Aloo Tikki is an Indian street food style potato patty or cutlet or kabob, and it is usually made with a mash of potatoes and sometimes peas or beans. My version of this popular, kid-friendly snack is simple but golden and delicious as can be.
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 snack 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 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 snack recipes
Aloo Tikki Recipe
Equipment
- Cast iron or non-stick skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes (boiled, peeled and mashed until there are no large lumps.)
- 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (finely minced)
- 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs (I use gluten-free usually, but regular or whole wheat breadcrumbs are perfectly fine)
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala (optional)
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers (minced. Serrano or any mild or any moderately hot chili pepper is fine here. Deseed and remove the white ribs of the pepper for less heat)
- Salt to taste
- 2-3 tablespoon vegetable oil (for frying the tikkis)
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a bowl with all of the ingredients and mix well, kneading with your fingers or a fork.
- Shape the tikkis into discs and pat the sides to make them even. I like to make my tikkis about an inch and a half in diameter.
- Heat the oil in a skillet. You don't need a lot but you should have enough to coat the bottom of the skillet evenly. If you make sure that your oil is hot enough that the tikki sizzles and sputters as soon as you place it in the skillet, your tikkis won't absorb much oil.
- Working in batches, and making sure not to crowd them, fry the tikkis until they are golden brown, first on one side then the other.
- Serve hot with any green chutney or tamarind chutney.
Recipe notes
- You can add boiled peas to the recipe, or even beans. Add a cup and mash them with the potatoes.
- For more veggie power, add grated carrots. Don't use very watery veggies because they will compromise the texture of the tikkis and they will fall apart while frying.
Nutrition
Love these aloo tikkis? Check out more Indian vegan recipes on Holy Cow!
Joshua Howard
I love this snack! I've never tried to make it at home. Thank you for this idea! I'm going to try it soon
M
Would it be worth a try to put sautéed onions in the center of the tikkis?
Vaishali
Great idea!