Aloo Ki Tikki (Potato Kabab)

When I think of aloo ki tikki, I think of the classical Pakistani food I grew up eating. I think of the daal and chawal my mother made that I loved. I remember sneaking the flavoursome, tender cutlets from trays in front of guests when I thought no one was looking. I knew I would get some after, but I could never be patient enough.

After marriage, my first few attempts of making aloo tikkis were epic failures. The cutlets would break whilst flipping, be waaaay too soft, wouldn't bind, or would burn on the outside.  

I queried my mother and aunts, practiced many a time and finally found out I was doing several things wrong, which explained why my cutlets kept failing. I have included a 'Aloo ki Tikki 101' under the recipe for those of you who may be struggling, like I did, or to help those who are making these for the first time, so they can avoid going through what I went through.

These aloo tikkis have a crisp outer-coating and a sinfully soft inside.

The secret to getting a crispy Aloo Tikki?

Cook the tikki on medium-to-low heat undisturbed for 5 minutes, and then flipping. This will also help stop the cutlets from breaking, as mine used to.

Editing in December 2021, 6 years after uploading the original recipe to add that you gotta also using a fair bit of oil when frying for that excellent crispy outside. Not an obnoxious amount, we're not talking deep frying here. But getting enough oil into your pan for there to be some shallow frying action going on - this really makes a huge difference in how much the exterior crisps up. If you're not comfortable shallow frying, using minimal oil will work too - but it won't get as crispy in the same way as fried things do. 

What is Aloo Tikki?

Aloo is the Urdu word for potatoes.

Tikki literally means a 'disc' - so naturally, potato discs mean something along the lines of an edible potato Kabab-like food item 😉 

Aloo Tikkis are a popular, Pakistani and Indian vegetarian street-food item which is also cooked at home and served alongside meals. 

How to cook the potatoes for Aloo Tikki

First, the potatoes are cooked till tender - you are free to choose whatever method: boiling, steaming, microwaving, roasting. Heck, if you have some leftover mashed potatoes hanging about feel free to use those!

One important thing I will say here though is if you do choose to boil or steam, please make sure you don't overcook your potatoes. Overcooking them means they will sap up a lot of moisture, which will make the potatoes super wet and difficult to bind.

My favourite kind of potatoes to use for this is roasted potatoes. They retain the least amount of moisture this way. Second to this (because WHO actually roasts potatoes for Aloo Tikkis? LOL, I only use them when I have leftover roast potatoes), I like microwaving them. It's just quicker, easier and the potatoes don't retain excess moisture this way. 

More Aloo ki Tikki tips:

• Feel free to add in some extras you may have lying around! As long as they are low in moisture, it won't mess up the recipe. Add-ons can include leftover boiled veggies such as peas or sweetcorn, boiled egg cut into small pieces, paneer, chickpeas. Anything really!
• Cheeky secret - you can totally use a packet of Smash for these. I am not averse to using Smash - just like in my Cheats Aloo Paratha recipe.
• Aloo ki Tikkis are GREAT to prep in advance! They sit beautifully in the fridge. Shape them and line them up on some greaseproof paper covered in cling film, and then just before you want to have them, dip them in egg and fry them. 
• You can freeze them too, just like Shami Kabobs. I haven't personally done this, but I am told they come out fine as long as you don't allow them to defrost. Just coat in egg and fry from frozen.

How to serve Aloo ki Tikkis

These cutlets are a must have item to serve alongside rice and tadka dal. It's a classic combination!

You can definitely serve them alongside most rice dishes such as chicken pilau. They also go fabulously on a street food-style set up, served alongside chana chaat, samosas, dahi bhallay.

I would also like to add, these are excellent to throw into a sandwich on a lazy day (add some cheese and green chutney too, you won't regret it!)

Aloo ki Tikki 101 - Troubleshooting Problems

1. The potato mixture isn't binding - This may be because the potatoes have absorbed too much moisture during cooking. If this is the case, add some flour or cornmeal to the mixture till it begins to bind. You may need to adjust the spices accordingly. To avoid this in the future, I would recommend steaming the potatoes as opposed to boiling, and if boiling then making sure that the potatoes do not overcook and are removed from the water immediately after being cooked. Another solution is to let the mixture chill in the fridge for a few hours to firm up. If they still do no t bind then add 2-3tbsp gram flour.

2. The cutlets break when flipping or during cooking - Allow the cutlets to cook undisturbed on the pan until one side crisps up properly and forms a 'skin' from the egg mixture. Alternatively, it could be because the potato mixture has absorbed too much moisture and isn't binding well. If this is the case, read tip 1.

3. The outer-layer is burning and the inside is still cold - The pan is too hot. Allow the pan to cool and then head the pan on low to medium-low. Alternatively, the cutlet has been on the pan too long if the inside has warmed sufficiently.

4. The Aloo Tikki isn't forming a crisp looking, brown coating - This could mean the pan isn't hot enough, or could also mean there isn't enough oil to help crisp things up. Frying in a bit of oil goes a long way for ensuring things look good. You can drain excess oil on a paper towel after frying, if you would rather keep oil consumption to a minimum.

If you have any questions or issues with the cutlets, leave a comment below and I will add it to the 101 above.

Enjoy!

📋 Recipe

Aloo Tikki | Aloo Kabab | Aloo Ki Tikki

These potato cutlets are bursting with flavour, thanks to the array of spices and fresh coriander. You can play around with the spices if you so wish - use the following spices and their amounts as a guideline and get creative in the kitchen! This is a great recipe to have on hand when you are short on ingredients but still want to make something more than a standard meal.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 tikkis

4.72 from 7 votes

Print Rate

Ingredients

0.5x1x2x3x

• 2 medium potatoes, raw (about 500g or 1.1lb)
• ½ small onion
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 2 teaspoon ground coriander powder
• 1.25 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 0.5 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 0.5 teaspoon chat masala optional, adds a slight tang
• 0.5 teaspoon garam masala optional, adds richness
• 1 small handful chopped fresh coriander
• 1 teaspoon butter or ghee optional
• 1 egg for shallow frying
• oil for shallow frying

Instructions

• Cook your potatoes as per your preference (boil, steam, roast, microwave etc). Refrain from over-cooking the potatoes if you are steaming or boiling them.
• Once cooked, peel and mash the potatoes
• Add the rest of the ingredients (except the egg and oil for frying) and mix in, making sure to evenly distribute the spices. Don't be afraid to use your hands!
• Fom 6 equal cutlets (tikki) from the potato mixture
• Refrigerate for a few hours. This step is optional but I find it helps the cutlets firm up and prevents them from breaking during the flipping process when cooking
• When ready to cook, beat one egg in a bowl and set aside. Heat a pan on medium heat with a light spray of oil.
• Dip each cutlet into the egg mixture and place on the pan. Allow to cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Gently flip and let the other side cook, again for approximately 5 minutes. You may need to adjust the flame if you find the cutlets are browning too much or too little.
• Your Aloo Tikki is ready! Serve however you want - these go lovely with rice and lentils, or on their own with chutneys.

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