Patates köftesi are a family favourite. Each fried meatball is packed full of spice and flavour, with a crispy outer shell and a comforting, soft centre. Pronounced 'pah-tah-tess keuf-teh-see', they are perfect served with freshly prepared fasulye salatası (cannellini bean salad) or Cyprus potato chips and salad.
The dried oregano in the meatballs works together with the cumin and ground black pepper to add a warm, earthy depth. The addition of ground cinnamon is subtle but adds sweetness that complements the onion, parsley and meat.
You can make patates köftesi with minced beef, or a 50:50 mix between minced beef and lamb for a richer flavour and softer texture - we prefer the latter, but the choice is yours. When adding the whole cumin, you would need to rub them firmly between the palms of your hands to release the flavour - it makes a difference.
You will need to squeeze the grated potato using a fine mesh sieve to get as much of the juice out as possible. This prevents the patates köftesi from becoming overly moist and hard to work with when shaping and frying. We have recommended an amount of breadcrumbs to add to absorb excess moisture, but this will depend on the wet ingredients - please use your judgment on whether more breadcrumbs are needed.
Also, the meatballs are traditionally lemon-shaped but you may wish to make round balls depending on how you serve them. Just be sure to adjust cooking times accordingly.
Makes 40-50 (serves 5-6 as a side) | Preparation time: 30 to 40 minutes | Cooking time: 30 to 40 minutes
Ingredients
500g beef mince (or 50:50 beef and lamb mince for a richer flavour and softer köfte) | 550g Cyprus potatoes (or other waxy variety), peeled and finely grated |
1 medium onion, finely chopped | 30g parsley, finely chopped |
100g breadcrumbs | 1 large egg |
1 tsp salt, or as desired | 1 tsp ground black pepper |
¼ tsp ground cumin | ½ tsp dried oregano |
¼ tsp whole cumin seeds, rubbed firmly between your hands to release the flavour | ¼ tsp ground cinnamon |
Sunflower oil, for frying |
Hob heat settings
Method
After grating the potato, use a fine-mesh sieve to squeeze out as much juice and excess moisture as possible.
Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and knead together well to make a smooth 'dough'.
Take 1 tbsp of the mixture and gently press it together in the palm of your hands, rubbing gently back and forth to create a 5-6cm smooth lemon-shaped köfte. Repeat until you make them all.
In a large deep frying pan, add enough sunflower oil until it is 1-2cm deep and place on a high heat. Once hot, shallow fry the köfte in batches, turning over gently every 1 to 2 minutes using a fork or tongs until brown and crispy all over and cooked through (they will take around 5-10 minutes to cook). Drain off as much oil as you can when you remove the cooked patates köftesi from the pan, before placing them in a large oven dish lined with paper kitchen towels to absorb the excess oil.
Serve with fresh Cyprus potato chips and a salad of your choice. You can also serve patates köftesi with salad in pitta breads like a kebab, or a bean salad like fasulye salatası.