Dish of Potato Spinach Tikki
(click to enlarge)

Potato Spinach Tikki


India   -   Palak Aloo Tikki
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 14
***
45 min
Yes		 Fried Tikkis (Koftas, Cutlets) are very popular in India, made with many different ingredients. They may be patties, balls, or other shapes, but see Comments.

1
1
1/2
1/2
1
1
2
1
1
ar
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#
c
t
in

T
T
t
t

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Potatoes, russet (1)  
"Spinach" (2)
Cumin Seed
Ginger Root
Green Chili (3)
Rice Flour
Besan Flour (4)
Salt
Oil
Oil, deep fry
-- Serve with
Chutney (5)
Do Ahead   -   (50 min)
  1. Boil POTATOES, skin on, until a thin skewer passes through the thickest part without hitting a stiff spot. Cool enough to handle, and peel.
Prep:   -   (30 min)
  1. Mash Potatoes and place in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Chop "SPINACH" very small. Measure is firmly packed after stemming and chopping.
  3. Grind Cumin Seeds.
  4. Slice GINGER very thin crosswise. Cut slices into threads, and chop threads fine. Cap CHILI and chop fine. Mix.
  5. In a medium skillet, heat 1 teaspoon Oil. Fry Ginger mix stirring for a minute.
  6. Stir in Spinach and fry stirring until wilted and pretty much cooked. Add a teaspoon of water if too dry, but it shouldn't be wet when done. Stir in to the bowl with the Potatoes.
  7. Stir in Cumin, Rice Flour, Besan Flour and Salt. Massage into a thick, formable dough. If it seems sticky, add more Besan.
  8. Set out a sheet of wax paper and form Tikkis as balls up to 1-1/2 inch diameter
Run:   -   (15 min)
  1. Heat deep fry Oil to about 350°F/177°C. Keep from going higher so balls will heat through before getting too dark.
  2. Fry Tikkis a few at a time, turning often, until golden brown.
  3. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
  4. Serve hot with condiments of your choice - see Serving.
NOTES:

  1. Potatoes:

      Russets are the potatoes you want to use. They're relatively dry, fry well and cook up tender in a short time. For details see our Potatoes page.

  2. Spinach:

      You can use Euro-American Spinach if you wish, but über expert Julie Sahni says white stemmed Chard is closer to what is called "Spinach" (Palak) in India. The photo examples were made with Chard.

  3. Green Chili:

      Hot green Indian Chilis are unreliably available even here in Los Angeles, so we usually use Serranos. A whole Serrano gives these a distinct bite, so if you are a bit chili adverse, use half of one. For details see our Indian Chilis page.

  4. Besan Flour:

      This is flour made from Desi type Chickpeas, available in all Indian markets and many multi-ethnic markets. For details see our Products from Beans page.

  5. Serving:

      Tikki are often served with "Green Chutney", see our recipe Cilantro Mint Chutney. Other chutneys can be used. These Tikki are best served hot, or at least quite warm. They can be made ahead and reheated in the oven.

  6. Comments:

      Often Tikki are patties and pan fried. These don't hold together well that way, so here we make them into balls and deep fry them, which works very well.
  7. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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