Topic: Aloo tikki ?

[Peripatetic Phil]

I know that my occasional reference to Messrs Crowhurst and Tompsett in the context of BIR cuisine is confusing to some many, but the shop is owned and run by a delightful older Indian couple (I believe they are Mr & Mrs Charan Athwal) and their two sons.  Anyhow, I was in there two days ago to see if my atta had arrived (they are going to split a 10kg sack with me) and I spotted what I thought were aloo chop or aloo choff in the chiller.  I asked where they had come from, and one of the sons told me his mum had made them the night before.  So, I purchased half a dozen, ate one cold, and the remaining five re-heated on a baking tray and then turned once after they were removed from the oven.  They were absolutely delicious.  When I went in yesterday I asked the son to tell his mum how good I thought they were, and his father corrected my name : "not aloo chop", he said, "aloo tikki".  I hope very much that Mrs Athwal will be willing to share her recipe with me, but in the meantime if anyone has a tried and rested recipe for aloo tikki I would be delighted to hear of it.

** Phil.

[PaulP]

There is one here Phil:

http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=10561

Let us know if you try it please.

Cheers

Paul

[Peripatetic Phil]

There is one here Phil:  http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=10561Let us know if you try it please.

Thank you, Paul.  In fact, I already had that one open and bookmarked.  It looks very close to what I believe Mrs Athwal used, and I will probably make that one first unless anyone on CR0 has first-hand experience of another recipe and can vouch for it.

** Phil.

[Micky Tikka]

Aloo Tikki

For the potatoes

3 medium potatoes
3 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp black pepper
3tsp black rock salt
2tsp ajwain seeds
3tsp amchoor
1tbs yellow chilly powder
2 tbs dried mint leaves ground
4 green chillys chopped
1 large spring coriander chopped
ghee for shallow frying
salt

For the filling

 large pinch of asafoetida or garlic or onion powder
250g peas
4 tbs ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 inch piece ginger finely chopped
4 green chillies chopped
1tsp amchor
1tsp black pepper

for the filling
dissolve the asafoetida in 2 tbs of water and set a side.
cook potatoes for 20 min
when cool take of skins and mash

cook peas then mash

put mash potatoes spices mint chillies and coriander in bowl mix and divide into 12 balls

to make the filling heat ghee in a pan , add the cumin seeds until they begin to splutter.  Add reserved asafoetidea, ginger, chillies and stir fry for a few seconds then add the mashed peas, stir fry until mixture becomes dry.  Remove pan from heat and stir in amchoor and black pepper.  Adjust the seasoning and allow to cool.  When cool mash with pototoe masher and divide into 12 equal portions. 

With damp hands, flatten each pototoe ball to make round patties, place a portion of the filling in the middle, roll into balls again to enclose the filling.  When flatten to make 1cm thick round patties. 

Heat the ghee for shallow frying on a thick tawa or flat griddle or in a frying pan over a medium heat working in patches, add the patties, shallow fry turning once for about 3-5 minutes on both sides, or unti a thick crust is formed.

Not tested but from India cookbook by Pushpesh Pant 
well worth the 20 quid 

[Peripatetic Phil]

Thank you, Michael : much appreciated. I am inclined to try Mumta's first, just because it is simpler, but this one looks well worth trying when I have more time.

** Phil.

[Micky Tikka]

 There was a simpler one

Aloo Tikki Awadhi

can PM you if you fancy it

[Peripatetic Phil]

Thanks, Michael : much appreciated.
** Phil.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I hope very much that Mrs Athwal will be willing to share her recipe with me ...

Which she willingly did, when I spoke to her today.  No quanties, no "recipe" in the strict sense of the word, but a list of ingredients and instructions :

• Potatoes (par-) boil the day before, store in 'fridge, then mash or grate on following day
• Fresh ginger
• Fresh coriander
• Onion (your choice, including spring)
• Fresh chillies (ideally green, could be red)
• Cumin (brown, no need to roast)
• Ajwain
• Salt (to taste)
• Gram flour (for binding)

• (Par-)boil the potatoes the day before, then leave overnight in the 'fridge and grate or mash when ready to make the tikki;
• Add the remaining ingredients, all shredded/chopped as appropriate, and all raw (no pre-cooking);
• Add a little gram flour as a binder and form into balls, then flatten;
• Heat oil or ghee, fry on both sides, and serve.

Ideally eaten straight from the frying pan, but can be successfully re-heated on a baking tray (if re-heating, turn them after removing the tray from the oven to allow the second side to re-crisp).

Will be tested as soon as I have some fresh chillies (forgot to buy them today).  Also bought some splendid homemade Indian pickles and pakoras, and a 10kg sack of white Elephant Atta for GBP 6-99.

** Phil.

[Peripatetic Phil]

As reported in the "Chicken Madras" thread, I made and cooked Aloo Tikki over the weekend to Mrs Athwal's recipe, and they were very nice indeed.  I made two batches, one with the potatoes (par-)boiled in plain salted water and the other in salted water with Panch Phoran : I have not tried the latter yet.  The former were good, but I found it difficult to get them as crispy as Mrs Athwal, and today I am experimenting to see how this aspect can be improved.  What I have learned so far as that they crisp better with long slow frying (much to my surprise), and that the crispness can be improved even further by lightly brushing them with a very thin seasoned besan batter.  I seasoned mine with Hing, Kashmiri Mirch and salt, but I think that a little Ajwain might not go amiss there as well.

With the benefit of hindsight, I would err on the side of under-cooking the potatoes, and would double the number of green chillies (de-seeded) that I used; all other aspects seem fine.  With the next batch (those pre-cooked in Panch Phoran) I will see if I can get the required crispness without using any besan batter.

** Phil.

[vinders]

Hi Phil

Did you obtain the adequate level of crispiness? I ask as I've just tried a recipe (from the book 100 best balti curries)that involves using rice flour and deep frying twice. I only deep fried the once but was still pleased with the crispiness.