Cheesy Potato Balls (Crispy Curry Mozzarella Potato Bites)
These are mashed potatoes in their best form. Skyler rices boiled potatoes until they are fluffy, mixes in an egg yolk, chives, and curry seasoning, then wraps the mash around little pearls of mozzarella. A roll through flour, egg, and panko, a few minutes in hot oil, and you get a crunchy golden shell with soft potato and a long cheese pull inside.
The seasoning is Curry Crack. It goes into the potatoes and into a quick curry mayo for the drizzle, so every bite gets that warm, golden curry flavor without a cabinet full of spices.
Why this one's a keeper
- Crunchy outside, molten inside, with a mozzarella center in every ball.
- One seasoning in the potatoes and in the sauce.
- Cheap and simple. Potatoes, cheese, an egg, and panko.
Cheesy Potato Balls
Ingredients
Potato balls (makes about 16)
Method
- Boil the potatoes. Put the potato chunks in a pot of cold, well salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, until a fork slides through with no resistance.
- Dry them out. Drain and spread the potatoes on a sheet pan for 5 to 10 minutes so the steam escapes. Drier potatoes make balls that hold their shape.
- Rice the potatoes. Push the warm potatoes through a fine mesh strainer with a spatula (or use a ricer) into a big bowl. This keeps them light and lump free.
- Season the mash. Add the egg yolk, 2 tsp Curry Crack, 1 tsp salt, the pepper, and the chives. Mix until it is all one color.
- Stuff and roll. Scoop about 3 Tbsp of the mash, flatten it in your palm, set 1 or 2 mozzarella pearls in the middle, and close the potato around them. Roll into a smooth ball with no cheese showing. You should get about 16.
- Bread them. Set up three bowls: flour, beaten egg, panko. Roll each ball in flour, then egg, then panko until fully coated. Line them up on a sheet pan. If you have time, chill them 20 minutes so they firm up.
- Make the curry mayo. Stir the mayonnaise and 1 tsp Curry Crack together. Put it in a squeeze bottle or a zip bag with the corner snipped.
- Fry. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet or heavy pot to 350°F. Fry 6 to 8 at a time, turning them, 3 to 4 minutes until deep golden brown all over. Move them to a wire rack and hit them with a pinch of salt right away.
- Finish and serve. Pile them on a plate, drizzle with the curry mayo, and scatter chopped chives over the top. Serve hot while the cheese still pulls.
Total time: 1 hour. Makes about 16 balls, serves 6.
Pro tips
- Use russets. Starchy potatoes rice up fluffy and dry. Waxy potatoes get gummy.
- Rice them warm. Cold potatoes turn pasty when you push them through the strainer.
- Seal the cheese in. Any gap in the potato and the mozzarella leaks out in the oil. Pinch the seam closed before breading.
- Keep the oil at 350°F. Too hot and the panko darkens before the cheese melts. Too cool and the balls soak up oil. Small batches keep the temperature steady.
Ways to serve it
- With the curry mayo drizzle and chives, the way Skyler plates them.
- On a game day tray with extra curry mayo on the side for dipping.
- Next to a steak or roast chicken as a crispy stand in for mashed potatoes.
FAQ
Can I use leftover mashed potatoes? Yes, as long as they are on the stiff side. Very creamy mashed potatoes with lots of butter and milk are too soft to roll. Chill them first and add a spoonful of flour if they feel loose.
Can I air fry them? Yes. Spray the breaded balls with oil and air fry at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway, until golden. They won't be quite as crunchy as fried.
Can I make them ahead? Bread them and freeze on a sheet pan, then move to a freezer bag once solid. Fry from frozen at 350°F for 5 to 6 minutes, and finish in a 375°F oven for 5 minutes if the centers are not hot.
How spicy are they? Mild. The curry seasoning brings warmth and color, not heat.
Turn a bag of potatoes into the first thing gone at the party: grab Curry Crack and fry up a batch of cheesy potato balls.