Assyrian Potato Chap

I can’t think of a more beloved snack food in Iraqi Assyrian cuisine than the Potato Chap… that’s “chap” NOT “chop,” by the by. It can be a quick snack, a perfect party appetizer or a full on entrée if you want it to be; It can be anything your heart desires. And, as common place as it is in Assyrian, Iraqi and other Middle Eastern households, it’s actually an Anglo-Indian gift to many households around East Asian geography.

Are there differences? Yes! Most notably, the Indian version of the Chap is an earthier, spicier version than that of it’s Iraqi counterpart. Iraqi style has a simple, yet equally delicious flavor profile mostly consisting of two major components - a lightly spiced potato shell and a minced meat filling seasoned with salt, pepper, Seven Spices and garnished heavily with parsley.

The basics of the potato chap are pretty easy to make. So…What’s so hard about potatoes and ground beef, right? The problem, for most, seems to be constructing the chap and keeping it from falling apart in the cooking process. Have no fear! I am here to help you SUCCESSFULLY create a Potato Chap worthy of all its adoration.

Successful Steps in Achieving the perfect Potato Chap

The Potato Shell - What you Should Know

The hardest part to achieving a perfectly crispy outer shell is binding the potato to itself. With the help of a little cornstarch and an egg you can’t really go wrong. The only tips you need

• boiling the potatoes with the skin on gives your chop that extra potato flavor

• keep kneading the potato mixture until a dough-like consistency is achieved

• chill the mixture long enough so it hardens a bit and it won’t fall apart during frying. (about 1 hour in the fridge or 15 min in the freezer

The Filling

• use lean, grass fed meat to avoid having to drain your mixture of excess fat

Bonus - these go great in an airfryer!

Feel free to watch the video step by step located at the bottom of this post!

See Video for a How-To Step by Step! Scroll to the bottom!

Recipe - Assyrian Potato Chap (Chop)

Ingredients:

For the Potato Shell

2 lbs Russet potatoes - washed thoroughly and boiled with skins on

1 egg

2.5 tbs cornstarch

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp turmeric

For the Filling

2-3 tbs oil

1 lb ground beef or lamb or a combo

1 small onion finely diced

1/2 bunch or 1/2 cup finely diced parsley

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1-2 tsp baharat (Seven Spices)

*Oil for frying

Method

Step 1: Boil your potatoes with the skin on until tender. You may score them to make peeling easier. Drain and Cool Slightly.

Step 2: While your potatoes are boiling, make the filling. In a large saute pan heat 2 tbs oil. Saute onions until transluscent and scoot them to the side of the pan. Add 1 more tbs of oil if necessary and add your ground beef. Begin breaking it up and break it up well into a crumbly texture. Once meat is no longer pink, incorporate onions, season to taste with salt and pepper and 1-2 tsp of baharat spices. Turn off the heat and add parsley. Combine well and set aside to cool.

Step 3: Once potatoes have cooled, peel skins and discard them. Break potatoes apart into large chunks. Add salt, pepper, turmeric and paprika and combine well. Feed potatoes through a ricer or sieve and place in a large bowl. Add cornstarch and egg and begin gently kneading the mixture until a doug-like consistency is achieved and potato mixture is no longer sticking to your fingers when pressed into a ball. Set aside.

Step 4: Set aside a small bowl of water and prep your area to begin making the chops. Have your potato mixture and meat filling side by side with a large sheet tray lined with parchment paper to place your formed potato chop. Begin with wetting your hands lightly. Scoop about a 1/4 cup of the potato into your palm and press the potato flat into your palm creating a disk with a small well in the middle. Scoop about a heaping tablespoon of the meat filling into the well of the potato. Making sure there is no meat filling on the outer edges of the potato begin gently folding the disk in half and pinch the seams together. Once the seams are sealed begin forming the potato chop into a disk by gently pressing and rotating the disk between your palms. Repeat this process until all your potato mix and meat mixture have been formed into chaps.

Step 5: Place formed potato chops on a parchment lined tray and chill for at least an hour or freeze for at about 20 minutes. *freeze for future use and put in an airtight container or bag.

Step 6: Once chops have chilled, preheat a skillet with about 1.5 inches of high heat oil such as avocado oil, peanut oil or another neutral high point oil to about 350F. Once oil has heated carefully drop the potato chops in being careful not to crowd your pan. Fry about 4 minutes on each side or until deeply gold and carefully flip and cook another 3-4 minutes.

Step 7: Remove chops from oil and drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Step 8: Serve warm and with a spicy ketchup, salad and other accompaniments of your choice!