Cutlet or Shami Kebab is one of the most popular and delicious traditional and yet fast foods in Iran. It can be served as the main course, appetizer, trip food, hot or cold sandwich.
With a unique flavor and smell, it evokes all childhood memories of Iranians. This delicious meal is among those foods which are typically served without rice and just in combination of bread. The ingredients of Shami Kebab include minced meat, potato, egg, onion, chickpea flour and various additives. It also should be stated that there are other new kinds of Cutlets which are cooked using different materials; they are known as meat Cutlet, chicken Cutlet, fish Cutlet, eggplant Cutlet etc. The food is also popular in other countries but in a fattier way.
The most common way of cooking this food starts by peeling and grating potato. Then, the minced meat is added. Sometimes eggs are used in order for paste to be more adhesive. After that, the chickpea flour, salt, pepper and turmeric are combined with the material. The paste should be completely messaged by hand in order for the ingredients to be deeply mixed. The material needs to be put in the fridge for half an hour and in the final step, it is fried inside a pan with hot oil.
It is possible to use different kinds of meat like mutton, veal, chicken, turkey meat, etc., for cooking Cutlet. It can also be quite vegetarian through replacing meat with mushroom and soybean; this way vegans would also enjoy the food.