Prawn Potato Chops

Prawn Potato Chops are fried potato dumplings which are stuffed with a prawn filling. Potato chops are made with chicken, prawns, minced meat, canned meat and even with vegetables. Though they are a bit tedious to make, the good part is that they can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. They, then need to be fried before serving. They are a good quick snack by themselves or with some ketchup (for a homemade hot & sweet ketchup, click here). They can also be tucked in pao (bread – click here) and eaten as a replacement for a full meal. (For more potato chop recipes, click here)

Yield: 7 to 8 Chops

Prep. Time: 50 to 60 Mins.

Frying: 15 Mins.

Part 1 – Preparing the Prawn Filling:

[ Standard Measure: 1 cup = 250 ml ]

• Prawns (tiny/small, cleaned & deveined) – ½ cup
• Onions – 4 to 5 medium sized
• Tomato (chopped) – 1 medium
• Capsicum (chopped) – 1 medium
• Light Green Chillies (chopped) – 2 to 3
• Garlic – 2 cloves
• Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp.
• Sugar – ½ tsp. or to taste
• Oil – 2 tbsp.
• Salt – 1 tsp.

Step 1:     Apply ½ tsp. salt to the cleaned prawns and leave aside. Peel and halve the onion. Chop the onion halves as shown in the picture.

Step 2:     Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion, garlic and green chillies on medium heat till the onions turn soft.

Step 3:     Add the capsicum and sauté for a minute. Then add the turmeric and sauté for another 30 seconds.

Step 4:     Next add the tomatoes and sauté till soft on low heat.

Step 5:     Add the prawns and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the sugar, ½ tsp. salt and cook covered for 4 to 5 minutes. Then open the lid and continue cooking till most of the moisture dries out. Keep aside.

Part 2 – Preparing the Potato Mash:

• Potatoes – 500 gms
• Butter (salted) – 1 tsp.
• Salt – 1 tsp. or to taste

Step 6:     Wash the potatoes well to remove any dirt. Place them in a pressure cooker. Put in enough water and pressure cook on high for 3 whistles. Then lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes more (depending on the size of the potatoes). Open the lid of the pressure cooker and check if the potatoes are done by piercing with a knife in the center / core. The potatoes must be cooked but should not crack open (if they crack water will enter and the potatoes will become soggy).

Step 7:     When the pressure has dropped, open the lid of the pressure cooker and take the potatoes out. Place on a clean towel / cloth so that all extra moisture is absorbed. Then peel them whilst still hot / warm.

Step 8:     Take a cheese / vegetable grater and grate the potatoes whilst still hot / warm. Then knead the grated potatoes with your knuckles so that there are no lumps and a smooth dough / mash is formed.

Step 9:     Add the butter and mix well. While still warm, scoop the mash into equal portions using an ice-cream scoop or similar (scooping / making equal portions whilst still warm is an important step). You should get 7 to 8 portions. Reserve a table spoon of the mash – you may need it in step 10.

Part 3 – Preparing the Potato Chops:

• Egg – 1
• Milk – 1 tbsp.
• Bread Crumbs – ¾ cup or as needed
• Semolina – 1 tbsp.
• Salt – ¼ tsp.
• Oil – for deep frying

Step 10:     Place a portion of the potato mash on your clean palm and shape into a ball. Then flatten it slightly and place 1 tbsp. of the prawn filling (cold & drained filling) in the center of the flattened mash. Then bring the edges together to completely cover the filling and shape it gently into a chop. Do this for all the portions. After you have formed the chops, check if they have any cracked or open parts where the filling can be seen (see the pic below of the formed chops, some open parts are observed). You need to take some mash and fill in all these cracks / gaps before you coat them.

Step 11:     Beat the egg with ¼ tsp. salt and 1 tbsp. milk. Mix the rawa (semolina) and the bread crumbs and spread on a flat plate.

Step 12:     Dip each potato chop in the beaten egg to coat it completely and then coat with the breadcrumb- semolina mixture. Place in a single layer in a container / plate and cover with cling film. Refrigerate for an hour or till you want to fry them.

Step 13:     Heat a generous amount of oil in a kadai / frying pan and deep fry the chops on both sides on medium heat till golden (fry only 2 at a time to maintain temperature). Takes around 2 minutes on each side. Drain and place on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Notes:

• Before you start frying check to see if the oil is hot enough. Drop a few breadcrumbs to check. They will sink to the bottom if the oil is not hot.
• It is important to work with the potatoes when they are hot as they are more pliable.
• Always use aged / old potatoes to make the mash and check to see that the skin does not have the slightest of green colour.
• The potato chops can be shallow fried or deep fried too.