Recipe by:    Fae’s Twist & Tango   (fae-magazine.com)

INGREDIENTS

•   340 g/ 12 oz/ 1 medium-large potato
•   340 g/ 12 oz/ 1 large carrot  (not authentic ingredient)
•   340 g/ 12 oz/ 1 large onion, minced -or- 2 Tbsp caramelized onion
•   454 g/ 1 lb lean ground beef
•   3  Tbsp  parsley,  finely chopped (not authentic ingredient)
•   1 tsp ground turmeric
•   ½ ~ ¾  tsp salt
•   ¼ tsp ground black pepper
•   ½  tsp ground cinnamon or advieh [1]  (either is optional, but adds fine taste & aroma!)
•   2  large eggs
•   1 cup  breadcrumbs,  plain or Italian-seasoned (coating may be skipped, if the meat mixture is solid and use of less oil is preferred)

•   vegetable oil for frying

[1]   There are varieties of advieh (Persian spice mix) available on-line or at the Persian specialty markets. The mix used for this recipe is a special blend by ZozoBaking.com.  Ingredients:  rose petals, black & white cumin, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom nutmeg.

DIRECTIONS

◊  To save cooking time, peel the potato and carrot, cut each into four large pieces and boil them in a saucepan until a thin knife can go through. Don’t overcook, better parboiled than soggy. Drain well and let cool. Grate them finely in a large bowl (potato may be mashed ‘smooth’, no lumps, and only carrot grated).

◊  While grating/mashing potato and carrot…  In a large skillet, on medium heat, heat 3 Tbsp oil.  Sauté minced onion until starts caramelizing on the edges.  Scoop/drain out the sautéed onions and add to the large bowl. Set aside to cool completely (better if chilled  in the refrigerator). Leave the skillet as is with the remainder of the oil, it will be used later.

◊  Preparation for frying:  Cover the counter space next to the burner with a large piece of plastic wrap.  This is where formed patties will be placed before frying.  Line a large heat-resistant platter with paper-towel and set next to the burner.  Pour breadcrumbs at one corner of the counter lined with plastic-wrap or in a plate.

◊  To the chilled potato mix, add  ground beef, parsley, turmeric, salt, pepper, (cinnamon or advieh)  and eggs.
At this point, I strongly recommend….. before kneading the mixture, wear  medical-exam gloves  to keep your nails/cuticles from turning yellow, due to the turmeric (if you don’t, it will wash off after a few washes, of course).  Knead the mixture for at least 3 ~ 4 minutes. (This is the secret to avoid patties falling apart in the oil while frying).

◊  Dampen your hands/gloves with water and take a lump, size of a large egg, from the meat mixture. Roll between your palms for 10 seconds to form a firm ball.  On your palm, flatten the ball into a pear shape, approximately  12cm x 7cm  /4.5″x2.5″ (shrinks a bit after frying),  a perfect shape for placing them in the skillet (see photos below).

◊  Place formed patty on the breadcrumbs and cover it lightly with breadcrumbs  and lay it on the covered counter. (Note: Photo on the top is of kotlets fried without breadcrumbs. The two photos below are kotlets prepared with breadcrumbs).

◊  Add  ½ ~ ¾ cup (5m / ¼” deep)  oil to the skillet (more may be needed as frying).  Heat on medium.

◊  When the oil is hot, start putting in the patties in without over crowding.  It is wise to turn on the exhaust fan.  Fry one side for about 4 ~ 5 minutes, until a brown crust forms. Then flip and fry the other side for about 3 minutes or so. Put the fried patties on a plate lined with paper-towel to drain excess oil. (Note: Before placing the 2nd or 3rd batch in the oil, using fine mesh skimmer, scoop out any burning breadcrumbs/particles out of oil.

◊  Serve with grilled tomatoes and Persian rice!

◊  Kotlet also makes great sandwich meat with sliced tomatoes, pickled cucumbers (in brine), mayo and Dijon mustard.

~    Noushe jan!   •   نوش جان     ~