← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 600 g floury potatoes
• 75 g frozen peas, thawed
• 3 tbsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 2 cm piece Ginger, finely grated
• 1 Green chilli, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp Coriander (cilantro), chopped
• 1 tsp roasted ground cumin
• ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• ½ tsp Garam masala
• 1 tsp Amchur (dried mango powder)
• ½ tsp Chaat masala
• ¾ tsp Salt
• 4 tbsp oil, for shallow-frying
• 4 tbsp plain yogurt, whisked (optional)
• 3 tbsp sweet tamarind chutney (optional)
• 3 tbsp green chutney (see Mint Coriander Chutney) (optional)

Method

1. Boil the potatoes in their skins for 20 min, until tender. Drain, peel while warm and let them cool completely; cold potatoes make firmer patties.
2. Grate or mash the potatoes until smooth, then mix in the peas, cornflour, ginger, chilli, coriander, spices and salt. Knead lightly into a smooth, non-sticky mixture.
3. Divide into 8 balls and flatten each into a patty about 1.5 cm thick, smoothing the edges with damp hands so they don’t crack.
4. Heat the oil in a large non-stick or cast-iron frying pan over medium heat. Fry the tikkis for 5–6 min per side, without moving them too early, until deeply golden and crisp.
5. Serve hot with green chutney, or make chaat: top with whisked yogurt, tamarind chutney, a pinch of chaat masala and some chopped onion.

Tips

• If the mixture feels soft, add another spoonful of cornflour, or chill the shaped patties for a while before frying.
• Vegan and dairy-free without the optional yogurt topping.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Cook With Manali Tea for Turmeric BBC Good Food