The beef filling is simple, spiced with cumin and coriander, and tastes amazing on its own. The potato layer is pillowy and soft, a texture that works beautifully against that outer crust. Make a double batch and freeze these up for a quick lunch or dinner—they taste amazing with a dollop of spicy ketchup.
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 2–3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground garam masala
- 4–5 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon minced ginger
- 1–2 green chilies (Thai or serrano), minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon fresh mint, finely chopped
- 1½ tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
For the Potato
- 3½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into a medium dice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 squeeze lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
For the Breading
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- Canola oil, for frying
How to Make It
- Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the oil and the ground beef and sear for about 3 minutes. You want to brown up the meat. Break it up with a wooden spoon and sauté for another 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the ground spices, garlic, ginger, chilies, and onion, and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. The liquid from the beef and the vegetables should release a bit—you want this to simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove to a separate bowl using a slotted spoon, mix in the fresh herbs, adjust seasoning to taste, and set aside.
- Add diced potatoes and water to cover them to a medium pot. Bring up to a boil, season generously, and boil until potatoes are fork tender. Strain the potatoes and then pass them through a ricer or use a potato masher to mash them. Add the butter, lemon juice, and cilantro, and then season generously to taste.
- Now, form the patties. Start with a ¼-cup dry measuring cup and scoop out measured amounts of the potato onto a parchment-lined baking sheet until all of the potato is finished. Then, take one (¼-cup) round of potato and flatten it with your palm. Add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the ground beef mixture and top with another (¼-cup) round of the potato. Carefully seal the edges and mold with your hands to form a patty. The potato will be very soft, so you should work it gently. Continue until all of the potato and beef mixture is used up.
- Set up a breading station with the flour, beaten eggs, and bread crumbs in separate bowls. Dip each patty first in the flour, shaking off the excess, then in the egg, and finally in the bread crumbs. Repeat until all are breaded.
- Heat a large sauté pan with high sides over medium-high heat. Add oil until it reaches about 1" deep so you can shallow-fry the patties. When the oil is hot, carefully add the patties and fry for about 2 minutes per side, just to brown them. Work in batches if the pan isn’t big enough.
- Serve hot with a side of spicy ketchup.
