Crispy pan-fried Persian ground beef and potato patties rolled in flatbread with fresh herbs and pickles for a satisfying lunch wrap.
Kotlet is a beloved Persian home-cooking staple, flat patties made from a mix of ground beef, mashed potato, onion and turmeric, pan-fried until deeply golden and crisp on both sides. Unlike a plain hamburger patty, kotlet's potato content gives it a slightly softer, more tender interior, while a coating of egg and sometimes breadcrumbs before frying creates a distinctly crisp exterior shell. Wrapped in lavash with fresh herbs, pickled cucumbers and a bit of yogurt sauce, kotlet becomes a filling, portable lunch, the crispy patty holding its texture well even after being rolled into a wrap.
Serves 4
Combine ground beef, mashed potato, grated onion, one egg, turmeric, salt and pepper into a smooth, cohesive mixture.
Shape the mixture into thin, flat oval patties, about 1/2 inch thick.
Dip each patty in the second beaten egg.
Heat oil in a skillet and fry the patties 4-5 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through.
Flatten the patties thin, since kotlet is traditionally cooked as a wide, flat cake rather than a thick burger patty.
Warm the lavash briefly on a dry skillet.
Spread a bit of yogurt on the lavash, layer with a patty (whole or crumbled), pickles and fresh herbs.
Roll tightly and serve immediately.
Squeeze the grated onion very dry before mixing it into the patty base, or the mixture will be too wet to hold its shape.
Shape the patties thin and wide rather than thick — this is traditional and helps them cook through evenly and develop a crisp crust.
Fry at a steady medium heat; too hot and the outside burns before the potato-beef mixture cooks through.
Some versions add a bit of breadcrumbs to the mixture for extra structure.
Chicken can replace beef for a lighter kotlet.
Serving the patties on their own with rice and a salad, rather than in a wrap, is the more traditional presentation.
Refrigerate cooked patties up to 3 days; reheat in a dry skillet to re-crisp rather than microwaving, which softens the crust.
Kotlet reflects a broader Persian adaptation of European-style cutlets, incorporated into Iranian home cooking over the past century and now considered a comforting, everyday family dish found in nearly every household's repertoire.
Yes, bake at 200C/400F for about 20 minutes, flipping once, though the texture will be less crisp than pan-fried.
The mixture likely needed more egg to bind it, or the potato wasn't well mashed — make sure everything is thoroughly combined into a cohesive mixture.
It may have been overmixed, or too little potato was used relative to the beef — potato is what gives kotlet its characteristic soft interior.
Per serving (320g / 11.3 oz) · 4 servings total
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