Flavors: Batata Chab (Potato Chops)

The Bengalis are famous for their “chops,” or potato croquets eaten as snacks with tea. 

These perfect orange potato cakes are delicious and filling. In the Gulf, they go by the Arabized name batata chab, and in our family they were unfailingly dished up by my aunt as a snack when family and friends came around for afternoon tea and at my dad’s weekly diwaniya.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then fry the onion and meat. Halfway through, add the garlic. When the meat is cooked, set it aside. 

Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling water until very tender (15-20 minutes, depending on the variety). Transfer them to a bowl and mash with a fork. In another pan of boiling water, slightly overcook the rice until soft and sticky. 

Combine the potatoes with the rice and add the turmeric. Season to taste. Blend the ingredients together either by hand or with a potato masher until the mixture is smooth. 

Take up egg-sized portions of the potato mixture in the palm of your hand. Flatten out against the curve of your palm and fill with half a teaspoon of the meat. Gently fold the potato over and around the meat into a round patty. The meat should be enclosed. 

Dip the potato cakes into the beaten eggs, then coat with breadcrumbs. Fry in hot oil in batches until they are evenly brown. Drain on paper towels. 

Best eaten warm as a snack with sweet black tea or dipped in daqous, a Kuwaiti tomato sauce.

Reprinted with permission from:
Cardamom and Lime: Recipes From the Arabian Gulf by Sarah al-Hamad.
Interlink Books, 2008. InterlinkBooks.com.