Mubattan Kusha (Libyan Layered Potato and Meat Casserole)

Making Mubattan Kusha has created a couple of firsts for me: my first time trying Libyan food and my first time cooking with lamb. Chad and I both really enjoyed this dish. The lamb was expensive, but the flavor of it with the fried potatoes and spices definitely made it worth it. If you are unable to find lamb or it is just too expensive, good quality ground beef can be substituted. I love the use of cinnamon as a savory spice in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking.

Mubattan Kusha also has a fried counterpart called Mbatan Batata. I have not tried this version yet, but Global Table Adventures has a recipe available with step by step photos. It has similar ingredients, but the meat mixture is stuffed between a cut potato slice, coated in egg and breadcrumbs, then deep-fried.

Mubattan Kusha (Libyan Layered Potato and Meat Casserole)

Adapted from Libyan Food

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Mubattan Kusha (Libyan Layered Potato and Meat Casserole)

Course Main

Cuisine Libyan

Keyword Africa, African, beef, casserole, lamb, Libya, Libyan, meat, potato

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

0 minutes

Total Time 2 hours

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter divided
• 1 pound ground lamb or beef
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 cups finely chopped parsley
• 2 medium tomatoes seeded and chopped
• 5-6 medium potatoes

Egg Layer:

• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill
• salt and pepper to taste

Topping:

• 1 cup breadcrumbs

Instructions

• In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the meat, breaking it up into little pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been released and evaporates.
• Stir in 1 cup hot water, half of the chopped onion, salt, red chili flakes, black pepper, cinnamon, and ginger. Decrease heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add the remaining onion, parsley, and tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside. The meat should be slightly moist, not dry.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a little of the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the pan. Fry the potato slices in a single layer, a few at a time and not overcrowding them, until golden on both sides. Add a little more butter as needed.
• Layer half of the fried potatoes in a large casserole dish.
• In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, flour, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper. Pour half of the eggs over the layer of potatoes. Cover with the meat mixture and press down firmly.
• Layer with the rest of the potatoes, slightly overlapping the slices. Cover with the rest of the beaten eggs.
• Sprinkle the top evenly with the bread crumbs and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until heated through.
• Let sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.