vegetable cutlets
With pistachio Tahini sauce
Vegetable Cutlets
with Pistachio Tahini Cream Sauce
Makes 10-12 cutlets. Serve 2 per person. Can also be used to make hors d’oeuvres, the number dependent upon size.
A cutlet, or schnitzel in German, by definition is a boneless, thin slice of meat—chicken, veal, or pork—often pounded to make it extra tender, and then breaded and pan fried until golden and crispy. To call these cutlets is a complete misnomer. They’re patties or perhaps croquettes, or even thick pancakes. So why are they called cutlets on the menu of every kosher dairy restaurant? Beats me! But that’s what they’re known as, so I’ll go with the flow.
Perhaps the most famous Jewish Style Vegetable Cutlets came from Ratner’s, the iconic dairy restaurant on the Lower East Side in NYC. Along with their Mushroom Barley Soup, it was one of the things they were renowned for. Less celebrated, but also wonderful, were the ones served at the dairy restaurant that was on Coney Island Avenue near Avenue K. In fact, every dairy restaurant in Brooklyn served a similar recipe. They were fairly interchangeable, with variations appearing in the sauce. Most involved mushrooms, some were tomato-based, some included cream.
Why are these Vegetable Cutlets different from all other Vegetable Cutlets?
In my version, Brooklyn meets the Middle East. I’ve added chickpea flour, which increases their protein content, and with the addition of a few unexpected spices, these savory cutlets are slightly reminiscent of falafel, which I adore. (You’ll find my falafel recipe on this site as well.)
I keep the mushrooms on the inside in this version, serving it with a non-mushroom sauce. I’ve opted to use shiitakes rather than white mushrooms, for the extra flavor boost. Also, while many recipes for Vegetable Cutlets call for flour, I use matzo meal because I like the texture that it adds. As a result, these are also perfect for Passover—that said, it contains chickpea flour, so you can only use it for Passover if you use kitniyot.
I also coat the outside of the cutlets with more matzo meal so that they fry up with an extra crunch factor.
The cutlets are finished with a beautiful, silky pistachio sauce. If you’re making these as part of my Shavuot menu, you’ll notice that the sauce starts with the same base as the pistachio sauce for the salmon. From there it takes a twist and pays a some respect to the Middle East, with the addition of tahini and lemon.
As part of a holiday menu or for a vegetarian dinner, I think you’ll really enjoy these.
When made in miniature, they also make wonderful hors d’oeuvres.
Most of the ingredients in this recipe are easily found in any supermarket. If you’re local stores don’t carry chickpea flour, you can find it here. Not only does the addition of chickpea flour add a Middle Eastern flavor, it also packs them with protein, taking the recipe from something I’d make as a side dish, to something I’d serve as an entrée.
Pistachio paste is a little harder to find, unless you have a boutique gourmet market nearby. It’s not cheap, but if you like pistachios, it’s sublime. This is the brand we used in our restaurant. There are a lot of pistachio butters and spreads that contain sugar and other ingredients. This is made from 100% California pistachios. You can try making pistachio paste yourself, from shelled pistachios. My own attempts have been less than ideal, because I can’t get it smooth enough with the kitchen equipment I have.
Vegetable Cutlets with Pistachio Tahini Cream Sauce
For the Cutlets
Ingredients:
2 cups peeled and cut-up russet potatoes
1 cup finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup finely diced celery
½ cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 cup coarsely chopped shiitake mushrooms
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup grated carrots
½ cup frozen petite sweet green peas
1 cup chopped spinach
3 Eggs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
1 cup Matzo meal
6 tablespoons garbanzo flour
Oil and butter- for frying
Method:
Put the cut up potatoes in a small pot with enough water to cover them. Add a few pinches of salt. Turn on the heat and cook the potatoes until very tender when tested with a fork. Then drain them, mash them with a potato masher, and set aside.
Sauté the chopped onion, garlic, celery, peppers, mushrooms, peas, and carrots in the butter for 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. Add the mashed potatoes and stir to combine well. Add the spinach, the cumin, the coriander, and the vegetables from the skillet, including any butter that’s remaining in the pan. Add salt and Aleppo pepper to taste.
Add the matzo meal and the garbanzo flour and combine well.
Mix well and shape into 10—12 ovals.
Roll each one in more matzo meal—just a thin coating is fine.
In the same skillet, melt a little more butter and add an equal amount of neutral oil. When the fat is hot, add the cutlets to the pan and fry them until crispy on both sides. You will probably need to do this in more than one batch. Don’t overcrowd the pan or it will be difficult to turn them without squishing them.
For the Pistachio Tahini Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, finely minced
¼ cup white wine (I went with Moscato, which is sweet, but any will do)
¾ cup heavy cream
¼ cup pistachio paste
2 tablespoons tahini
kosher salt
a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
Method:
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1minute over medium heat. Don’t let the garlic brown.
Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until it’s mostly evaporated.
Stir in the cream and the pistachio paste and cook, stirring, until thickened to your liking. Add a pinch or two of salt. Taste the cream and see if it needs more. (hint: if it tastes flat, it needs more.)
Off heat, stir in the tahini. Add fresh lemon to taste and stir to combine.
Drizzle the Pistachio Tahini Cream Sauce over the vegetable cutlets. Garnish with chopped pistachios.