Persian Lamb Patties (کتلت)

Known as 'kotlet' in Iran, these tender, juicy lamb patties make delicious sandwiches and wraps with salad, pickles and garlic sauce.

The ‘kotlet’ has experienced a resurgence within Persian cuisine in the last few years. Once a retro favourite that originated in Russia, the Persian ‘kotlet’ is a juicy, soft meat patty which combines minced meat - often beef and/or lamb - which is bound with mashed potatoes. The potatoes make an excellent tenderiser and keep the patties pillow-soft and tender, flavoured with just a modest selection of spices. They are often shallow-fried and swaddled in flatbread with sliced tomatoes, pickled gherkins and a good amount of garlic yoghurt to seal the deal. Naturally, they make an excellent packed lunch, party dish or food for the road. Let’s go!

INGREDIENTS (serves 3-4)

• 1x large potato (approximately 200g), large-diced

• 300g minced lamb (or beef or a mixture) - 10-20% fat is ideal

• 1 large egg

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp sugar

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder/granules

• 1/2 tsp onion powder/granules

• 1 tablespoon plain flour - for dusting

GARLIC YOGHURT SAUCE

• 150g Greek yoghurt

• 1x clove garlic, grated

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder/granules

• 1 tsp dried mint

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper.

WALKTHROUGH

1. First, let’s prepare the potato. Place the 200g diced potato into a saucepan of water and bring it to a boil. Simmer the potato until cooked through and knife-tender. Drain the potato and mash it well. Set it aside to cool.

   

2. Meanwhile, prepare the lamb mixture. Into a large mixing bowl, add the 300g lamb mince, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp onion powder. Mix well until the lamb is combined with the flavourings.

   

3. Add the egg and mix until you have a very loose meat mixture.

   

4. Once cooled, add the mashed potato and mix well until you have a soft, smooth meat mixture. The mixture should be quite soft and a little sticky.

   

   

5. Now we’ll shape the mixture into patties. Take handfuls of the meat mixture and lightly coat them in flour. Using a dessertspoon, make an indent in each patty to prevent them swelling too much during cooking. Place them onto a plate until you are ready to cook.

   

6. Before cooking, let’s make the yoghurt sauce. Combine all of the yoghurt sauce ingredients in a small bowl and taste for seasoning. Set this aside until serving.

   

7. To cook the kotlets, place a high-sided frying pan onto medium heat and add cooking oil to fill the pan 1cm deep. Heat the oil until a small piece of the meat mixture bubbles on contact when added.

   

8. Add the patties and fry them on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until well-browned. Once cooked, place them onto a piece of kitchen paper to drain.

   

9. Once drained, you can use the kotlet to make wraps. Place the kotlets onto a tortilla/flatbread with sliced tomato, sliced gherkins and dip them into yoghurt sauce. Enjoy!