I’m sharing the simplest and fastest way to make stuffed aloo tikki. You can cook potatoes and lentils together in an instant pot – in minutes!
What is Aloo Tikki?
Aloo tikki is a really popular type of Indian street food. This type of tikki is made with boiled potatoes, spices and sometimes (like in this recipe) it’s stuffed with lentils. Aloo tikki translates to potato cutlet. These pan-fried fritters are both crispy and creamy and thanks to the lentil filling, they’re spicy and tangy and nutty too.
How to Make Aloo Tikki
Let’s Chaat Chat About How We’re Going to Make Tikki!
First, we’re going to cook the soaked chana dal and the gold potatoes together in our instant pot. Make sure to use gold/yellow potatoes for this recipe (they’re not as starchy as other potatoes).
Once the dal and potatoes are done cooking, we’re going to drain the dal and spice it up! We want the stuffing to be really flavorful – tangy and spicy.
Then we mash the potatoes and add some rice flour or cornstarch and mix until it forms a dough. The rice flour/cornstarch helps make the dough easier to shape and will also help in making the crust crisp.
Mash the Potatoes?! But Ashley, Aren’t You Supposed to Grate Potatoes?
To mash or grate? This is apparently a “controversial issue” when it comes to making tikkis. Gotta love a good food fight. 😉 After talking tikki with family and friends, I’ve learned that there is this notion that you’re supposed to hand grate potatoes when making aloo tikki because otherwise “the tikkis won’t be smooth inside.” I’m here to tell you, that’s just not true. Mashing potatoes will result in tikkis that are just as good and way easier to make – as long as you mash them well, that is. Get yourself a potato masher (and get rid of your hand-grater). And I’m not just telling you to get something you’ll only use once in a blue moon. I’m a city-dweller who understands the value of limited kitchen drawer space. I use my potato masher surprisingly often – to make tikkis, Pav Bhaji, Aloo Curry, Mashed Potatoes. Just the thought of having to hand-grate potatoes is enough to turn me off from making a recipe. But my parents insist that I tell you that you can grate the potatoes if you want to, lol. 😂 Now that we’ve settled that… Roll the dough into a log make 8 slices (or however many slices you want). Flatten it, stuff with dal, roll it into a round patty. And pan-fry! You can shallow or deep-fry. I usually shallow-fry and have listed the amount of oil I use in the recipe card below. Just so you know, I tried frying these guys in my instant pot (the way I fry my Kadhi Pakoras) but it was too difficult to flip the tikkis in the IP which is why I suggest frying them on the stovetop. Much easier. Look at that crispy, golden crust! You can serve stuffed aloo tikkis with: If you want to make this more of a meal, you can serve this with chana masala to make aloo tikki chole or you can put a tikki in between a bun for an aloo tikki burger. Or just eat them plain! They’re awesome as is. Tell me what you think! Like this recipe? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board now so you will remember to make it later!
