Patates köftesi (Cypriot meat and potato kofta)

Patates köftesi are a family favourite. Each fried kofta is packed full of spice and flavour, with a crispy outer shell and a soft, comforting centre. Pronounced 'pah-tah-tess keuf-teh-see', they're perfect served with freshly prepared fasulye salatası (white bean salad) or chips (made with Cyprus potatoes) and salad.

The dried oregano in the patates köftesi combines with cumin and black pepper to create a warm, earthy depth. A touch of ground cinnamon adds a subtle sweetness that beautifully complements the onion, parsley, and meat.

You can make patates köftesi with minced beef, or use a 50:50 mix of beef and lamb for a richer flavour and softer texture - we prefer the latter, but the choice is yours. When adding whole cumin seeds, rub them firmly between the palms of your hands to release their aroma - it really makes a difference.

Squeeze the grated potato through a fine-mesh sieve to remove as much liquid as possible. This helps prevent the mixture from becoming too moist and difficult to shape or fry. We’ve suggested an amount of breadcrumbs to absorb excess moisture, but this will depend on how wet your ingredients are - use your judgement and add more if needed.

Traditionally, patates köftesi are gently shaped into small ovals or 'lemon shapes', but you can also make them into round balls depending on how you plan to serve them - just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Wetting your palms with a little water can make shaping patates köftesi easier as it prevents the mix from sticking to your hands, but be careful not to overly wet them as it makes frying harder.

Makes 40-50 (serves 5-6 as a side) | Preparation time: 30 to 40 minutes | Cooking time: 30 to 40 minutes

Ingredients

500g beef mince (or 50:50 beef and lamb mince for a richer flavour and softer köfte)	​550g Cyprus potatoes (or other waxy variety), peeled and finely grated
​1 medium onion, finely chopped	​50g parsley, finely chopped
​100g breadcrumbs	​1 large egg
​1 tsp salt, or as desired	​1 tsp ground black pepper
​¼ tsp ground cumin	​½ tsp dried oregano
​¼ tsp whole cumin seeds, rubbed firmly between your hands to release the flavour	​¼ tsp ground cinnamon
​Sunflower oil, for frying

Hob heat settings

Method

Patates köftesi mix

1. After grating the potato, use a fine-mesh sieve to squeeze out as much juice and excess moisture as possible.

   
   

2. Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and knead together well to make a smooth 'dough'.

Shaping patates köftesi

Watch the video to learn how to shape patates köftesi.

1. Take 1 tbsp of the mixture and gently press it together in the palm of your hands, rubbing gently back and forth to create a 5-6cm smooth lemon-shaped köfte. Repeat until you make them all.

Frying patates köftesi

Watch the video to see how fried patates köftesi looks when ready.

1. In a large deep frying pan, add enough sunflower oil until it is 1-2cm deep and place on a high heat. To check if the oil is ready, dip the end of a wooden spoon into it - if small bubbles form around the wood, the oil is hot enough for frying. Once hot, shallow fry the köfte in batches, turning over gently every 1 to 2 minutes using a fork or tongs until brown and crispy all over and cooked through (they will take around 5-10 minutes to cook). Drain off as much oil as you can when you remove the cooked patates köftesi from the pan, before placing them in a large oven dish lined with paper kitchen towels to absorb the excess oil.

   
   

2. Serve with fresh Cyprus potato chips and a salad of your choice. You can also serve patates köftesi with salad in pitta breads like a kebab, or a bean salad like fasulye salatası.