When we mash potatoes, its better to grate the boiled potatoes and then mash it with a big spoon or fork. Once I mashed the potatoes in a food processor and the potatoes became so sticky that I could do not give any shape to them. The whole thing was a mess.

Another thing would be, if more paneer is used, then the mixture might get sticky. To balance, we will need to add more potatoes to the mixture.

I really don’t know what was the problem. A few suggestions might be of help:

1: You could a little more cornflour as it will bind the mixture well and help in keeping the shape.

2: 1 or 2 slices of bread soaked in water and then squeezed dry, could also be added. It will give bulk to the mixture and also help in binding as well as help in retaining the shape.

3: There are moulds of different shapes and sizes available in the market. You can stuff them with the mixture and then release it gently. You could use these too. This will give a nice shape to the tikki and there are less chances of the tikkis going shapeless if it is binded well.

4: Some other binding agents like arrow root powder, water-chestnut flour, buckwheat flour can also be used instead of corn flour.

5: Maida can also be used. But instead of adding it to the mixture, you make a paste of maida. Dip the tikkis in it and then shallow fry it. If using this technique than don’t fry it the way we did in this recipe. You either shallow fry or deep fry. This is similar like using beaten eggs for cutlets and patties, but an option for vegetarians.

I will not suggest coating with eggs for this recipe as the taste may go awry. But if you add chicken flakes instead of paneer to this recipe, then you can coat it with beaten eggs and breadcrumbs.

I hope the above suggestions are helpful and perhaps you could try with the suggestions and let me know the results.