Norwegian · 380°F · 12 min
Air Fryer Norwegian Fish Cakes
Soft Nordic fish cakes with potato and mild spice. Crisp outside, tender center.
Air Fryer Sri Lankan Fish Cutlets
These are the short-eat cutlets you see piled on banana leaves. Small, perfectly round balls with a fine crisp crumb. The filling is sautéed fish and potato with curry leaves and turmeric. After cooling, you roll golf-ball shapes, dip in a smooth white flour batter, coat in breadcrumbs, and air-fry until the shell is evenly golden.
Round, not oval
Wet your palms and roll tight spheres about 1 to 1.25 inches across. An even ball browns the same on every side in the basket.
Batter, then crumbs
Sri Lankan cutlets use a thin flour-and-water (or flour-egg) batter first, then fine breadcrumbs. The wet batter is what makes the crumb cling in a smooth, even shell. Not a patchy egg wash alone.
Cool the filling completely
Warm filling cracks the coating and flattens the balls. Spread the mix on a plate until it is cool to the touch before you roll.
Air Fryer Sri Lankan Fish Cutlets
Prep 40 min · Cook 14 min · Total 54 min · 4 servings
Crowding. One layer of round cutlets only. Stacked balls steam and stay pale.
Step-by-step instructions
Follow each step in order. Photos show what to look for so the basket finish matches the plate.
Filling
Cook the filling
Heat oil in a pan. Saute onion, green chili and curry leaves until soft. Stir in fish, mashed potato, curry powder, turmeric, chili powder and salt. Cook 2-3 minutes until the mix looks dry and holds together. Spread on a plate and cool completely.
Use well-mashed / smashed potato only. No chunks. The filling should look lightly yellow from turmeric, with visible curry leaves, like a dry fish-potato mash. Squeeze a spoonful. It must hold a ball without feeling wet.
Tip. Boil potatoes soft, mash until smooth, then mix. Chunks make balls crack. If sticky, cook 1 more minute uncovered or add a spoon of breadcrumbs.
Mashed potato and fish cutlet filling cooking in a pan
Shape and coat
Roll round balls
With damp hands, roll the cooled filling into tight round balls about 1 to 1.25 inches (golf-ball size). You should get about 16-20 balls. Line them on a plate.
Keep them spherical. Not ovals or patties. Even size means even browning in the air fryer.
Round cutlet balls next to flour batter and breadcrumbs Dip in batter, then breadcrumbs
Whisk flour with water (or egg and a splash of water) and a pinch of salt into a smooth, thin batter. Like light cream, not a thick paste. Dip each ball fully in the batter, let excess drip, then roll in fine breadcrumbs until completely coated. Set on a tray.
This is the classic Sri Lankan coating: wet batter first so the crumb sticks in a fine, even shell. Press crumbs on gently so the ball stays round.
Tip. If batter thickens as you work, thin with a teaspoon of water.
Air fry
Air fry until deep gold
Preheat to 380°F (193°C). Arrange cutlets in a single layer. Mist lightly with oil. Cook 11-13 minutes, turning once at 6 minutes and misting again, until the crumb is deep golden-brown all over.
They should look like the piled short-eats on a banana leaf: round, fine crumb, evenly browned. Not pale patches.
Tip. Work in batches. Crowding steams the crumb soft.
Round breaded fish cutlets in the air fryer basket Finished round Sri Lankan fish cutlets
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