In India, street vendors fry spicy aloo tikki on portable charcoal grills. The wafting aroma can draw hungry customers from miles around! Serve these as a party snack with an array of chutneys for dipping.
| 1 | pound | potatoes, mashed |
| 1 | medium | onion, minced |
| 1 | 1-inch piece | fresh ginger, peeled and minced |
| 2–3 | Thai chiles, chopped | |
| 1 | egg, beaten | |
| 1/2 | teaspoon | red chili powder |
| 3/4 | teaspoon | ground cumin |
| 1/4 | teaspoon | garam masala |
| 1 1/2 | teaspoons | salt |
| 1/2 | teaspoon | freshly ground black pepper |
| 1/4 | cup | flour |
| ~ | vegetable oil for frying | |
| ~ | cilantro for garnish | |
| 1 | recipe | tamarind chutney * |
| 1 | recipe | cilantro chutney |
*Tamarind chutney is available at Indian grocery stores if you don't want to make it yourself.
1. Combine the mashed potatoes, onion, ginger, chiles and egg in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
2. Add the chili powder, cumin, garam masala, salt and pepper and mix well.
3. Form the mixture into cakes 1 ½ inches in diameter by ½ inch high.
4. Lightly dust the potato cakes with flour.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy, flat-bottomed pan over a high heat until almost smoking.
6. Place 3–4 cakes into the pan and lower the heat to medium high. Allow them to sear and form a golden brown crust. Flip the cakes over and brown the other side.
NOTE: Do not use too much oil for frying; the cakes will absorb it and lose their texture. The aloo tikki should be lightly fried, not deep fried.
7. Remove the potato cakes and place them on a warm platter lined with paper towels. Blot any excess oil. Continue to fry in batches, adding more oil as needed. Hold the finished cakes in a warm oven until you have fried the entire recipe, then serve immediately with tamarind or cilantro chutney.
