She does the same for six other fish cutlets before sliding them ever so gently into hot oil to be deep-fried until golden-brown.
Made fresh with tuna, potato and spices, within seconds the delicious aroma of fried breadcrumbs fills the kitchen.
“There’s always the healthier option to air-fry or bake the cutlets, but I personally feel deep-frying makes it more delicious,” she says, laughing as she places a plate on the table.
It’s crunchy on the outside and bursting with flavour inside thanks to the assortment of South Indian spices that complement the taste of the tuna.
A quick bite into the cutlet reveals tiny cubes of potato just as one would find in a typical curry puff.
Behind Vasukee is a fridge with colourful souvenir magnets stuck on the door, a sore reminder of the countries she once travelled as a flight attendant before the Covid-19 pandemic grounded all flights.
“In January, I noticed that more travellers were donning masks and were extra cautious of their surroundings.
“I’ll be honest, I never thought the pandemic would eventually make its way to Malaysia,” she recalls, adding that flights were still operating as usual until March when the movement control order was implemented.
“My January and February flying schedules were as per usual – 10 to 15 flights a month but then in April, I began to see drastic changes. It was down to four flights a month and then to three and then, absolutely nothing after May.
“Even the ones in April and May were rescue flights which involved bringing back Malaysians stuck overseas,” she says.
With flying halted indefinitely, Vasukee found herself unemployed and worried sick over how to settle her bills.
When the initial panic subsided, and she could gather her thoughts, she worked on a solution to generate some income and settled on doing something completely different.
“When my late mother was around, I loved watching her cook – twirling around the kitchen, throwing spices into the pot. That memory eventually inspired me to cook,” she tells FMT, explaining that she decided to sell cutlets through her company Sukee’s Kitchen.
“I was also inspired by my husband who has a distaste for all things seafood but he would happily gobble up my tuna cutlets.”
With apron and kitchen gloves on the ready, Vasukee got down to business. She started with traditional fish cutlets since she cooks mostly South Indian food and was confident of the recipe and the flavours.
Later, she began cooking up batches of chicken, mutton and vegetable cutlets as well.
But if your stomach can’t tolerate the heat of South Indian spices, fret not, as non-spicy options are also available.
She began developing the cutlets in July and was ready to put them on sale in August. Before long, customers were clamouring for her cutlets.
She soon realised her cutlets were not only a hit at high-teas and birthdays, but also during Chinese New Year, of all festivals!
“Each box comes with a dozen frozen cutlets and they can be kept up to a month in a freezer.
“I can guarantee that each cutlet is prepared fresh so if you’re placing an order on Friday, rest assured I’ll be in the kitchen on Thursday with my hands deep in meat, eggs and breadcrumbs,” grins Vasukee, adding that she even makes her own breadcrumbs to coat the cutlets with.
“But I do face challenges when customers place bulk orders, like say, for 20 dozen cutlets. That’s when I’ll be stuck in the kitchen from morning to night.
“But it’s worth it to read the rave reviews. I’ve even got regular customers,” she said, recounting how one customer orders 80-100 cutlets every week to be delivered directly to a school.
“Thankfully most of my customers know I’m an airline crew and for now I’ve got a lot of time on my hands, so it’s okay. But once flying becomes more regular, I’ll definitely have to try to manage my work and my cutlet business better.”
Vasukee is currently in the process of launching new, exciting flavours like prawn and crab for die-hard seafood lovers, palak paneer for vegans and cheese for vegetarians.
“Imagine a freshly fried cheese cutlet. A bite into it and you’ll experience that signature delicious long-cheese pull,” giggles Vasukee excitedly.
All this cutlet talk got you wanting to sink your teeth into one? Check out Sukee’s Kitchen Instagram page or WhatsApp her at 019-3083422 to place your orders.