Aloo Tikki Chaat Recipe Delhi Style

About Aloo Tikki

Over the years, Chaat has become emblematic of Indian Cuisine. The tour of the narrow, hustling bustling bylanes of India, especially Delhi, to taste the authentic flavours served by local food carts is not concluded until you dig into a delectable platter of aloo tikki chaat. The plate full of tikki chaat laced with vivacious condiments, some sweet while others are spicy, is one of the must-try Indian street food fares. Over the years, aloo tikki has become one of the most popular potato snacks across North India.

My Delhi Style Aloo Tikki Chaat

On routine visits to Chaat stall, the colossal and spacious pan of Chaat wala always fascinated me. The hot oil was sputtering in that wide pan while he with skilled precision shallow fried so many aloo patties at a time is always a fascinating watch. As the evening progresses into night, the mob of hungry goblins starts gathering around the Chaat Wala. Each gluttonous pair of eyes stared at the potato tikki swimming in the hot oil, waiting zealously for their plate of decked-up aloo tikki chaat. The surface of his aloo ki tikki is perfectly crisp, crunchy, and deep golden, while the inside layer is a mouth-melting mashed potato. Over the years, admiringly staring at the Chaat vendor’s pan and gulping plates full of aloo tikki chaat helped me understand the nuances of a perfect aloo tikki. If you are looking for a crispy Delhi style aloo tikki recipe with that golden brown colour and crunchy stuffing (yes, my tikki has filling) just like the chaat wala, then this is the recipe worth bookmarking.

Perfect Aloo Tikki – My Tips

Tip 1) Boil potato a few hours beforehand or the previous day and keep in the fridge. This way, you get the perfect moisture-free boiled potatoes to make tikki. Tip 2) Grate the boiled potatoes rather than mash. This will help to get a smooth texture of the tikki. Tip 3) To handle the potato mixture while shaping the patties dip your fingers in lukewarm water or grease them with a teaspoon of oil to smoothen the edges and avoid the stickiness of the dough. Tip 4) Do not overstuff the potato coating with the dal mixture. Otherwise, it will burst open while shallow frying. Tip 2) Always fry tikki in hot oil over low to medium heat. If you fry tikki on very high heat, they will burn from the outside and remain cold/uncooked from the inside. Also, do not flip the tikki while frying more than once or twice.

Serving Suggestion

Serve homemade aloo tikki with sweet curd (dahi), mint chutney, tamarind chutney or sweet date chutney, crushed crisp papdi for the crunchiness, and a dash of spices sprinkled on top like cumin powder, chaat masala and chilli powder. You can add thinly sliced beetroot or finely chopped fresh coriander right before serving the tikki chaat. Many food lovers like to serve boiled chana (chole) or ragda along with aloo tikki.