Lamb and potato rissoles (kotlet-e gousht)

Ingredients

• 2 (about 400 g) sebago potatoes
• 500 g minced lamb
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• breadcrumbs, to coat
• 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable oil, plus 2 tbsp extra
• 3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
• chopped parsley, flatbread and torshi (pickles) (see Note), to serve

Instructions

Place potatoes in a saucepan of salted water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 40 minutes or until tender. Drain and when cool enough to handle, peel, then grate. Place in a large bowl with minced lamb, onion, eggs, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric and 1 tsp each of salt and pepper. Using your hands, knead mixture for 5 minutes or until well combined and smooth.

Using damp hands, form mixture into 18 egg-sized balls. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl, coat each lamb rissole in the crumbs and flatten until 1.5 cm thick. Place rissoles on a plate and set aside.

Heat the extra 2 tbsp oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add tomatoes, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until tomatoes have softened. Season and set aside.

Place 250 ml oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Cook rissoles, in batches, for 4 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel. Scatter with chopped parsley and serve immediately with the tomato sauce, flatbread and torshi.

Note

• Torshi are Iranian pickles that are available from Middle Eastern food shops.

Photography by John Laurie.

As seen in Feast Magazine, Issue 12, pg100.