Aloo Tikki
Spiced mashed potato patties with green chilli, coriander and cumin, shallow-fried until crisp and golden.
Photograph credit: Allo tikki with a cup of Coffee! by Namita Verma · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Before You Start
Cool the mashed potato fully before shaping.
Do not add butter or milk to the mash.
Leave the patties alone for the first 3 minutes.
Serve with green chutney or tamarind chutney.
Cooking Aloo Tikki
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Boil the potatoes in their skins for 25 minutes until tender. Drain, peel and mash. Leave to cool completely.
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Mix the mash with the cornflour, chilli, cumin, garam masala, salt and coriander.
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Shape into 8 flat patties about 2 cm thick.
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Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the patties for 3 minutes on each side until deep golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
Why the Method Works
Cold, dry potato is the secret. This is the dish for a rainy afternoon, when a cup of tea needs something hot and crisp beside it, and the way it works is that mashed potato, left to cool and dry, holds a shape that warm, wet potato never does.
Boil the potatoes in their skins, which keeps them from soaking up water. Peel and mash them while still warm, then let the mash cool completely. Do not add milk or butter. The patties need a firm, dry mixture, or they collapse in the pan.
Cornflour or breadcrumbs bind the mix without making it heavy. Add the spices, chilli and coriander, and mix until the dough comes together.
Shape into flat discs about 2 cm thick. Fry them in a thin layer of oil until deep golden. They should sit undisturbed for 3 minutes, so a crust forms before you turn them.
Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping
Keeps in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat in a hot oven or pan to crisp them again.
Swaps and Variations
- Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the green chilli. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
Serving Aloo Tikki
- Green chutney
- Tamarind chutney
- Plain yoghurt
- Masala chai
Questions and Answers
How long does Aloo Tikki take to make?
15 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking, so at least 30 minutes. The method also needs time for cooling completely, which it does not time, so treat that as a minimum. The recipe serves 8.
Aloo Tikki Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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