Alu tikkis (potato patties)

Sometimes you just get a craving for something you KNOW is unhealthy - spicy deep-fried snacks, for instance, or the fast-food that is so plentifully available in India... samosas, veg cutlets, bajji, pav bhaji, cashewnut-onion pakoda and so on. Unfortunately (or fortunately, perhaps) none of those things are easy for me to obtain where I live, so eventually the cravings die an unnatural death by unfulfilment. Just sometimes, though, a compromise is reached between cravings and healthy eating - and alu tikkis (potato patties) baked in the oven is one such compromise.

I baked most of them in the oven, and shallow-fried a few in a wide pan using as little oil as possible, in a spirit of scientific curiosity. I just wanted to find out just how much difference there would be in taste and texture... and argh, the shallow-fried ones were - naturally - much tastier and better in texture as well. But oh well, there are some sacrifices that have to be made in the interests of low-fat cooking.

Note that I said the oil-fried ones were "tastier" - meaning that the oven-baked ones were really quite tasty and rather nice with low-fat sour cream, and even nicer with sweet-sour chutney and garlic-tomato ketchup.

Recipe for: Alu tikkis (potato patties)

Ingredients:

2 large baking potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed (Doesnt have to be very smooth but dont leave in large lumps!)
1/2 cup green peas, cooked and mashed slightly
1-1/2 cups breadcrumbs (I used a mix of white and wholemeal)
4-5 green chillies, minced
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
Salt to taste
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs mixed with 3 tsp sesame seeds
Oil to shallow fry (if shallow frying)

Method:

1. Mix together all the ingredients (except the 1 cup breadcrumbs mixed with sesame seeds) together to make a firm dough.

2. Shape into round patties about half an inch thick.

3. Press both sides of each patty into the breadcrumb-sesame seed mix to coat.



4. Arrange the patties on a non-stick baking sheet and bake in the oven till golden brown, turning them over once during the cooking time. Mine took about 15 minutes, I think - cant be more certain because unfortunately I neglected to time it.

Baked alu tikkis

If shallow-frying, fry in batches on a flat frying pan or tava, until golden brown. Keep the cooked patties warm in the oven.


Shallow-fried tikkis

5. Serve hot, with sour cream, tomato ketchup or any savoury chutney on the side.