Potato Chops | Goan Minced Meat & Potato Chops

Amongst the popular Goan snacks stands the mighty Potato Chop. Deliciously flavoured ground meat stuffed within a thick envelope of mashed potatoes with a crispy breadcrumb coat—it's, very simply put, lip-smacking yum! It could be a stand-alone snack, or a side, it's really a matter of preference. 

In Goa, yes, these are prepared with ground beef, however, you can choose the minced meat of your choice: chicken, lamb, mutton; of course, the time taken to cook each meat will differ.

Some tips before we head to the recipe:

• The minced meat can be spiced more/less to your liking. I've added the flour (maida) at the end since it helps the bits of meat stick better while assembling (stuffing) the chops.
• Boil the potatoes and then refrigerate them after they've cooled. This results in mashed potatoes that are firmer when manipulated, and not too squishy.
• Grating potatoes leads to an even finer (and better) 'dough' to work with. Using a masher was faster, so I stuck to that.
• My recipe calls for a little butter in the potato paste, which is optional. But, it does add a lot more flavour to the blandness of plain boiled potatoes. I used salted butter and adjusted the added salt accordingly.
• If the breadcrumbs would be better if made from relatively dry bread instead of super-fresh bread. The former will result in finer crumbs and, also, a crisper layer.

Ingredients:

The Minced Meat Stuffing:

Prior Marination:

• 500 grams ground meat
• Juice of 1 whole Lemon
• 1 heaped teaspoon of Salt
• 1 teaspoon of crushed Garlic
• 1 teaspoon of crushed Ginger

To Cook the Meat:

• 1 chopped Tomato
• 2 chopped Onions
• 2-3 chopped Green Chillies
• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• Ground Black Pepper (fine/coarse) as desired
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons of Ketchup
• Fresh, chopped Coriander
• 1 tablespoon of All-Purpose Flour (Maida)
• 2 tablespoons of Oil (for cooking)

The Potato Paste Covering:

• 6 large potatoes (800 grams), boilers and skinned
• 1 tablespoon of Butter (salted)
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt (adjustable)
• Ground Black Pepper as needed (fine/coarse)

For the Crisp Coat:

• 1 whole egg, seasoned with salt and beaten
• Fine breadcrumbs (about a cup)

Method:

For the stuffing:

1. Marinate the ground meat with the lemon juice, salt and crushed garlic and ginger. Set this aside for about 30 minutes.

2. To cook the meat, heat the oil in a pan (or kadai) and sauté the chopped onions till golden brown. Add salt to hasten their cooking. 

3. Add the chopped tomato and chopped green chillies and sauté till softened.

4. Add the spice powders— turmeric, cumin, red chilli and coriander— and mix well. Add the black pepper, as much as desired.

5. Add the marinated meat and mix together. Cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes, checking occasionally. The meat gradually releases its own juices, and cooks in them, hence, there is no need for additional water.

 

6. When the meat is thoroughly cooked, stir in the ketchup and fresh coriander.

7. Finally, sprinkle the flour and mix well. After a minute or so, turn off the heat and allow this to cool.

For the Crisp Potato Covering:

1. Mash together the boiled (and skinned) potatoes and flavor it with the butter, salt and pepper.

2. Beat an egg in a bowl and season with salt for the egg-wash.

3. Spread the breadcrumbs onto a plate/wide-mouth bowl.

Assembling:

1. Moisten your hands with water.

2. Flatten a handful of the mashed potatoes paste upon a palm, excess to the sides.

3. Spoon in some of the minced meat onto the centre.

4. Enclose the stuffing by drawing up the excess and wrapping it all in. Lightly pat it into shape.

5. Dip this chop into the egg-wash, and then coat it with the breadcrumbs. Again, lightly pat it into shape, dropping off the extra crumbs.

1. Fry the chops in a pan heated with sufficient oil (shallow-fry), say, about 2-3 tablespoons for 2 chops at a time. Fry on a medium-high flame till a lovely golden-brown on each side. Tilting the pan could help fry the sides.

These Potato Chops taste best hot, and can be paired with ketchup, mayonnaise or sauces of your choice. It's truly very adaptable (just like potato, which is just awesome!).

Do watch the recipe-video below:

Dev Borem Korum | God Bless You