Potato Cheese Cutlets

Kashmira and I go way back to our teenage years in New Zealand. Our friendship, like a slow-cooked curry, has been bubbling away in the background for more than 20 years. We both became Bawi Brides (Parsi wives) around the same time, with Kashmira moving to Chennai for her Bawa Groom.

These Potato Cheese Cutlets are Kashmira's innovation from her early days as a newlywed, trying to master Parsi cooking in an unfamiliar city. They quickly became her husband's favorite post-flight snack, and I can see why!

Crisp on the outside with a gooey cheese center, these cutlets are a dream for any cutlet lover (or mom trying desperately to find a school lunchbox treat her kids will eat). When Kashmira taught me this recipe during my visit to Chennai, my family fell head over heels for them, too. They're perfect wrapped in a warm roti or paired with bread for breakfast.

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• 4 small potatoes, boiled and peeled

• Large-ish handful of coriander with tender stems, roughly chopped

• 2 green chillies, finely chopped

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• 1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)

• 1 tsp cumin powder

• 1 tsp coriander powder

• Small handful of mint, leaves only, finely chopped

• 8-10 cheese cubes (1 cm each)

• Salt to taste

• Pepper to taste

• 1 cup coarse semolina for coating

• Oil for frying