coincidence, I was thinking about posting the same question.

That fuzzy texture- my guess is maida, eggs  but how?????

Btw, Pan kobiraji cutlet is a hot favourite snack in Kolkata, Cutlets which  have been deepfried ,the outer covering looks somewhat like a flattened birds nest!

←

What's inside?

←

Minced meat is whats inside......the outside really does look like a flattened birds nest. I recently had a version at Howrah in Bombay. The other dishes there were ok, but the kobiraj cutlet was really good. I have no idea how that texture is achieved though....its almost like tempura.

[Episure]

Perhaps it is like Parsi cutlets or Farcha. Like a shami kabab dipped in whipped egg and deep fried.

Now where can I lay my hands on this kobiraji cutlet.

Why 'kobiraji'? After Kabir?

Edited November 30, 2004 by Episure (log)

[Edward]

Perhaps it is like Parsi cutlets or Farcha. Like a shami kabab dipped in whipped egg and deep fried.

Now where can I lay my hands on this kobiraji cutlet.

Why 'kobiraji'? After Kabir?

←

kind of like that...but the batter really does resemble japanese tempura..only "fuzzier" as was pointed out. The meat inside is more like a moist hamburger than a shami kebab...

Kobiraj is Bengali for Kaviraj...herbal doctor or something, right? Why its called that who knows....we need one of the Bengali experts in this one

[Nayantara Majumdar]

Two different opinions as regards the source of the 'Kobiraji cutlet'!!!

Edward you got it!

:Kabiraji earns its name from the word 'coverage' as these cutlets are covered with egg.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2...11700120300.htm

:Bharati Kirchner (The Healthy Cuisine of India: Recipes from the Bengal Region) is of the opinion

Kabiraji Cutlet- herbal doctors's burger

``Just why this dish is so named is not known, but a guess might be that a certain herbal doctor in a village prescribed it to a patient. The question remains: Did the spices or the meat cure the patient?''

Cheers

Nayantara

[Episure]

Is it possible that it also has vermicelli in the batter ?

[percyn]

Perhaps it is like Parsi cutlets or Farcha. Like a shami kabab dipped in whipped egg and deep fried.

Now where can I lay my hands on this kobiraji cutlet.

Why 'kobiraji'? After Kabir?

←

I have the recipe for Farcha. That coating is usually made of egg and flour, then deep fried (this coating goes over chicken which has been marinated in spices).

[Nayantara Majumdar]

hey Percyn, can you post the recipe for Faarcha

Thanks in advance

[Episure]

What meat goes in to the kobiraji cutet?

[Nayantara Majumdar]

One can either add chicken or mutton

[Episure]

One can either add chicken or mutton

←

Thanks Nayantara,

Coarse or fine mince?

[Nayantara Majumdar]

Have tasted both spiced fine minced ones and also semi thick marinated breast slices

[Episure]

Thanks Nayantara, now I can attempt to make it.

[Nayantara Majumdar]

Let us know, how it turns out.

Of course if it's yummy, the recipe will be highly appreciated.

Best of luck!

[gingerly]

came across this-

Apart from selling hot cakes like hot cakes, Bengali establishments do a brisk business in patties and that great Calcutta favourite, the kobiraji cutlet, so called not because it is made by a practitioner of ayurvedic medicine but because the light egg batter that enfolds it has given rise to the colloquial corruption kobiraj for "covered".

[v. gautam]

The meat should be cut into rounds and flattened as in scallopini; mince will not give an ‘authentic’ texture. The marinade is thus: red onion ground 5 parts by volume, ginger root ground 1- 0.5 part by volume, depending on how strong/old it is; a few Malabar peppercorns, 2-3 green thai chilies, a few sprigs of cilantro; all blended together. Salt, tiny pinch sugar. This is also a good marinade for the Bengali ‘cabin’ style fish fry. [there is also an excellent fish roll enclosing a spicy shrimp filling; more on that if there is interest--a different marinade].

Roll scallopini in flour, egg wash, flour, egg wash—proceed with farcha style, no vermicelli.

Here are some of the Ur- ‘cabins’ of North Kolkata serving Bengali interpretations of ‘english’ foods.

Basanta Cabin, intersection of Cornwallis & Beadon, opp. Hedua, [not the other branch near Medical College] specializes in kobiraji cutlet

Dilkhusha, near Shyamacharan De St.—excellent cutlet, dimmer debhil [“deviled eggs” but more like scotch eggs ], prawn cutlet

Chachar Chop [Cornwallis? Forgotten the exact street address] and also India Hotel (Amherst Street)—for best mutton ‘chop’, fish fry.

Anadi Cabin, intersection of SN Banerjee Rd (Corporation St.) and Chowringhee—moghlai paratha (try both double and single for different textures), other chop-cutlet

g

Edited February 14, 2005 by v. gautam (log)

[Episure]

The meat should be cut into rounds and flattened as in scallopini; mince will not give an ‘authentic’ texture. The marinade is thus: red onion ground 5 parts by volume, ginger root ground 1- 0.5 part by volume, depending on how strong/old it is; a few Malabar peppercorns, 2-3 green  thai chilies, a few sprigs of cilantro; all blended together. Salt, tiny pinch sugar.  This is also a good marinade for the Bengali ‘cabin’ style fish fry. [there is also an excellent fish roll enclosing a spicy shrimp filling; more on that if there is interest--a different marinade].

Roll scallopini in flour, egg wash, flour, egg wash—proceed with farcha style, no vermicelli.

Here  are some of the Ur- ‘cabins’ of North Kolkata serving Bengali interpretations of ‘english’ foods.

Basanta Cabin, intersection of Cornwallis & Beadon, opp. Hedua, [not the other branch near Medical College] specializes in kobiraji cutlet

Dilkhusha, near Shyamacharan De St.—excellent cutlet, dimmer debhil [“deviled eggs” but more like scotch eggs ], prawn cutlet

Chachar Chop [Cornwallis? Forgotten the exact street address] and also India Hotel (Amherst Street)—for best mutton ‘chop’, fish fry.

Anadi Cabin, intersection of SN Banerjee Rd (Corporation St.) and Chowringhee—moghlai paratha (try both double and single for different textures), other chop-cutlet

g

←

Gautam, thanks for posting the recipe, I'll change my idea of using minced chicken meat and use flattened breast meat.

there is also an excellent fish roll enclosing a spicy shrimp filling; more on that if there is interest--a different marinade

Do tell, please.

[rajsuman]

Yes Gautam, please do tell. I once had the most exquisite dish of lemon soles wrapped around a minced prawn mixture. Your description brought back memories of that dish - now I feel I should attempt both.

[v. gautam]

recipe by saturday, usa; promise!

[v. gautam]

Fish rolls, Kolkata style

A. The shrimp filling

In the US, frozen, cooked cocktail shrimp available in supermarkets or the small, peeled, raw frozen shrimp sold in blocks in some Asian/Chinese groceries seem to the most economical [~$5/lb] and convenient for this recipe. 1lb or 500 grams of either type of shrimp.

Prepare garam masala powder [cinnamon/cassia, green cardamom, cloves, lightly roasted and ground fine] and roasted, ground cumin seed powder.

½ -3/4 cup onion, minced fine

1-2 tsp root ginger, minced fine

2-4 thai green chilies, minced fine

brown sugar or cane jaggery, to taste

sea salt, to taste

turmeric powder, ¼ tsp

Hungarian (unsmoked) mild or hot paprika, to taste

dry, unflavored breadcrumbs, preferably not from a can [you will also need breadcrumbs for frying the fish rolls]

a few raisins, tiny corinth type, optional

fresh cilantro or dill leaf

Preparing the filling

The shrimp, in its frozen state, should be pulsed in a food processor (or chopped by hand in a semi-frozen state) to coarse granules.

Over moderately high flame, in a non-stick pan [heavy bottomed, with cover],

heat ghee or neutral vegetable oil mixed with some cultured butter [pure butter is fine as well]

sweat the minced onions until translucent, limp and have surrendered a fair amount of their moisture.

Add minced ginger and chilies, stir till fragrant, a few seconds.

[ A few small Corinth type raisins may now be added, for those who like such]

Add comminuted shrimp, stir.

Add turmeric, paprika, salt, sugar or jaggery, stir until moisture exudes and the mass smells fragrant. Add a judicious amount of breadcrumbs so as to soak up some but not all the moisture.

Be wary of overwhelming shrimp flavor with too much stodge; use your judgment. If there is a lot of moisture, the shrimp-breadcrumb mass can be cooked uncovered; if less moisture present, use a cover. You want to end up with a reasonably moist mass without too much cooking, which will destroy shrimp flavor; nor should you have uncooked bread flavors predominate. The end result should be slightly or even moderately sweet, and according to your desire, with either more or less piquancy showing up from the chilies.

With a light hand, season with powdered garam masala and roasted cumin. Add a little chopped dill or cilantro. Be careful: all of these should be understated and not overwhelm the shrimp flavor and aroma.

Let cool until the filling can be handled.

To be continued, shortly: B. th fish fillets; C. the final assembly and frying.

p.s. Episure, did you receive my message?

[Nayantara Majumdar]

Great stuff Goutam, thanks!