Why this recipe works
A good tikki is all about a dry potato. Boiled potato holds a lot of water, and excess moisture is what makes tikkis fall apart or turn soggy instead of crisp. Dried well and bound with a little poha or cornflour, then shallow-fried, the patties crisp beautifully with far less oil than deep-frying.
Ingredients
Method
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1
Mash the boiled, well-dried potato with the spices.
Why dry it: damp potato makes a soft mix that sticks and steams rather than crisps, so drain and cool it well first.
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2
Bind with a little poha or cornflour and shape into patties.
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3
Shallow-fry on a griddle until deep golden and crisp on both sides.
Why shallow-fry: a griddle with a little oil crisps the tikki with a fraction of the oil of deep-frying.
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4
Serve with chutneys, or top with chana and yogurt for a chaat.
An honest word
Aloo tikki is potato at heart, so it is about what you do with it: shallow-fry rather than deep-fry, keep the oil modest, and it is a reasonable treat. On its own it is low in protein, so make it a proper meal by topping with chana (chole) and yogurt, as in a tikki chaat, which adds protein and turns a snack into something balanced.