No week is complete without some mouth-watering street food and so today I bring you one of my all time favorites – Aloo Tikki [Aloo=Potato, Tikki=Patties]. 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.
When I go home I go crazy eating chaat from my favorite stalls. 
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. It’s basically boiled potatoes mixed with spices and then fried. Sometimes the tikkis are also stuffed with things like spicy lentil mix or nuts etc. In this recipe, I have stuffed the tikkis with paneer. Fill your tikkis with homemade panner, find my easy recipe here.
I like my aloo tikki really crisp on outside. Now I always had a complain 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.
By the way I made these big tikkis using a cookie cutter.
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 my last trip to India. 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.
You can eat the aloo tikki as such with tomato ketchup or some hot & sweet sauce. But the most common way Indians eat aloo tikki is by topping it with lots of yogurt, cilantro mint chutney, some sweet chutney, onions and some spices.
PrintPaneer-Filled Aloo Tikki
- Yield: 4 servings (about 12 tikkis) 1x
Description
There’s nothing like street food in India, but you can recreate the famed fried potato cakes, aloo tikki, filled with spices and paneer.
Ingredients
For the tikki
- 3 potatoes (around 500 g)
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 1-2 green chilies, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3/4 cup poha (flattened rice flakes), soaked in 2-3 tablespoons of water
For the filling
- 1 cup crumbled paneer
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon amchur powder (dry mango powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons cashews, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons raisins, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon kala namak (black salt)
- Salt, to taste (around 1/2 teaspoon)
- 2 teaspoons oil
- Oil, for deep frying
To serve
- Yogurt, to taste
- Cilantro mint chutney, to taste
- Tamarind sweet chutney, to taste
- Chaat masala, to sprinkle
- Red chili powder, to sprinkle
- Chopped onion, to garnish
- Chopped cilantro, to garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the poha and 2–3 tablespoons of water. Leave for 5 minutes until softened.
- Boil the potatoes, let cool completely, then mash with a potato masher. Do not add salt — salt draws out moisture and makes the mixture harder to handle and less crispy.
- Add the chopped green chili, ginger, cornstarch, and soaked poha to the mashed potatoes. Mix until well combined. Set aside for 15 minutes while you make the filling.
- For the filling: heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the fennel seeds and cumin seeds and let them sizzle, then add the chopped ginger and sauté for a few seconds.
- Add the crumbled paneer and all the dry spices — red chili powder, amchur powder, garam masala, chaat masala, and kala namak. Add the salt and mix well.
- Cook for 2 minutes, then add the chopped cilantro, raisins, and cashews. Give a final mix and set aside. The filling is ready.
- Divide the potato mixture into equal portions and shape into balls. Press the center of each ball to make a dent.
- Place about 2 tablespoons of filling (or 1 tablespoon for smaller tikkis) into the dent and press in with a spoon. Pinch and seal the edges to fully enclose the filling. Repeat until all the mixture is used. (A cookie cutter can be used to shape them uniformly.)
- Heat oil in a deep pan to around 275°F (135°C). Carefully lower the tikkis in and fry for 4–5 minutes until a crust forms but no color develops. Remove and let cool completely.
- Raise the oil temperature to around 350°F (175°C). Fry the tikkis again for 2–3 minutes until deep golden brown and crispy on the outside. Drain on a kitchen towel.
- To serve, arrange on a plate and top with yogurt, cilantro mint chutney, and sweet chutney. Sprinkle with chaat masala and red chili powder. Garnish with chopped cilantro and onion. Serve immediately.
Notes
The double-fry method is the key to crispy tikkis: the first low-temperature fry sets the crust without browning, and the second high-temperature fry crisps them up. Do not skip the cooling step between fries. Keeping salt out of the potato mix also helps — it causes the potatoes to release moisture.
- Category: Appetizer, Side, Street Food
- Cuisine: Indian
Frequently Asked Questions
Why shouldn’t I add salt to the potato mix when making aloo tikki?
Adding salt releases moisture from the potatoes, making the mixture harder to handle and affecting the crispiness of the tikkis.
What is the purpose of using flattened rice flakes (poha) and corn starch in the mixture?
Flattened rice flakes and corn starch act as binders, helping to hold the potato mixture together while also contributing to a crispy texture when fried.
How can I ensure my aloo tikki are crispy on the outside?
To achieve crispy aloo tikki, follow the three steps outlined in the recipe: avoid adding salt, use flattened rice flakes and corn starch, and fry the tikkis properly.
hi!
I would like to know the nutritional facts about this? how can I get those?
You can try those websites like my fitness pal etc. where you can add in each ingredient and then it gives you the nutritional facts about each. hope that helps!
I tried your recipe with slight changes to my taste, it turned out to be great !! Loved it and all my friends loved it too !!
Thank you for sharing this recipe !!
– Jo
Glad you liked it!