Your Toddler’s New Favorite Meat Kabob (Kotlet)
The Persian meat patty dish known as kotlet is, essentially, what happens if a hamburger woke up one morning and decided to be a potato pancake. What’s so special about that you ask? Well, everything. For starters, it has the Goldilocks texture we’re looking for: because of the copious amount of potatoes and onions in the grind, the exterior crisps while the inside stays soft, providing a supple mouthfeel that’s easy for young ones to eat and enjoy. The seasoning is vivid but accessible: lots of warming spices (i.e. cinnamon, cumin) are present, but the meat and potatoes make them manageable. Sure, it’s just a meat patty, but it’s a darn good one.
It’s also a particularly good dish to evolve and expand as your child’s feeding practices and teeth develop–particularly during times of teething. In what follows, I present a toddler version of the real deal version, really highlighting the textures and flavors; in the ‘Adapt’ section below, I also include an infant-friendly version, keeping it soft and simple.
- 1 medium potato
- 1 LB ground beef or lamb (fat content should be no less than 20%*)
- 1/2 onion
- 1 large egg
- Cumin or zaatar
- Turmeric
- Garlic Powder
- Cinnamon
- Cilantro
- Poke holes all around the potato and microwave it on High for roughly five minutes. If the potato is soft and a bit chalky, remove and allow to cool; if it’s still hard in some places, continue microwaving at 30-second intervals until innards are soft.
- When cool enough to do so, remove skin and smoosh contents of potato in a large bowl. Grate or dice half an onion into the bowl, then crack in and mix an egg.
- Toss in the meat and generous pouring of each spice, then mix all ingredients together until integrated. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, if you can.
- Put a generous pool of oil in a large pan and set to Medium High. Grab a clump of meat mixture and flatten it into your palm, such that it creates a round patty; place the patty into the pan, then repeat until you fill the pan.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook until both sides have a brown and caramelized exterior, which should be about another four minutes on the other side.
Spritz with a bit of lemon, then cut into strips, cubes, or chunks depending on your child’s chewing ability. Our yogurt sauce is great with this, but a little bit of ketchup or tomato sauce is all you need, if anything.
Iranians love to eat kotlet in sandwich form–often cold!--so use bread or bun as an opportunity to stick in some new ingredients, such as diced tomatoes, ripped up spinach leaves, or even hummus into the mix. Makes for a great lunch the next day.
If making for an infant, preheat your oven to 375, then either grate a raw potato or grab a half-cup of pre-cut frozen hash browns. Grate the onion into a large mixing bowl, discarding any excess liquid; then add the egg and meat as above, along with 1TSP each of cinnamon and garlic + ½ TSP each of the other spices. Toss the grated potato on top, then use your hands to press and shape all the ingredients together. Form into patties; place on an oiled-up baking pan; and cook for twelve minutes, flipping the patties at the six- or seven-minute mark.
Note about the fat content of the meat: if you chose to use ground beef with a fat ratio of less than 20%, or if you substitute turkey or chicken in its place, add in a spoonful or mayonnaise to the mixture--this will add additional fat and moisture needed to get a crackly exterior.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
