Easy 25-minute recipe for Aloo Tikki, a popular north-Indian street food! Mashed potato and peas are formed into patties then pan-fried until golden brown and crispy.
Prepare Potatoes: Start by boiling the potatoes in the microwave using the 'potatoes' preset, or in the Instant Pot. Cool and grate them to make roughly 2 cups of grated potatoes.
Steam Peas: If frozen, thaw the peas overnight in the fridge, or in the microwave. Add ½ cup water to a frypan and bring it to a simmer. Add peas, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, or until the peas are steamed. Alternatively, sprinkle some water over them and microwave in 30-second increments, until thawed.
Assemble: In a large mixing bowl, add grated potatoes, peas, chopped onion, cilantro, grated ginger, and all the spices. Mix well.
Add cornstarch: Now add 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or rice flour) and mix again until fully integrated.
Form Patties: Divide the mixture into 8 portions. Apply a little oil on your palms and shape each portion into a round patty, about ½-inch thick. Repeat this process to form all the tikkis.
Dust Patties (optional step): Rub 1 teaspoon rice flour or cornstarch in your hands and lightly dust each patty with it. Wipe off any excess using a kitchen towel. Dusting dries up any excess moisture on the surface and seals the patties, resulting in a crispier tikki. This step is optional though.
Shallow Fry: Add oil to a large frypan and heat it on medium-high heat. Check the temperature of oil by dropping a small crumb. If it starts sizzling, the oil is ready. Discard the crumb and add the tikkis without overcrowding the pan.
Cook till Golden Brown: Cook till the base of the aloo tikki turns golden brown, takes about 4 minutes. Carefully flip the patties and cook on this side until golden brown. Flip them again if needed to brown them evenly.
Cool and serve: Remove fried aloo tikkis on a kitchen towel-lined plate. Cool for 5 minutes, then serve with cilantro chutney and tamarind chutney. You can also make Aloo Tikki Chaat by adding seasoned yogurt.
Video
Notes
Don't over-cook the potatoes: Boil the potatoes only until fork-tender. Over-cooked potatoes can become mushy and you won't get that crispy texture you want for these patties.
Let the potatoes cool. Make sure you allow the cooked potatoes to cool slightly before mixing all of the ingredients. The cooler potatoes are less moist which helps with crispiness.
Grease your hands. This makes the potato mixture much easier to work with.
Patty thickness: I make my aloo tikki patties about ½-inch thick. This is the perfect thickness for a balanced crispy-creamy bite.
Make sure the oil is hot. The oil should be hot before you add in the patties. If it's too cold, you'll just end up with a soggy tikki. To check the temperature of the oil, drop a small crumb into the pan. If it starts sizzling right away and quickly floats to the top, then the oil is good to go.
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates and do not include condiments. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.