CRISPY ALOO TIKKI - Shortcut Potato Cutlets
This recipe for Pakistani-style Aloo Tikki is made with mashed potatoes, onions, herbs, and spices. It's easy in that it uses a microwave to cook your potatoes and a food processor to chop up your veggies.
Equipment
- frying pan
Ingredients
To Prepare the Aloo Tikki
- 3 large Russet potatoes
- 1 small yellow or red onion roughly chopped
- 1-2 small Serrano pepper or Thai chili pepper deseeded for less heat, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp cilantro leaves
- 1-2 tbsp mint leaves
- 1 3/4 tsp kosher salt more to taste
- 1 tsp roughly ground coriander seeds or 1/2 tsp coriander powder as original recipe was written
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp chaat masala or amchur (dry mango) powder
- 1/8-1/4 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp whisked egg optional (See Note 2) - use leftover for pan-frying
To Pan-Fry
- 1/4 cup neutral oil plus more as needed
- 1-2 eggs whisked
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs optional
Instructions
To Cook the Potatoes
- Place the potatoes in a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high power for 5 minutes. If your potatoes are small, they may be fork tender already. If not, use a tong to turn the potatoes over and continue to cook in 2-minute increments until fork tender. To test doneness: Cut in half to see if the potatoes have cooked fully on the inside. The knife should slide through without resistance. If not, microwave in 1 minute bursts just until fully cooked.
- Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and transfer to a medium bowl. Use a potato masher to mash them until no large lumps remain.
To Prepare Aloo Tikki
- Place the remaining of the ingredients except the egg in a food processor (Note 1). Use the pulse function to chop so that the onions are finely chopped but not blended (~20 pulses). You don't want the onions to break down too much and end up releasing water. If you do notice any excess water in the mixture, tilt the food processor to drain it or dab it with a paper towel.
- Add the chopped onion mixture to the mashed potatoes and mix to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt to taste, red chili flakes/powder for more heat, and chaat masala/amchur/lemon juice for more tang. Lastly, add the measured whisked egg (if using) and mix well. Ideally, allow this mixture to rest, covered, in the refrigerator for 20 minutes (though I often skip this step).
- Using your hands, shape 1/4 cup of the mixture into a round, 1/2" thick patty about 2 ½-3 inches in diameter. If you find that the Tikkis are too soft or not holding their shape, mix in 1-2 tbsp breadcrumbs. Continue with the rest of the mixture. You'll have around 12 patties.
- Place the egg and breadcrumbs (if using) in shallow bowls so that you can dip them as you cook.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet, frying pan, or cast iron pan over medium heat. Add oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.
- Dip both sides of each patty into the egg wash, and then the breadcrumbs (if using). Place 4-5 patties in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, using a spatula to turn them over. Reduce heat if the patties are cooking too fast. Tip: To cook the edges/outer rim of the Tikkis evenly, move them to the corners of the pan where there's more oil.
- Transfer the patties onto a paper towel lined plate. Repeat until you have finished pan-frying all the patties. Cook any leftover egg in the remaining oil and serve with the patties. Serve with green chutney or tamarind chutney (quick recipes in post), mint raita, or your favorite sauce.
Video
Notes
Note 1: If you don't have a food processor, finely chop the onion, green chili peppers, cilantro, and mint. Mix with the remaining ingredients (excluding the egg) in a bowl.
Note 2: Update 2024 - A bit of whisked egg in the mixture adds flavor and fluffy, silky texture. But I've found using too much makes the mixture loose, which makes it hard for the Tikkis to hold shape. This requires breadcrumbs which in turn dilutes the flavor. I've therefore updated the recipe to include an optional 2 tbsp of the whisked egg. Use the remaining to pan-fry the eggs.
Tips:
- Aloo Tikki can take a good amount of salt. If you feel something is 'missing', it's likely an extra dash of salt.
- Try not to overcook the potatoes. Cooking and handling them too much brings out all their starchy properties, making them a pain to work with and their texture unpleasant.
Nutrition
Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 803mg | Potassium: 491mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 124IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg