I have a really easy but delicious snack for you today that you simply will not be able to stop gorging on: Aloo Tikki, an Indian-style veggie patty made, at its most basic, with a mash of potatoes and spices and then tossed on a skillet to crisp up. It’s a bit like eating the stuffing inside a samosa, made golden and even more divine! Aloo Tikki is a popular street food around India but you can easily make it at home, and it takes all of 10 minutes to put the ingredients together. The only work here is to boil the potatoes and shape them. And that’s not really work worth giving up such deliciousness for, is it? And Aloo Tikkis are delicious – incredibly so. It’s not hard to guess why. Potatoes mashed and put in contact with oil, although not a whole lot of it in this case, are pretty much a slam-dunk. For anyone, kids, adults, fussy eaters, veggie-haters…bring ’em on, and they will not be able to resist these.
Ingredients for Aloo Tikki
Russet potatoes Cumin seeds Cilantro Jalapeno or serrano or another mild or moderately hot chili pepper Chaat masala (optional, but nice) Ginger-garlic paste Breadcrumbs (I use gluten-free but whole wheat or regular wheat breadcrumbs – or even panko – are fine) Salt to taste
Tips for making the perfect aloo tikkis
Mash the potatoes evenly. You don’t want large lumps of potatoes in the tikkis. You can put them through a ricer or just use a regular potato masher. Shape the aloo tikkis evenly. You don’t want very thick tikkis, because you want a perfect ratio of crunch to creamy inside. You can add veggies like boiled peas or grated carrots to add more healthfulness to your tikkis, but don’t go overboard. Add about a cup, no more. And make sure you mash them in with the potatoes. Don’t use vegetables that will express water when cooked. You can also add cooked beans. Aloo tikkis are usually deep-fried, but I find that shallow-frying them on a skillet with just enough oil to coat the bottom of the skillet works just as well. Fried at the right temperature – where your tikkis sizzle and sputter as they hit the skillet – will make sure that you don’t get too much oil into your tikki. You can store any leftover tikkis in the refrigerator. Reheat on the skillet or in the oven. You can also freeze them, but be sure to separate them with wax paper or parchment paper.
More Indian street food recipes
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