Outside Bandra’s churches, at Bandra Fair and in Bandra’s bakeries, you get potato chops that are often stuffed with meat. Last winter, we decided to do our version of it with seasonal purple yam instead of potato. We added peas, deep fried it, and served it with a few sauces.

  • Serves

    5

    Yields 10 pieces

  • Cook Time

    00 h 45 m

Ingredients

  • 1 kg purple yam, peeled
  • 500 gm potato
  • 6 tbsp cornstarch
  • Salt to taste

For Stuffing

  • 1½ cups grated Amul cheese
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 cup fresh toor, lightly crushed
  • 1 cup grated paneer
  • ½ cup chopped coriander
  • ¼ cup oil
  • 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp chopped green chillies
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder

Preparation

  1. Cut the purple yam and potato into small pieces and steam for around 15-20 minutes until tender.
  2. Add salt and cornstarch and mash by hand or in a food processor into a smooth mix. Make sure there are no lumps.
  3. Divide into 10 equal balls. Reserve for later.
  4. In a medium-sized sauté pan, heat oil on medium heat. Toss in the onions and sauté, stirring constantly, until translucent.
  5. Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté further until the raw flavour is gone.
  6. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala. Follow with crushed toor dal and cook until it softens.
  7. Next, lower the heat, add grated paneer and cook to bind the mix.
  8. Fold in chopped coriander and turn off the heat. When it cools down slightly, gently fold in the grated Amul cheese.
  9. Cool for an hour and roll into 10 equal balls.

To Serve

  1. Flatten each ball of yam mash and place a ball of stuffing in the centre. Wrap the mash around the filling, making sure to cover it completely.
  2. In a saucepot, heat oil on medium flame to 180-185°C. Tip in the stuffed balls and fry till golden. Drain on paper towels.
  3. Serve with ketchup or green coriander and chilli chutney.
Written by

Hussain Shahzad

Hussain Shahzad, the Executive Chef at O Pedro, a Goa-inspired restaurant in Mumbai, is Scroll Food’s Chef of the Month for October. He started his career with the Oberoi Group of Hotels in Mumbai, before moving to New York, where he worked at the iconic Eleven Madison Park. His culinary adventures have taken him around the world and included a brief stint as a personal chef to Roger Federer. Before taking the reins at O Pedro, he was a part of the team at the award-winning The Bombay Canteen. A dynamic and bold chef, Hussain’s food philosophy is to showcase local produce using contemporary culinary techniques.

See more by Hussain Shahzad