Aloo Tikki — Delhi's Crispy Spiced Potato Patty
Deepa ShahShare
Aloo tikki is Delhi street food at its most satisfying — a potato patty with a deeply golden, genuinely crispy exterior and a warmly spiced, soft interior. The version you get from a good Delhi chaat stall has a specific character: the crust is substantial, almost fried-hard in places; the filling is well-seasoned with cumin, amchur, and green chilli; and the whole thing holds together when pressed without being starchy or gummy. Getting this right at home requires attention to a few specific steps that most recipes skip.
What Makes Aloo Tikki Work
Three things determine whether an aloo tikki is good or mediocre: the potato preparation, the spicing, and the frying technique.
Potato preparation: Use starchy potatoes (Kufri Jyoti or any floury variety). Boil until completely tender, drain well, and mash while still hot. Let the mashed potato steam-dry in the pan for 2–3 minutes before adding anything else — moisture is the enemy of a crispy tikki. Add cornflour (1 tbsp per cup of mashed potato) to bind and improve the crust.
Spicing: The filling should be assertively seasoned — underseasoned tikki is flat and forgettable. Dry-roast and grind Phoran Cumin Seeds before adding them; roasted cumin has a deeper, smokier flavour than raw. Amchur is essential for the tangy note. Green chilli should be finely minced, not chunky.
Frying: Shallow-fry on medium heat with enough oil to come about 3–4mm up the sides of the patty. Do not move them for the first 3 minutes — let the crust set. A tikki that's flipped too early will stick and break. Press lightly with a spatula once turned. The goal is a deep mahogany crust, not pale gold.
Ingredients (makes 10–12 tikkis)
For the Tikki
- 500g starchy potatoes, boiled and peeled
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tsp Phoran Cumin Seeds, dry-roasted and coarsely ground
- ½ tsp Phoran Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
- 1 tsp Phoran Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- 2 green chillies, finely minced
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- Oil for shallow frying
For the Chaat Assembly
- Thick plain yogurt, whisked smooth
- Tamarind chutney
- Green mint-coriander chutney
- Phoran Jeeravan Chaat Masala for finishing
- Fine sev
- Finely chopped onion
Method
- Mash the boiled potatoes while still hot until completely smooth — no lumps. Spread in the pan and cook on low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, to evaporate excess moisture. The mixture should pull away from the pan slightly.
- Transfer to a bowl. Add cornflour, roasted cumin, turmeric, amchur, Kashmiri chilli, green chilli, coriander, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Taste — the mixture should be noticeably well-seasoned, slightly tangy, and aromatic.
- Divide into 10–12 portions. Shape each into a round patty about 1.5cm thick and 6cm across. Press firmly so they hold together. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes — this helps them stay intact during frying.
- Heat 3–4 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed pan (cast iron is ideal) on medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the tikkis in a single layer without crowding.
- Fry undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until a deep golden crust forms on the bottom. Flip carefully. Press lightly with a spatula. Fry another 3 minutes. The finished tikki should be mahogany-coloured on both sides with a hard, set crust.
- Serve immediately. For aloo tikki chaat: place 2 tikkis on a plate, spoon yogurt over, drizzle tamarind and green chutney, scatter onion and sev, and finish with a generous pinch of Jeeravan Chaat Masala.
Variations
- Stuffed tikki: Flatten a portion of potato, place a spoonful of spiced cooked chana in the centre, fold and seal, reshape into a patty. Fry the same way.
- Tikki burger: Serve in a soft bun with onion rings, chutneys, and a sprinkle of chaat masala.
- Aloo tikki chole: Serve tikkis topped with hot, thick chole (spiced chickpea curry) instead of yogurt.
