Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and then add the sweet potatoes to the water.
1 kg sweet potato
Reduce the heat to medium-high to keep a slow boil throughout the duration of cooking. Boil the potatoes for approximately 30 minutes or until a butter knife can slice through easily.
Once cooked, the sweet potato should be easily mashed. Allow the sweet potato to cool enough to peel and then mash until smooth. Set aside.
Mix the coconut, sugar and vanilla extract together in a bowl, then cover and allow to rest.
250 g grated coconut, 250 g caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
Sprinkle the flour over the sweet potatoes and knead to a smooth dough. If the dough is too wet or is not binding, add an additional ½ tbsp of flour at a time if needed.
4 tbsp plain flour
Roll the dough into a long tube and cut into 30 equal pieces. Roll the pieces of dough into a ball and then flatten into a disc that is approximately ½ cm thick by 6 cm in diameter.
Place a teaspoon of coconut filling in the centre of each piece of dough, then fold into a semi-circle and crimp seal the edge with the back of a fork.
Deep fry each Gato Patat over a medium heat until light brown.
rice bran oil
Allow to cool on a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Then enjoy!
Notes
Gato Patat can be kept for a few days if placed in an airtight container.
To help with your preparations, you can make your Gato Patat ahead of time. Freeze the Gato Patat once you have formed your little packets. Anytime you would like the Gato Patat, you can deep fry them straight from the freezer.