Fauzia's Kitchen Fun

Bateta Champs/Katlesi

134

Bateta Champs/Katlesi

Also known as Katlesi in Swahili. These mince stuffed potato cutlets are my go-to recipe especially in Ramadhan. Our family are all fans of potatos, and these are the easiest and yummiest combination of keema and potatoes.
Servings 15 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kg white potatoes boil and peel them, then mash them whilst still hot - Midway through mashing them, add the ingredients below
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1-2 tsp. chilli powder you can add, reduce or omit this according to your taste
  • juice of 2 lemons again, add or reduce according to how much lemon/lime you can take
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 1 tbsp. milk Yes! Butter and milk help make the potatoes super yummier! 🙂

Extra Ingredients

  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water or milk
  • 2-3 tbsp gram flour/besan
  • keema for filling recipe link in instructions below
  • oil for frying

Instructions
 

  • Once the potatoes are mashed, taste and adjust accordingly, and then take a handful of the mashed potatoes. Shape it into a flat round, about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thickness and about the size of your palm. Place it on a plate, and take another handful of the potato, make a 2nd round like the first one.
    Now take a generous spoonful of your keema filling, put it in the center of the round in your hand, then take the first round and place it on top to cover. Press using both hands, sealing it all around the edges and smooth it out as much as you can.
    Set aside and proceed with the rest until all are done. You can prepare these earlier in the day, then place them on a tray and cover with cling film and refrigerate until evening so they can be nice and hot in time for iftar.
    When ready to fry, beat an egg with 1 tsp. of milk and a pinch of salt. Take your tray of champs/cutlets, and sprinkle some gram flour all over them. Turn them over and sprinkle gram flour on the other side too. It doesn't have to be much, just enough for the egg to grip with the potato part!
    Now heat a frying pan with some oil. These are normally shallow fried, it's best if the oil comes up to halfway the cutlets. Dip each champ in the beaten egg, turning it over to make sure it's well-covered in egg. (alternatively some people prefer to also coat them with breadcrumbs at this stage, so if you like that then you may do it too! I prefer mine plain and simple) Then carefully put it in your oil. Reduce the oil to medium and, using a spoon, scoop some hot oil from the sides of the pan and splash it gently over the top of the champ/cutlet to seal the top. Once the bottom is done, carefully turn it over and do the other side.
    Remove once both sides are beautiful and golden, then blot on tissues. What I normally do is I wrap each one individually in a kitchen tissue and place them in a tin. This way each gets enough tissue to absorb any excess oil. You can discard the tissues before serving of course, so they look nice and yummy and not unsightly with oily tissue all over them haha.
    Enjoy with chutney and rotis!

Join the Conversation

  1. I really appreciate yr hard working to do a search wonderful
    Job…to all women to cook for their husbands…tabarak Alrahman.
    Thankx again

  2. Made them for Iftar today they were a sure winner
    All off the plate within the batter of an eyelid
    Many thank for your efforts

  3. Hey.. I love you recipes.. 😀
    Hey.. I love you recipes.. :D.. I love these as well but every time I seem to make them they fall apart when frying them and seem to soak up a lot of oil.. Ohh also do u have a you tube page?? 🙂

    1. Hi thanks! Do you peel the
      Hi thanks! Do you peel the potatoes THEN boil them? That would make them absorb a lot of water and therefore the potato mash would be soggy. That is what causes them to scatter in the oil. Boil the potatoes and THEN peel them and mash. 🙂

    2. Hi thanks! Do you peel the
      Hi thanks! Do you peel the potatoes THEN boil them? That would make them absorb a lot of water and therefore the potato mash would be soggy. That is what causes them to scatter in the oil. Boil the potatoes and THEN peel them and mash. 🙂

  4. Yeah I peel them first.. I
    Yeah I peel them first.. I will try that’s next time thanks very much.. 🙂

  5. Hi Fauzia.. thanks for the
    Hi Fauzia.. thanks for the recipe. Is it possible to make them them refrigerate them for later use? If so, how would i do it?

    Many thanks,

    1. Hi, I would recommend not to
      Hi, I would recommend not to refrigerate these for longer than 3-4 days. That too, you will need to fully fry them then wrap them up n refrigerate. Do not freeze them though as that would cause moisture to ooze out of the potatoes when thawing and it will change the taste of the dish.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating