Alu Tikiya ki Chaat (Crispy Fried Potato Patties with Dried Peas, Yogurt, Chutney and Spices)

Photo courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

Recipe Courtesy: Mamma (Sumita Moitra)

As I wrote in my previous article (Meethi Chutney Matar Phulki), I decided to prepare some yummy Chaat at home from scratch. The idea was to have a fun evening with our favorite Indian street foods. 

Every Chaat lover knows that Phulki is just a start, you have to continue the lip smacking journey with some delicious Tikiya and who else can give me a perfect Tikiya recipe other than my mom? For those who don’t know, enjoying a plate of hot steaming Chaat with your mom, sister or girl friends is another heavenly experience. Those few minutes when no one talks, other than the occasional requests to the Chaat wala, ‘bhaiya thoda aur chutney de do’ (brother, can you please add some more chutney in my Chaat?) and once everyone finishes eating, the planning for the next Chaat meeting starts. I think it’s amazing how our heart can feel so content just by eating a few plates of street food which are normally the most inexpensive foods you can ever find.

Now, I have tried other recipes of Alu Tikiya before but my mom’s recipe is easy and quick. All you need to do is boil and grate the potatoes and mix it with a little flour which will help to bind together the potatoes and make a nice round patty. The flour will also absorb the extra moisture of the potatoes. The patty will be prepared by shaping the potatoes in a round shape and patting them down a bit to flatten them. After that they are fried twice and served hot. 

When ready to serve, arrange all the ingredients (Chutney, Yogurt, Onion, Masala and Alu Tikiya) in different bowls on the table so that everyone can assemble the final dish themselves as per their liking. I do hope that you will also enjoy this dish as much as we did.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 2, cut into halves, washed, boiled, drained and peeled
• Salt - to taste (about ½ teaspoon)
• Oil – to fry (about 2 ½ cups)
• Green Chilli - 2, chopped
• All Purpose Flour – about 2-3 tablespoons, or as required

Serve with:

• Plain non-fat Yogurt – 2-3 cups, whipped
• Chutney – Hot Mango or Tamarind, ½ cup
• Onion – ½ cup, chopped finely
• Masala – Recipe in the Phulki article
• Matar – Recipe in the Phulki article

Directions:

• Let the potatoes cool down completely. 
• Grate the potatoes using a grater.
• Mix the Salt and Green Chilies in it.
• Mix a tablespoon of Flour in it. If the mixture feels sticky, add some more flour. You will see the texture changing. The flour will start absorbing the extra moisture.
• Start rolling the balls. Apply a little oil on your palms, this will help you to roll the balls easily without sticking the potatoes all over your fingers. 
• Once you have rolled all the balls, start flattening them and smooth the sides so that they don’t crack. The flour will make the patty look smooth.
• Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add 2-3 tablespoons of Oil in it.
• After a minute, start adding the patties in it in a single layer. Do not over crowd the skillet, add only 5-6 patties at a time.

• Carefully turn each patty over with a spatula and cook the other side until they look reddish golden in color then transfer them on a paper towel.
• We will fry them again later, 5-10 minutes before serving so that they are hot and taste crispy and not greasy. Heat a wok over high heat. Add about 2 cups of oil in it.
• Press the patties lightly with your palm so that they flatten even more. Be careful not to break them.
• Drop the patties (carefully) in the oil and fry them till they are reddish brown in color and crisp up.
• Serve them with Yogurt, Matar, Onion, Chutney and Masala.

Tips:

• Use the leftover Alu Tikki (if any) to prepare delicious sandwiches or burgers. Use Cilantro Chutney or ketchup with onion rings to add more flavor.
• Check my article on Meethi Chutney Matar Phulki for the recipe of Matar and Masala.
• Once you drain the potatoes and peel them, you can leave them in the colander on your kitchen counter for a while. This will dry them up automatically.
• Different potatoes develop different textures when boiled. Increase or decrease the amount of flour accordingly. The purpose of adding the flour is to reduce the stickiness of the grated potatoes.
• Use russet potatoes.
• Use a grater.
• You can use the same skillet to re-fry the Tikiyas, no need to use the wok and less to wash!
• When serving to guests, fry the Tikiyas before hand and keep them warm and crisp by placing them in an oven safe dish. Heat the oven to the lowest temperature (170 degrees F) and place the Tikiyas inside the oven. When ready to serve, they will be just as warm and crisp as if they have been freshly fried.

Recommended reading:

• Allahabad - The City of Good Food
• Pyaz Ke Pakore (Onion Fritters)
• Lassi and Namkeens of Loknath
• Dhania Chutney
• Samosa (Spicy Potato stuffed Pastries)
• Meethi Chutney Matar Phulki
• How to Deep-Fry food with Confidence?
• How to check if the oil is hot enough to fry
• Kitchen essentials: Utensils which come handy
• Tamarind Chutney – sweetness with tang
• Methi Pakora (Gram flour and Fenugreek leaves Fritters)
• Palak ke Pakore (Gram flour and Spinach Fritters)
• My Cheap and Delicious Cheese Plate
• Alu Cutlet (Crispy Shallow Fried Potato Patties)
• Loknath wali Meethi Lassi (Sweet Yogurt based drink)
• Namkeen (Savory Deep Fried Indian Snacks)
• Plum Chutney
• Mamma’s Dahi Bara (Lentil Fritters with creamy Yogurt, Chutney and Spices)
• Baked Cumin / Nigella Seeds Namkeens
• Egg Devil (Bengali recipe of Croquettes with egg and minced meat/ Indian Scotch Eggs)
• Masala Alu (Spiced Potatoes)
• Vegetable Cutlets