These boldly flavored ground beef patties are a culinary legacy of the Portuguese, who ruled the tiny state of Goa on the Indian subcontinent’s southwestern coast for hundreds of years. The patties are sometimes eaten on their own, but we simmered ours in a rich tomatoey coconut curry. To ensure a lush, tender texture, the ground beef is often mixed with leftover mashed potatoes, which hold onto moisture and prevent the meat proteins from binding together too tightly and producing dense results. As a shortcut, we used instant mashed potatoes. And instead of pan-frying the patties, we roasted them, which allowed us to brown them all in one go. A splash of malt vinegar added to both the meat patties and curry mimicked the signature tang that toddy vinegar (produced from palm trees) brings to much of Goan cooking.
Get my recipe at America’s Test Kitchen.