Aloo Tikki Recipe (Indian Potato Patties)

• The potatoes and green peas have to be cooked together first. You can choose to leave out cooking green peas if you do not want to stuff the patties.

Cooking In Stovetop Pressure Cooker

• In a 3 or 4 litre stovetop pressure cooker take 4 to 5 large potatoes and 2.5 cups water.

  Place a small trivet and keep a bowl containing ½ cup green peas in it. Pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles on medium to medium-high flame.

  Remove the cooker's lid after all the pressure falls naturally in the cooker.

Cooking In Instant Pot

• Take the trivet that comes with the Instant pot package. Place this trivet in the steel insert of a 6 quart IP. Add 2.5 cups of water.

  On top of the trivet, Place 4 to 5 large potatoes and also keep a small bowl containing ½ cup green peas.

  Pressure cook on high for 20 to 25 minutes in the Instant Pot. Do a quick pressure release after 5 to 7 minutes after the cooking is complete.
• Check with a knife or fork to see if the potatoes are tender and cooked well. The fork or knife should be able to slid easily if the potatoes are cooked properly.

Making Green Peas Stuffing

• Drain the water from the steamed green peas using a small strainer or colander. Take the peas in a bowl and mash them.
• Mash to a coarse texture.
• To the peas, add red chilli powder or cayenne pepper, coriander powder, fennel powder, dry mango powder, finely chopped ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves, black salt and regular salt as per taste.
• Mix very well. Check taste and add more salt or the ground spice powders if required.

Making Potato Patty Mixture

• Meanwhile drain the water from the potatoes as well and let them become warm.
• When the potatoes are warm, then peel them and grate. I find it easier to grate the potatoes and then mash them.

  However, you can chop them first and mash with a potato masher. Let the grated or mashed potatoes cool completely.
• After the mashed potatoes have cooled completely, add the following ingredients: red chilli powder or cayenne pepper, garam masala powder or curry powder, coriander powder, dry mango powder, black salt and regular salt as per taste.
• Next add bread crumbs and arrowroot flour.

  Instead of arrowroot flour, you can also add rice flour, corn flour (corn starch) or tapioca starch or roasted besan (roasted chickpea flour or roasted gram flour).
• Mix everything thoroughly.

Stuffing And Shaping Aloo Tikki

• Divide the mixture into small or medium shaped patties with a hollow center or cup shaped discs.

  Choose to apply some oil on your palms as it is easier to shape and stuff them.
• Place the green peas filling in the center.
• Bring the mashed potato edges on the top and seal them.
• Roll gently between your palms and gently flatten. Make all aloo tikki this way.

Frying Aloo Tikki

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil till on a skillet or tawa or frying pan till it is medium hot. Gently place the tikki and begin to pan-fry them.
• When the base is crispy and golden, gently flip each tikki with a spatula.
• Fry the second side till crispy and golden. You can gently flip once or twice more till the aloo tikki are golden and crisp evenly.
• Remove and place in a strainer kept on top of a bowl. You can even drain them on paper towels. In batches fry all of the potato patties this way.

  Add 2 tablespoons more oil when frying the second batch.
• Serve Aloo Tikki plain with coriander chutney and tamarind chutney. You can also serve these potato patties with sweet yogurt raita or tomato ketchup.