Do you know what this dish is called and where it originated?!
Answers: It's basically seasoned ground beef that also has boiled potatos mashed and mixed in it... Then it's rolled into medium sized balls and then fried.
It's a generic Middle Eastern recipe known as kofta (or kofte or kefta, kefte....).
The potatoes are actually used as a filler, traditionally the recipe calls for mostly meat (90% meat to 10% potatoes). Many recipes make this dish with ground lamb as well.
It sounds like a food made in Iraq. One of my Iraqi friends fixed a food like that for me once. It was very tasty.
sounds good
Desi Chef understands this cooking. Technically it shouldn't have potatoes in 'kafta/kofta'. It generally has ground meat, onions, parsley, and spices and not always fried (but can be).
I'll send you a couple of links that might help you see if that is exactly what you had.
It is Middle-Eastern food (Arabic) and many other countries have adopted it (such as Persia, Greece, etc)
Baked kafta recipe
Recipe ingredients:
1 kg, 32 oz, ground meat
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 kg, 32 oz, potatoes, peeled and sliced, medium size
Fried round eggplant slices
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 kg, 32 oz, tomatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup (clarified) butter
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons pomegranate thickened juice
1 cup water
Recipe method:
Process minced onion and ground meat in a food processor.
Knead meat and onion with parsley, spices and salt.
Process meat mixture another time in food processor until smooth.
Grease an oven tray, diameter 30 cm.
First way:
Knead meat mixture another time.
Divide meat mixture into balls, as desired, or shape into fingers.
Fry in butter until golden.
Arrange in the tray.
Second way:
Spread meat mixture evenly in a greased tray using the palm of your hands.
Bake in a moderate heat oven for 7 minutes or until kafta is golden.
Fry potatoes in oil until nearly cooked.
Arrange onions, eggplant and potatoes over the meat in the tray.
Top with tomato slices. Pour 1 cup of water. Sprinkle salt.
Cover and return to oven until kafta is cooked for about 20 minutes.
Serve hot accompanied with salads.
sounds like papas rellenos..mashed potatoes..cooled...take a ball of potatoes in your hand....press beef into the middle the wrap potatoes around the meat..dip them in flour..then egg wash..then bread crumbs...fry in about an inch ofoil till golden brown...then turn and fry other side..i like them dippedin a cheese sauce!..some say from Puerto Rico...some say Cuba...but definately latin!