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Goan Beef Potato chops

As a child, I used to love when Mom made these savory and delicious mashed potatoes stuffed with spicy ground beef.  It is pretty labor intensive I’ll have to say, but oh so satisfying.  Call it what you will, potato cutlets, patties, potato chops, stuffed mashed potatoes, but they are definitely something you’d want to repeat again and again.  I’ve seen other versions of this same dish in cuisines around the world.  This Goan version is popular in Goa;  Goa is the smallest state on India’s west coast.  Renowned for its beaches and Portuguese influences, Goan cuisine is a blend of Portuguese and Indian flavors.

Basically the ground  beef is cooked ahead of time.  To flavor the ground beef, first, fry up some onions, with fresh ginger and garlic.  You then add the masala and let it cook for a while. While this is being done, peel, and boil the potatoes till ready to be mashed.  This time, I took a short cut and used a ready made Goan green masala paste called cafreal which is basically a blend of spices, with the main dark green ingredient being cilantro (coriander), this is mixed with green chilli, ginger, garlic, cloves and ground in coconut vinegar.  Normally I blend my own green masala paste it is slightly different from the cafreal masala.    The actual cafreal masala is very popular with chicken, the chicken is marinated in these rich spices for a day or so and either pan fried or grilled.  The result is a tender fall-off-the-bone chicken that you can’t get enough of.  The cafreal masala paste can be used on other dishes too like shepherds pie, roast beef, curries, or these scrumptious potato chops.  Make sure the cooked ground meat and the potatoes are cool before assembling and do ensure that the meat is pretty dry, otherwise it would be pretty hard to bring together.

Cafreal Masala

Cafreal Masala

Mash the potato and create a small indentation, add the meat, then cover the top very carefully.

Mash the potato and create a small indentation, add the meat, then cover the top very carefully

Dip in beaten egg, cover in breadcrumbs and pan fry.

Dip in an egg wash, cover in breadcrumbs and pan fry.

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There you have it, golden brown on the outside, cooked to perfection on the inside.

Eat as a main meal with Ketchup or Tabasco sauce, or as a side with some rice and curry.  I’m bringing these to Angie’s Fiesta Friday #82.  Our wonderful co-hosts  Kaila @ GF Life 24/7 and Sarah @ Sarah’s Little Kitchen will be there to welcome us all.  Happy Fiesta Friday. 

57 comments

  1. Loretta, I cannot stop drooling! These chops are outstanding! My mom made kheema patties like these with ground goat meat and it reminded me of that yummy flavor! I like your idea of using the Kafreal masala! The pictures are amazing….I feel like i can just grab one right off that plate….but I could not stop at one….so may be a few!

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  5. This looks delicious Loretta.They look so even in shape and color. Very nice pics. My mom-in-law makes it with lamb mince. I will try your recipe. I wonder where I can get hold of the Cafreal masala. I will try buying online.

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    1. Thanks Ana, they are a tad fussy to get them all the same shape, but somehow they didn’t turn out too bad. Would love it with lamb mince too. My sister who was visiting me from England brought that for me, I think she somebody send it to her from Goa. But you can buy the cafreal masala and other masalas from a Goan blogger buddie called Nandini from Goa Imports. She runs a great blog too with a ton of Goan recipes.. I’ve bought some of the masalas from her, she lives in California. Here’s her website – also click on her blog for recipes.
      http://www.goanimports.com/Gourmet_Goan_Spices_s/1514.htm

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  6. These sound really delicious Loretta! How nice your sister would gift you with Goan spices! I thought I was reading a post from Nandini you had reblogged at first. Very exotic! Did your mom also cook with Goan spices? I think the patties look perfectly executed!

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    1. Thanks Johanne. Yes my parents cooked with Goan spices, they hailed from Goa before emigrating to Kenya. I happened upon Nandin’s site through the blog, she does feature a lot of Goan dishes, and I’ve actually ordered some of the spices from her.

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  7. A labor intensive recipe is often worth it and I am sure after reading your recipe and loving your pictures I would enjoy them too. Now, I just wish I had one or two to try! I’ve had something called Bierocks while out west on a vacation and they were very similar. I would love these with lamb 🙂

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    1. Thanks Judi, you are right about the labor intensive part :). Amazing how there are so many variations to this dish. Lamb would taste lovely too. Thanks for stopping 🙂

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  8. You got my mouth watering and motivated to make them again Loretta. I am sure the addition of cafreal masala was equally delicious. If you make pork chops use cafreal masala as a marinade. They come out really good. Regards and Take Care 🙂

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    1. Yes, I have tried using cafreal with pork, (the other white meat), it turns out great. A couple of folks have wanted to know where they could get the cafreal masala, so I’ve sent them your way :). Thanks for the visit Nandini.

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  16. I just adore the golden brown color on the outside of your chops! I’ve never heard of this dish before, but it’s something that I would certainly like to try sometime.

    Thank you so much for bringing these to the fiesta this week! Happy FF, and have a fabulous weekend!! 🙂

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    1. Thank you Kaila, like I mentioned there’s variations to this particular dish. Mine originated from Goa on the west coast of India. Thanks for co-hosting this week 🙂

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    1. Thanks Indu. Yes potato chops are a Goan favorite as is the cafreal masala. I have a blogger friend who actually imports these from Goa and sells them on her site here in the US. I’ve ordered from her before, but this particular packet came from my sister who was visiting me from England, I think someone had brought it for her from Goa.

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    1. Thanks Shari, we call them potato chops, strange it isn’t a chop though eh? :). But essentially that is what they are, stuffed mashed potatoes, and they are a speciality of the Goans. Thanks for stopping by and the follow. 🙂

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    1. Ha ha, thanks….I’m just cleaning up my Ward’s Island post and will have it up by the end of the week. Of course not as many lush gardens there this time of the year, but it was a wonderful experience all the same.

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