[Indian Recipes] Aloo Tikki

Crispy Aloo Tikki is popular Indian street food! These deep fried potato patties are often dunked in yogurt and topped with various chutney and spices and relished with a cup of chai!

Super crispy Aloo Tikki stuffed with a spicy paneer filling.

These deep fried spicy potato patties are extremely popular in India and often enjoyed with dollops of yogurt & chutney! This recipe makes the crispiest aloo tikki!

Over the weekend, I often try to cook something delicious at home. It’s another story that hubby wants me to take a break and not enter the kitchen at all. However this weekend, I managed to convince him and make these super crispy and mouth-watering Aloo Tikki!

Indian street food is huge, it really is. Small carts selling roadside food is one thing which you will see all across India, in every city/town whether big or small.

And ask any non-resident Indian what they miss most about home, I think chaat (chaat is a common term used for roadside food in India] would come only 2nd to family, no kidding!

Street food is totally unhygienic and totally delicious. I swear I have tried eating chaat at fancy restaurants where they serve it in most awesome cutlery but it can never match to the taste that you get from street side carts.

When I go home I go crazy eating chaat from my favorite stalls. My mom would often ask me to stop or I might fall ill.

But seriously who cares? I cannot resist eating chaat, we don’t get the same taste here plus till now I have never fallen sick. So yay for more chaat!

What Is Aloo Tikki?

Aloo=Potato & Tikki=Patties.

Like most countries in the world, India is also obsessed with potatoes. Aloo tikki is one of the most popular chaat items in India, it’s like there can’t be a chaat stall without aloo tikki on the menu.

Its basically boiled potatoes mixed with spices and then fried.

Sometimes the tikkis are also stuffed with stuff like spicy lentil mix or nuts etc. In this recipe, I have stuffed the tikkis with paneer.

I like my aloo tikki really crisp from outside. Now I always had a complaint with homemade aloo tikki, they never turned out crispy like the outside ones but not anymore! You can make really crispy aloo tikki at home by following these 3 simple steps.
How To Make Crispy Aloo Tikki

1. Do not add salt to the potato mix. When you add salt, the potatoes release moisture and that not only makes it difficult to handle the mixture but also effects the crispiness.

2. Use a combination of flattened rice flakes (poha) and corn starch in the potato mix. They act as the perfect binder and make the tikki crispy.

3. Fry the tikki twice. I noticed this at my favorite chaat stall during one of my trips. You first fry the tikki at a lower temperature. The first frying softens the potatoes and forms a crust.

You don’t want it get any color at this stage. Let the tikkis cool down then increase the temperature of the oil and fry them again till brown and crisp from outside.

If you follow these three things, you will end up with the most crispy aloo tikki ever!

You can eat the aloo tikki as such with tomato ketchup, chutney or some hot & sweet sauce.

But the most common way Indians eat aloo tikki is by topping it with lots of yogurt, cilantro chutney, some sweet tamarind chutney, spices like cumin, red chili powder.

And of course, chopped cilantro and pomegranate seeds also make a very nice topping! It’s called aloo tikki chaat then!

Can You Make This Aloo Tikki Without Stuffing?

Of course, yes! In that case I would add some amchur powder, garam masala, chaat masala to the potatoes along with green chili and ginger (at step 4).

I would still not add the salt. Fry the same way and then sprinkle salt on top later.

Or just dunk in yogurt and chutneys and then top with salt, spices, cilantro and some pomegranate seeds (if desired!)

Trust me on this, these aloo tikki are so CRISPY! Give it a try and let me know how guys liked it!

Method

1- Boil the potatoes, peel and let them cool. You can boil them on stove-top or using your pressure cooker. If using an Instant Pot pressure cook the potatoes on high pressure (placed on trivet with 1 cup water in the pot) for 10 minutes with natural pressure release.

If cooking on stove top pressure cooker, cook for 8-9 whistles on high heat. You can simply also cook them in a pot full of water. Boil until tender.

2- Once the potatoes are cooled, mash them using a potato masher.

3- Meanwhile, add flattened rice flakes(poha) to a bowl and then add little water to it. Leave for 5 minutes.

4- After 5 minutes are up, add chopped green chili, ginger, corn starch and the flattened rice flake which we had soaked in little water to the potatoes.

Can You Make This Aloo Tikki Without Stuffing?

Of course, yes! In that case I would add some amchur powder, garam masala, chaat masala to the potatoes along with green chili and ginger (at step 4).

I would still not add the salt. Fry the same way and then sprinkle salt on top later.

Or just dunk in yogurt and chutneys and then top with salt, spices, cilantro and some pomegranate seeds (if desired!)

Trust me on this, these aloo tikki are so CRISPY! Give it a try and let me know how guys liked it!

Method

1- Boil the potatoes, peel and let them cool. You can boil them on stove-top or using your pressure cooker. If using an Instant Pot pressure cook the potatoes on high pressure (placed on trivet with 1 cup water in the pot) for 10 minutes with natural pressure release.

If cooking on stove top pressure cooker, cook for 8-9 whistles on high heat. You can simply also cook them in a pot full of water. Boil until tender.

2- Once the potatoes are cooled, mash them using a potato masher.

3- Meanwhile, add flattened rice flakes(poha) to a bowl and then add little water to it. Leave for 5 minutes.

4- After 5 minutes are up, add chopped green chili, ginger, corn starch and the flattened rice flake which we had soaked in little water to the potatoes.

5- Mix everything until well combined.

6- Divide the potato mixture into equal parts. I made big tikkis and got around 7 of them from this mixture. Set them aside while you make the stuffing.

7- For the stuffing, heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the fennel seeds and cumin seeds.

Let them sizzle for few seconds and then add the chopped ginger. Saute for few seconds.

8- Add the crumbled paneer and mix.

9- Then add all the dry spices – red chili powder, amchur powder, garam masala, chaat masala and black salt. Also add the salt at mix.

10- Cook for one minute and then add chopped cilantro, raisins, cashews. Give a final mix and set aside.

11- Now take one of the potato balls that you had prepared earlier. Flatten it with your palm and then press it slightly in the center to make space for the filling.

Take the paneer filling (around 1-2 tablespoon, remember to not over-fill) and place it inside the potato disc.

12- Seal the edges and flatten to again to form the aloo tikkis. The stuffing should be completely sealed inside. Repeat with the remaining potato balls.

13- Heat oil on medium heat in a kadai/wok. I didn’t have a thermometer so I just set it to medium. If you have one, the temperature should be around 275 F degrees.

Once the oil is hot, carefully drop the prepared aloo tikki in it.

14- Fry the tikki for 3 to 4 minutes until it forms a crust but doesn’t get any color. Take the tikki out of the oil and let it cool down. Fry all tikkis in the same way.

15- Once the tikkis have cooled down, heat the oil again, this time on high [around 350 F degrees]. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until the tikki becomes nice golden brown and crisp from the outside.

16- Carefully take out the crisp tikki out of the hot oil and drain on a paper towel. Fry all the tikkis for the second time in the same way.

Enjoy aloo tikki with tomato ketchup or top with yogurt, chutney, spices and enjoy. You may also garnish them with cilantro and pomegranate seeds!

Aloo Tikki

Crispy Aloo Tikki is popular Indian street food! These deep fried potato patties are often dunked in yogurt and topped with various chutney and spices and relished with a cup of chai!

PREP TIME: 25 mins
COOK TIME: 15 mins
TOTAL TIME: 40 mins

COURSEA: ppetizer
CUISINE: Indian
SERVINGS7: tikki
CALORIES127 kcal

INGREDIENTS

For the tikki
▢3 medium potatoes around 500 gms
▢3/4 cup flattened rice, also known as poha soaked in 2-3 tablespoons of water
▢1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
▢1-2 green chili finely chopped, adjust to taste
▢1.5 tablespoons corn starch

For the filling
▢2 teaspoon oil
▢1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
▢1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
▢1.5 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
▢1 cup crumbled paneer
▢1/4 teaspoon red chili powder or to taste
▢1/4 teaspoon amchur powder also known as dry mango powder
▢1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
▢1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
▢1/4 teaspoon kala namak also known as black salt
▢salt to taste, around 1/2 teaspoon
▢2 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
▢2 teaspoons golden raisins chopped
▢2 teaspoons broken cashews

Oil, for deep frying [I used canola oil]

To serve
▢yogurt to taste
▢cilantro chutney to taste
▢tamarind sweet chutney to taste
▢chaat masala to sprinkle
▢red chili powder to sprinkle
▢pomegranate seeds to garnish
▢chopped cilantro to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Boil the potatoes, peel and let them cool. You can boil them on stove-top or using your pressure cooker. If using an Instant Pot pressure cook the potatoes on high pressure (placed on trivet with 1 cup water in the pot) for 10 minutes with natural pressure release.
If cooking on stove top pressure cooker, cook for 8-9 whistles on high heat. You can simply also cook them in a pot full of water. Boil until tender.
Once the potatoes are cooled, mash them using a potato masher.
Meanwhile, add flattened rice flakes(poha) to a bowl and then add little water to it. Leave for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes are up, add chopped green chili, ginger, corn starch and the flattened rice flake which we had soaked in little water to the potatoes. Mix everything until well combined.
Divide the potato mixture into equal parts. I made big tikkis and got around 7 of them from this mixture. Set them aside while you make the stuffing.
For the stuffing, heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the fennel seeds and cumin seeds.
Let them sizzle for few seconds and then add the chopped ginger. Saute for few seconds.
Then add the crumbled paneer and mix.
Then add all the dry spices - red chili powder, amchur powder, garam masala, chaat masala and black salt. Also add the salt at mix.
Cook for one minute and then add chopped cilantro, raisins, cashews. Give a final mix and set aside.
Now take one of the potato balls that you had prepared earlier. Flatten it with your palm and then press it slightly in the center to make space for the filling.
Take the paneer filling (around 1-2 tablespoon, remember to not over-fill) and place it inside the potato disc.
Seal the edges and flatten to again to form the aloo tikkis. The stuffing should be completely sealed inside. Repeat with the remaining potato balls.
Heat oil on medium heat in a kadai/wok. I didn't have a thermometer so I just set it to medium. If you have one, the temperature should be around 275 F degrees. Once the oil is hot, carefully drop the prepared aloo tikki in it.
Fry the tikki for 3 to 4 minutes until it forms a crust but doesn't get any color. Take the tikki out of the oil and let it cool down. Fry all tikkis in the same way.
Once the tikkis have cooled down, heat the oil again, this time on high (around 350 F degrees). Fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until the tikki becomes nice golden brown and crisp from the outside.
Carefully take out the crisp tikki out of the hot oil and drain on a paper towel. Fry all the tikkis for the second time in the same way
Enjoy aloo tikki with tomato ketchup or top with yogurt, chutney, spices and enjoy. You may also garnish them with cilantro and pomegranate seeds!