When I think about potato cutlets, I recall a Pakistani dish that I have been eating since childhood. I think about my mother’s homemade lentils and rice, which I used to love so much. I remember sneaking bites of those delicious and tender cutlets from the kitchen when no one was looking. I knew I would get caught later, but I could never wait patiently.
After marriage, my first few attempts at making potato cutlets were innocent successes. The cutlets would often break apart when flipped, become too soft, not bind well, or get burnt on the outside.
I asked my mother and aunts, practiced many times, and eventually realized that I was doing several things wrong, resulting in my cutlets continuously failing. I have included a “Aloo ki Tikki ” section below the recipe so that those who are struggling like me or making it for the first time can be helped, thus avoiding the challenges I faced.
How to Make Aloo Tikki Super Crispy!
Cook the cutlets on low to medium heat for 5 minutes on each side. This will also prevent the cutlets from breaking, just like mine used to.
Updating this recipe in December 2021, six years after uploading the original recipe, it’s important to note that you should use slightly more oil for frying on high heat to achieve an excellent crispy outer surface. We’re not talking about deep frying here, but you’ll need to add some oil to the pan for shallow frying. It really makes a difference in how crispy the outer layer becomes. If you strongly prefer to avoid shallow frying, using less oil will still work, but it won’t give the same level of crispiness as deep frying does.
What’s Aloo Tikki?
The word “aaloo” is used in Urdu for potatoes.
The word “tikki” actually represents a “patty” – so naturally, potato patties refer to a type of dish.
Aaloo ki tikkis are a popular, Pakistani and Indian street food item that is also cooked at home and served as a snack or side dish with meals.
Cooking Potatoes for Aloo Tikki
First, cook the potatoes until they are soft – you can choose any method: boiling, steaming, microwaving, or baking. Choose the method that seems easiest to you. If you have pre-boiled potatoes, it’s better to use them.
An important point is that if you choose to boil or steam, please make sure not to overcook the potatoes. Overcooking makes them too wet, and they become difficult to bind.
I prefer using my favorite type of potatoes, which are waxy potatoes. Using them ensures they retain minimal moisture. The other preferred type mentioned earlier (because who really boils potatoes for cutlets? Well, I only use them when I have leftover boiled potatoes) – I prefer microwaving them. It’s faster, easier, and keeps the potatoes less moist as well.
More Aloo ki Tikki tips:
If you have any extra ingredients that you haven’t used before, feel free to include them! Just make sure they are not too moist, so they won’t cause any issues in the recipe. You can add leftover boiled vegetables like peas or carrots, chopped boiled eggs into small pieces, paneer, chickpeas – anything, really!
Here’s a little lizard secret – you can use totaLly here. I’m not shying away from its use – just like in my cheesy aloo paratha recipe.
Potato cutlets are perfect for preparing in a professional manner! They sit beautifully on a plate. Shape them and line them with parchment paper, and then when you’re ready to fry them, dip them in beaten eggs and fry them.
You can also freeze them, just don’t let them get too wet. I haven’t personally tried it myself, but I’ve been told that as long as you don’t soak them even once, they freeze well. Just dip them in beaten eggs and fry them while they’re frozen.
Ways to Present Aloo Tikki
These cutlets are essential for serving with rice and lentil dal. It’s a classic and complete combination!
You can also serve them with other rice dishes like chicken pulao. They complement street-style setups wonderfully and can be served with dishes like chana chaat, samosas, or dahi bhalle.
I would also like to add that these cutlets are great for making sandwiches on lazy days. (I’ll include cheese and green chutney too, you won’t regret it!)
The potato mixture is not binding
This could be because the potatoes have absorbed too much moisture during cooking. If that’s the issue, you can add some flour or cornmeal to the mixture until it starts binding. You may need to adjust the proportions accordingly.
To prevent this binding issue in the future, I prefer boiling the potatoes instead of baking them, and if you prefer baking, make sure the potatoes are not overcooked and remove them from the oven immediately. Another solution is to refrigerate the mixture for a few hours to firm it up. If it still doesn’t bind, you can add 2-3 tablespoons of warm onion flour to the mixture.
The cutlets break apart while flipping or cooking
Let the cutlets cook in the pan without disturbing them until one side becomes completely crispy, and they naturally release from the egg mixture. On the other hand, it could also be due to the potato mixture absorbing too much moisture and not binding well. If that’s the issue, try experimenting with tip 1.
The outer layer is burning while the inside is still cold
The pan is too hot. Let the pan cool down and then heat it on medium-low heat. On the flip side, if the inner side of the cutlet is getting too hot, it means the pan has been kept on for too long.
The outer layer of the potato tikki is not crispy and is brown
It could mean that the pan is not hot enough, or it could also mean that there is too much oil, which helps in making it crispy. A little oil in the oil is best for helping it crisp up. You can remove excess oil on paper towels after frying if you want to reduce oil consumption.
