Adva Chattler
Managing Director of Engagement and Innovation
During Passover, in my family’s Iraqi kitchen, we always make kubbah. For us, like in other middle eastern kitchens, kubbah is a big deal. It’s not just a food, it’s an art form, and it’s eaten year-round, cooked or fried, with different fillings and wrappings, seasonings, and textures. We normally make kubbah with semolina flour, which, as we know, is not Kosher for Passover.
Luckily, the Iraqi Jews have a workaround – on Passover, we use potatoes instead! We call this version the kubbah patata, potato kubbah. Mashed potatoes are shaped into patties and stuffed with spiced, fragrant ground beef. If you prefer a vegetarian option, like me – you can make a filling of mushrooms, onions, and slivered almonds for extra crunch.
Every Pesakh, My Savta – my Grandma, would whip up these patties for us to nibble on as an appetizer during the seder, along with the Eggs and the Hillel Sandwich. These patties made my Passover so special. As a young girl, I always thought making kubbah patata was such complicated work, but my grandma’s recipe is really not intimidating and is easy to replicate. Best part? Success will come in the form of a warm and delicious new addition to your Pesakh menu.
From my kitchen to yours – Hag Pesakh Sameakh, Happy Passover!
Kubbah Patata Recipe
Ingredients
For the potato patties:
- 5 medium russet potatoes (about 3 lbs)
- ½ tsp salt.
- ½ tsp turmeric.
- 2 egg yolks.
- 1 tbs oil of choice.
- 3 tbsp potato starch (or any other kosher for Passover starch).
For frying:
- One egg, beaten.
- A large skillet.
- Oil for frying – enough to cover your skillet surface to a height of ½ an inch.
For the filling (choose one, or double the ingredients for the potato patties):
Vegetarian option:
- 8 oz white mushrooms, diced.
- 1 large onion, diced.
- 1 tbsp oil (I used EVOO)
- Salt.
- Pepper.
- ½ tsp cinnamon.
- Optional but recommended: handful of slivered almonds.
Meat option:
- 1lb ground beef.
- 1 tbsp oil (I used EVOO)
- 1 large onion, diced.
- 1 tsp cinnamon.
- Salt + pepper, to taste
- Optional but recommended: handful of slivered almonds.
Instructions
Potato patties:
- Peel the potatoes, boil in a pot until soft and cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from the pot to a bowl and let cool completely. Once cold, mash the potatoes.
- Add seasonings, oil, egg yolks and potato starch. Mix until combined and smooth. No need to mash too thin – small pieces of potatoes are okay. If the dough isn’t coming together, add more starch, a spoonful at a time.
- While the potatoes cool, make the filling(s):
Vegetarian filling:
- In a large skillet, heat the oil and add the diced onions and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and sauté on medium heat, stirring occasionally until veggies are soft and all liquids have evaporated, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add cinnamon and slivered onions, stir to incorporate, and cook until spices are fragrant, about one minute more.
- Cool completely before assembling the kubbah.
Meat Filling:
- In a large skillet, heat the oil and add the diced onions. Season with salt + pepper and sauté until soft and translucent, occasionally stirring for 5-10 minutes.
- Add ground beef, season with salt and pepper and sauté until just cooked, about 3 minutes, taking care not to overcook. If there is too much liquid remaining in the pan, use a paper towel to remove.
- Add cinnamon and slivered almonds and cook for another minute or two.
- Cool completely before assembling the kubbah.
Assembly + Frying:
- Using oil spray or a little bowl with oil, get your hands greased to prevent sticking. Take a small amount of the mashed potato mix, and flatten it on your palm – not too much, but just enough to cover the inside of your palm and still have room to add the filling. Take a spoonful of filling and place it in the middle of the palm of your hand. Close the edges and bring them together, closing the kubbah to a ball. Make sure that you have enough mashed potatoes to cover the filling completely; don’t let the filling overflow out of the patty. Flatten the ball slightly to a little disc. Set aside and repeat until you are out of the mashed potato and the filling.
- Heat 1/2 inch oil in your skillet on medium heat.
- In a shallow bowl, beat an egg, and brush each kubbah in the egg on both sides before frying. The egg wash acts as a glue and will prevent your kubbah from falling apart while frying. Do not skip this step!
- When oil is hot, place kubbah in the pan – do not overcrowd. Fry until kubbah are golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Transfer cooked kubbah to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
- Serve warm with an Israeli salad or as an appetizer on its own. Enjoy!
Tips:
- I recommend making all the kubbah before frying. Use a large plate or tray, and separate layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- To make the process cleaner and quicker, use single-use gloves when assembling the kubbah. You will still need to oil the gloves, but there will be less mess.
- You can make fillings ahead of time and store in the fridge or freezer.
- Kubbah also freeze well. You can reheat on the frying pan or in the air fryer to crisp them up before serving.
