M’battan Libyan Meat Stuffed Potatoes

Mbatan batata is a Libyan dish consisting of fried potato wedges that are stuffed with a combination of flavorful ingredients.

The filling typically consists of ground meat (beef or lamb), onions, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, chile peppers, eggs, and butter.

This tasty dish is usually served as an appetizer, and it is especially popular during Ramadan.

Although some like to drizzle a spicy tomato sauce over the potatoes before frying, they are much lighter and crispier when fried plain.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

4 medium size potatoes

Vegetable oil

For Meat Stuffing:

500g minced beef or lamb

1 finely chopped medium onion

2 cups finely chopped parsley

1 finely grated garlic cloves

1 finely chopped chilli pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon black pepper ,cinnamon, ginger

1 tablespoon salt

1 beaten egg

2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup boiling water

For Coating:

4 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs

4 tablespoons white flour

2 large beaten eggs

DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE M’BATTAN LIBYAN MEAT STUFFED POTATOES

Meat Stuffing:

Over a medium heat, place 2 tablespoons butter in the frying pan, add the minced meat. Stir occasionally until it releases its own liquid. When the minced meat has dried, add 1 cup of boiling water, the chopped onion, all the spices and cook for 20 minutes.

Reduce the heat, add the chopped parsley. Uncover and cook for another 10 minutes until the excess liquid evaporates. Remove from the heat, add the beaten egg and 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs and set aside.

Cutting the potato:

Cut a thin slice widthways which stops three quarters of the way down. Then cut the second slice the whole way, so you end up with a potato slice which opens like a sandwich. Place the sliced potatoes in water.

Mix breadcrumbs and flour in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the two eggs and set aside.

Open the wedge and fill it with the mixture, pressing in firmly with your finger along the exposed edges.There should be no gaps, and the sandwich should not be too full either.

Take the filled wedge, holding it from the joined end, and cover just the filling with the breadcrumbs and flour mix.

Once you have dipped each mubattan piece in flour, set them aside on a plate until you are ready to fry them.

Frying Mubattan:

Dip each one in egg.

Place the mubattan in a deep frying pan, and fry on medium-high heat until golden brown. Crowd as many pieces into the frying pan as possible to keep the oil from overheating so the potatoes have time to cook through.

Remove the mubattan when golden brown, place them on tissues and drain excess oil.

HERE ARE MORE RECIPES YOU CAN ENJOY TOO

MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE,BUT BY EVERY WORD(JESUS) THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.kjv