Two States and Beyond

Coconut stuffed potato patties 

Finally, here is my first blog post.  It's been a while since I wanted to start my own food blog, but wasn't sure which recipe to start with.  I've been taking pictures of the food I've been cooking and there is one picture that looks absolutely mouth-watering.  We used to get these patties from a local store in our hometown and my mom told me how to make them, so the credit for the recipe goes to her.

This delicious dish makes a great appetizer.  The method is a little tricky and time consuming but is worth the effort.  When you make the potato mixture, adjust the amount of breadcrumbs, so that the mixture is not too slimy or not too dry.  I dipped the balls in the batter before frying in order to prevent them from falling apart, and the cornstarch gives them a nice crispy layer.  The all-purpose flour can be replaced with chickpea flour, according to your choice.  

I used frozen coconut and green garlic.

Coconut filling:

1/2 cup shredded coconut

2 green chilies, minced

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Mix the above ingredients and set aside.

Potato mixture:

5 medium potatoes

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/3 cup frozen green garlic

1 tbsp. grated ginger

3/4 cup cilantro, chopped 

4 green chilies, minced

2 tbsp. sesame seeds (optional)

1/2 tsp. turmeric

Salt to taste

Boil and mash the potatoes to a smooth consistency.

Add the bread crumbs followed by the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Batter:

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. corn starch

Mix the flour and corn starch and add enough water to make very thin batter, making sure it’s lump-free.

Now, make a decent size ball of the potato mixture and press it down with the back of your palm.  Fill it with about a 1/2-3/4 tbsp. of the coconut filling and close it from all sides.  Roll it back into a ball shape.  Repeat until all the potato mixture is used up.

Now dip them in the batter and fry them in hot oil on medium heat until they are dark red in color.  

Serve Immediately.