Aloo Tikki Recipes

Steps:

• For the chaat masala: Combine the cumin, amchoor, kala namak, chile powder, black pepper and salt in a storage container with a tight-fitting lid. Store at room temperature for up 6 months.
• Cover the potatoes with cold water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Add the peas to the same water and cook until bright green and tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, remove the potatoes to a plate to cool and transfer the peas to the bowl of a food processor.
• For the filling: Add the ginger, sugar, 1 green chili, 1/2 cup cilantro, juice from half the lime, 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the peas in the food processor and process in spurts until a rather coarse paste. Adjust with salt to taste. Remove half the paste for the filling (about 1/2 cup). Then make the chutney for serving: Add 2 tablespoons water, the remaining chilies, cilantro and lime juice to the food processor and pulse until it has the consistency of a fine pesto. Adjust seasoning with lime juice and salt to taste. Set aside.
• When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the peels and transfer to a large bowl. Mash the potatoes. (I find it easier to coarsely grate the potatoes on a box grater and then mash.) There shouldn't be any large pieces but it shouldn't to be super smooth either. Add 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1 1/2 teaspoons chaat masala and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well and adjust seasoning to taste with salt.
• Divide the potato mixture into approximately 12 equal-sized pieces (about 1/4 cup each). Rub a little bit of oil on cleaned and dried hands (it helps forming the patties) and roll into balls and then make an indentation in the center with your thumb. Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of the reserved pea mixture into the indent and gently close the edges together to seal. Roll into a ball again and flatten into a patty about 1/2-inch-thick. (If a little pea mixture gets mixed with the potato part of the patty do not worry.) Repeat with rest of the balls and filling. If you have filling left, you can add it to the chutney.
• Add the remaining breadcrumbs on a plate or shallow bowl. Press both sides of each patty into the breadcrumbs to coat.
• Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the patties in single layer batch, evenly spaced out. Fry until you get a nice golden crust, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove to paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Wipe out the skillet with a couple paper towels. Repeat with more oil and the remaining patties. Serve hot with chutney.

Steps:

• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the potatoes until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes, then mash and leave to cool before stirring in the breadcrumbs and flour.
• Now, make the filling. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion until softened. Stir in the ginger, green chilli, spices and mango powder, then add the frozen peas.
• Cook over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until the peas have defrosted and are tender. Remove from the heat, then roughly crush the peas with a fork and stir in the chopped coriander. Leave to cool.
• Divide the potato mixture into nine portions with wet hands. Flatten a portion into a 5cm diameter disc with a thickness of 1cm in your palm. Put a teaspoon of the spiced pea filling in the centre of the disc, then gently bring the mashed potato around the filling so it's completely encased. Flatten the 'tikki' so that it resembles a patty. Repeat with the remaining potato and filling, then arrange on a baking tray and chill for 20-30 mins to firm up.
• Heat 6-8 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan or on a griddle and cook the tikkis in batches over a medium heat until golden and crisp. Serve straight away with tamarind and date sauce and coriander relish (see 'goes well with' below).