Potato and Minced Beef Bake
The bake turns watery with undercooked potato for two reasons: the potato went in raw, and there was too much sauce. Brown the potatoes first in oil or the oven, and add only enough sauce to reach two thirds of the depth of the dish.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 85 min
- Calories
- 420
Photo: Renee Comet (photographer) — Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Potato and minced beef bake is one of the best known and cheapest Egyptian trays, made from ingredients in any kitchen. Its two most common problems share one solution: less water.
Method
-
1
Slice and dry
Peel the potatoes, slice them 5 mm thick and pat them dry. Wet slices steam in the oil instead of browning.
⏱ 12 min -
2
Brown the potatoes
Fry the slices in hot oil for 5 minutes until golden on both sides, or roast at 220°C for 20 minutes. This is the step that stops the potato staying raw.
⏱ 18 min -
3
Dry out the mince
Brown the mince over high heat with no added liquid until its water has evaporated and it is properly browned — 10 minutes. Mince that releases its water into the dish floods it.
⏱ 12 min -
4
Onion and garlic
Lift out the mince and soften the onion in the same pan for 6 minutes, add the garlic, spices and cumin for a minute, then return the mince.
⏱ 9 min -
5
A concentrated sauce
Add the paste, grated tomato, salt and sugar and cook 12 minutes uncovered until it thickens and releases oil at the edges.
⏱ 14 min -
6
Assemble
Spread half the potatoes in a dish, add the meat mixture and the peppers, and cover with the remaining potatoes. The sauce should reach two thirds of the depth, no more.
⏱ 8 min -
7
Bake
Cover with foil and bake at 190°C for 25 minutes, then uncover and give it 15 minutes until browned on top. Scatter parsley after it comes out.
⏱ 42 min
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Tips that actually matter
- Brown the potatoes first — the step that stops them staying raw.
- Brown the mince until its water has gone; that water floods the dish.
- Sauce to two thirds of the depth, no more, or it becomes soup.
- Covered then uncovered — the cover cooks, the uncovering browns and concentrates.
People also ask
Why is my potato still raw?
It went in raw. Fry the slices for 5 minutes or roast them for 20 before assembling — potato needs far longer than already-cooked meat.
Why is the bake watery?
Either too much sauce, or the mince released its water into it. Brown the mince over high heat until dry, reduce the sauce, and keep it to two thirds of the depth of the dish.
Can I prepare it the night before?
Absolutely: assemble it completely, cover and refrigerate overnight, then bake the next day with an extra 10 minutes. It also freezes unbaked for 3 months.
Cook mode
Potato and Minced Beef Bake
-
1
Slice and dry
Peel the potatoes, slice them 5 mm thick and pat them dry. Wet slices steam in the oil instead of browning.
-
2
Brown the potatoes
Fry the slices in hot oil for 5 minutes until golden on both sides, or roast at 220°C for 20 minutes. This is the step that stops the potato staying raw.
-
3
Dry out the mince
Brown the mince over high heat with no added liquid until its water has evaporated and it is properly browned — 10 minutes. Mince that releases its water into the dish floods it.
-
4
Onion and garlic
Lift out the mince and soften the onion in the same pan for 6 minutes, add the garlic, spices and cumin for a minute, then return the mince.
-
5
A concentrated sauce
Add the paste, grated tomato, salt and sugar and cook 12 minutes uncovered until it thickens and releases oil at the edges.
-
6
Assemble
Spread half the potatoes in a dish, add the meat mixture and the peppers, and cover with the remaining potatoes. The sauce should reach two thirds of the depth, no more.
-
7
Bake
Cover with foil and bake at 190°C for 25 minutes, then uncover and give it 15 minutes until browned on top. Scatter parsley after it comes out.
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