Aloo Tikki

Aloo Tikki (Aloo Tikki Chaat)

Crisp-edged potato patties spiced with cumin, green chilli and coriander, shallow-fried on a tawa until golden, then optionally dressed as chaat with cool yoghurt, tamarind and green chutneys, onion and sev.

Prep

25 min

Cook

25 min

Total

50 min

Serves

4 (makes about 10–12 tikkis)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1⅓ lb) starchy potatoes, such as Russet or Maris Piper; waxy potatoes will not mash dryly enough
• •40 g (⅓ cup) rice flour, or fine breadcrumbs as binder
• •2 whole green chillies, finely chopped, or to taste
• •1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
• •ground cumin, ½
• •amchur (dried mango powder), ½, or a squeeze of lemon juice
• •turmeric, ¼
• •3 g (1 small pinch) asafoetida (hing), optional; omit if unavailable
• •20 g (small handful) coriander leaves, finely chopped
• •5 g (1 small pinch) salt, or to taste
• •40 ml (3 tbsp) neutral oil, for shallow-frying, plus more as needed
• •150 g (⅔ cup) plain yoghurt, for chaat topping; whisked smooth
• •60 g (¼ cup) tamarind chutney, for chaat topping
• •40 g (3 tbsp) green chutney, coriander-mint, for chaat topping
• •40 g (¼ medium) red onion, finely chopped, for chaat topping
• •30 g (¼ cup) sev, crunchy chickpea noodles, for finishing
• •1 pinch chaat masala, for finishing

Steps

1. 1 Boil the potatoes whole in their skins in unsalted water until completely tender when pierced with a knife, 20–25 minutes depending on size. Drain well and let them steam dry in the colander for 5 minutes - wet mash will not crisp.
2. 2 Peel the potatoes while still warm and mash thoroughly until no lumps remain. Spread on a plate and let cool to room temperature (warm potato releases starch and makes the tikkis gummy).
3. 3 Add the rice flour, green chillies, cumin seeds, ground cumin, amchur, turmeric, asafoetida, coriander leaves and salt. Mix with your hands until evenly combined; the mixture should hold together when pressed. If it feels wet, add another tablespoon of rice flour.
4. 4 Divide into 10–12 portions and shape each into a flat round about 7–8 cm (3 in) across and 1.5 cm (½ in) thick. Press the surfaces smooth so they brown evenly.
5. 5 Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a flat frying pan or tawa over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, lay in the patties without crowding (work in batches).
6. 6 Fry undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until a deep golden crust forms on the underside. Flip carefully and fry the second side for a further 3–4 minutes, adding a little more oil if the pan looks dry.
7. 7 Check doneness: the tikkis are ready when both sides are deep golden and crisp, the centre is hot throughout (internal temperature above 75°C / 165°F), and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out hot. Rest for 1 minute before serving.
8. 8 To serve as chaat: place 2–3 hot tikkis on each plate, spoon over the whisked yoghurt, drizzle with tamarind and green chutneys, scatter with onion and sev, and finish with a pinch of chaat masala. Serve immediately while the crust is still crisp.