Aloo Tikki Recipe (Crispy Potato Patties)
Aloo Tikki is a popular North Indian street food made with mashed potatoes, spices, and herbs shaped into patties and shallow fried until crisp. These potato patties are often served on their own or used in chaat preparations. This post shares a classic Aloo Tikki recipe along with an optional green peas stuffing for extra flavor. The peas filling is optional, but it adds a nice contrast in taste and texture.
About Aloo Tikki Recipe
Aloo Tikki are crispy, spiced potato patties made with mashed potatoes, herbs and ground spices, along with a binding ingredient like breadcrumbs or cornstarch. They can be pan-fried, shallow fried or deep fried.
Aloo tikki is popular in North India and is commonly sold on street carts as a favorite snack.
Table of Contents
The street-style version usually has a stuffing of green peas, Paneer or chana dal, and is served with Chole Masala or a spicy chickpea curry.
It is then topped with chopped onions, sweet tamarind chutney and green coriander chutney. Sometimes, curd (yogurt) is also added, giving a mix of sweet, spicy and tangy flavors.
When making aloo tikki at home, you can skip the stuffing and make a plain version. These simple potato patties taste just as good.
In Western India, a similar dish is known as aloo pattice. These are usually made without stuffing, though the method remains quite similar with slight changes in spices.
In Mumbai, aloo pattice is often served with Ragda (white peas curry) and is popularly known as Ragda Patties.
More Indian Street Food With Potatoes
How To Make Aloo Tikki (Step-By-Step)
Cook Potatoes & Green Peas
1. The potatoes and green peas have to be cooked together first. You can opt to not cook the green peas.
In this case, only cook the potatoes using either of the method listed below or you can cook potatoes in a pan or pot adding water as needed.
a) Cooking in pressure cooker on stovetop: In a 3 or 4 liter pressure cooker, take 4 to 5 large potatoes and 2.5 cups water. Place a small trivet and keep a bowl containing ½ cup green peas in it. Pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles on medium to medium-high heat.
b) Cooking in Instant Pot: Place 4 to 5 large potatoes in the steel insert of a 6 quart Instant Pot. Add 2.5 cups water. Place a small trivet. On top of the trivet, keep a small bowl containing ½ cup green peas. Pressure cook on high for 20 to 25 minutes.
You can also place the trivet that comes with your Instant Pot. First add 2.5 cups water. Keep the potatoes and the bowl filled with green peas on the trivet.
2. For the pressure cooker, remove the lid only after the pressure settles naturally.
For Instant Pot, do a quick pressure release after 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Check with a knife or fork to see if the potatoes are cooked well and tender. The knife or fork should be able to slid easily if the potatoes are cooked properly.
If the potatoes are undercooked, then cook them for some more minutes.
Make Green Peas Stuffing
4. Drain the water from the steamed green peas using a small strainer or colander. Take the peas in a bowl and mash them.
5. Mash to a coarse texture.
6. To the peas, add the following ingredients:
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- ½ teaspoon fennel powder (ground fennel)
- ½ teaspoon dried mango powder or ¼ to ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 2 pinches black salt and regular salt as per taste
7. Mix very well. Check taste and add more salt if needed.
Make Potato Tikki Mixture
8. When you drain the green peas, drain the water from the potatoes as well and let them become warm.
Do not keep them in the hot water as the potatoes may end up soaking the water and become soggy. Make sure all the water is completely drained.
9. When the potatoes are warm, peel them and grate. I find it easier to grate the potatoes and then mash them. However, you can also chop them and mash with a potato masher.
Let the grated or mashed potatoes cool completely to room temperature. You can even keep the potatoes in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
10. After the mashed potatoes have cooled completely, add the following ingredients to it:
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder or curry powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon dried mango powder or ½ to 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon black salt and regular salt as per taste
11. Next, add ¼ cup breadcrumbs and ¼ cup arrowroot flour.
Instead of arrowroot flour, you can opt to add rice flour, cornflour (cornstarch), tapioca starch or roasted gram flour (roasted besan).
12. Mix everything very well.
Assemble and Make Potato Patties
13. Divide the potato mixture into small or medium shaped patties with a hollow center or cup shaped discs. You can apply some oil on your palms when making the patties or tikki.
14. Place the green peas stuffing in the center.
15. Bring the mashed potato edges on the top and seal them.
16. Roll gently between your palms and flatten. Make all tikkis this way.
Fry Aloo Tikki
17. Heat 2 tablespoons oil on a skillet, tawa or frying pan till it is medium hot. Gently place the tikkis and begin to pan-fry them.
18. When the base is crispy and golden, gently flip each tikki with a spatula.
19. Fry the second side till crispy and golden. You can gently flip once or twice more till the tikkis are golden and crisp evenly.
20. Remove and place in a strainer kept on top of a bowl. You can even drain them on paper towels. Fry in batches all tikkis this way.
Add 2 tablespoons more oil when frying the second batch.
21. Serve Aloo Tikki hot with Coriander Chutney and Tamarind Chutney. You can also serve these potato patties with sweet yogurt raita.
Serving Suggestions
Aloo Tikki can be served as an evening snack with green Mint Chutney, tamarind chutney, tomato ketchup or even Chana Masala.
This recipe yields 6 large tikkis. You can shape them into medium or large sizes as you prefer.
The recipe can be easily scaled for smaller or larger servings. If doubling, use a large skillet or cook on two skillets or a tawa.
When scaling, adjust the binding ingredients if needed, depending on the type and quality of potatoes.
Ways to Use Aloo Tikki
Besides serving aloo tikki with yogurt and chutneys, here are a few simple ways to use them:
- Aloo Tikki Chaat – Serve the tikkis with sweet and spicy chutneys, yogurt and ground spices for a classic chaat with sweet, spicy and tangy flavors.
- Aloo Tikki Chole – Top the tikkis with a robust Chana Masala curry, chutneys, onions and chaat masala. A hearty and filling option.
- Aloo Tikki Burger – Place the tikkis inside burger buns with onions, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and chutneys or sauces for an easy fusion snack.
- Frankie – Use the tikkis as a filling in a wrap or roti with chutneys, sliced onions, tomatoes and grated carrots or beetroot.
Dassana’s Recipe Tips
- Potatoes: Use potatoes that are not gluey or sticky. Starchy potatoes work best. Older potatoes or russet potatoes give better texture. Avoid using new potatoes.
- Stuffing: The green peas stuffing can be skipped. You can use steamed sweet corn, grated paneer or cooked chana dal instead. Make sure the corn or chana dal is well cooked and remains separate, not mushy.
- Binding: Add a binding ingredient so the tikkis hold shape, crisp up and do not break while frying. Breadcrumbs give a good crisp texture. I use a mix of breadcrumbs and arrowroot flour, but you can use either. Arrowroot can be replaced with cornstarch, rice flour, roasted besan, tapioca starch or potato starch. Always cool the potatoes completely before adding any thickener, otherwise the mixture can turn sticky.
- Herbs and spices: Adjust the herbs and spice powders to taste. Fresh mint leaves and chaat masala add more flavor.
- Crumbing: You can crumb coat the patties before frying, though traditionally aloo tikki is not crumb coated.
- Crispiness: For extra crisp tikkis, fry them twice. First fry till light golden, remove and let them cool slightly, then fry again till crisp and golden.
Your Questions Answered
Can I use bread slices for binding?
Yes, soak the bread in water, squeeze out all the moisture and add to the potato mixture. It works well as a binding agent.
Can I change the stuffing?
Yes, you can skip the green peas stuffing or replace it with steamed sweet corn, grated paneer or cooked chana dal. Make sure the filling is well cooked but not mushy.
Can I freeze aloo tikki?
Yes, shape the patties and store them in an airtight container or zip bag. Thaw before frying.
Can I make this for fasting (vrat)?
Yes, use arrowroot flour, water chestnut flour, tapioca flour or buckwheat flour. Replace regular salt with edible rock salt.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
For cooking potatoes and green peas
- 500 grams potatoes or 4 to 5 large potatoes
- ½ cup green peas – 100 grams, fresh or frozen
- 2.5 cups water
Other ingredients for stuffing
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- ½ teaspoon fennel powder (ground fennel seeds) – optional
- ½ teaspoon dry mango powder or ¼ to ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger or or 1.5 to 2 inches, ginger or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger powder – can reduce the quantity of chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chillies or 1 to 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 2 pinches black salt
- salt as required
Ingredients for potato patties
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon garam masala or curry powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- 1 teaspoon dry mango powder or ½ to 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder (ground cumin) – optional
- ½ teaspoon black salt
- salt as required
- ¼ cup bread crumbs or add as required
- ¼ cup arrow root flour or add as required
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 4 to 5 tablespoons oil for frying the tikki or add as required
Instructions
- The potatoes and green peas have to be cooked together first. You can choose to leave out cooking green peas if you do not want to stuff the patties.
Cooking in Stovetop Pressure Cooker
- In a 3 or 4 litre stovetop pressure cooker take 4 to 5 large potatoes and 2.5 cups water. Place a small trivet and keep a bowl containing ½ cup green peas in it. Pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles on medium to medium-high flame.Remove the cooker's lid after all the pressure falls naturally in the cooker.
Cooking in Instant Pot
- Take the trivet that comes with the Instant pot package. Place this trivet in the steel insert of a 6 quart IP. Add 2.5 cups of water. On top of the trivet, Place 4 to 5 large potatoes and also keep a small bowl containing ½ cup green peas. Pressure cook on high for 20 to 25 minutes in the Instant Pot. Do a quick pressure release after 5 to 7 minutes after the cooking is complete.
- Check with a knife or fork to see if the potatoes are tender and cooked well. The fork or knife should be able to slid easily if the potatoes are cooked properly.
Making green peas stuffing
- Drain the water from the steamed green peas using a small strainer or colander. Take the peas in a bowl and mash them.
- Mash to a coarse texture.
- To the peas, add red chilli powder or cayenne pepper, coriander powder, fennel powder, dry mango powder, finely chopped ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves, black salt and regular salt as per taste.
- Mix very well. Check taste and add more salt or the ground spice powders if required.
Making potato patty mixture
- Meanwhile drain the water from the potatoes as well and let them become warm.
- When the potatoes are warm, then peel them and grate. I find it easier to grate the potatoes and then mash them. However, you can chop them first and mash with a potato masher. Let the grated or mashed potatoes cool completely.
- After the mashed potatoes have cooled completely, add the following ingredients: red chilli powder or cayenne pepper, garam masala powder or curry powder, coriander powder, dry mango powder, black salt and regular salt as per taste.
- Next add bread crumbs and arrowroot flour. Instead of arrowroot flour, you can also add rice flour, corn flour (corn starch) or tapioca starch or roasted besan (roasted chickpea flour or roasted gram flour).
- Mix everything thoroughly.
Stuffing and Shaping Aloo Tikki
- Divide the mixture into small or medium shaped patties with a hollow center or cup shaped discs. Choose to apply some oil on your palms as it is easier to shape and stuff them.
- Place the green peas filling in the center.
- Bring the mashed potato edges on the top and seal them.
- Roll gently between your palms and gently flatten. Make all aloo tikki this way.
Frying Aloo Tikki
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil till on a skillet or tawa or frying pan till it is medium hot. Gently place the tikki and begin to pan-fry them.
- When the base is crispy and golden, gently flip each tikki with a spatula.
- Fry the second side till crispy and golden. You can gently flip once or twice more till the aloo tikki are golden and crisp evenly.
- Remove and place in a strainer kept on top of a bowl. You can even drain them on paper towels. In batches fry all of the potato patties this way. Add 2 tablespoons more oil when frying the second batch.
- Serve Aloo Tikki plain with coriander chutney and tamarind chutney. You can also serve these potato patties with sweet yogurt raita or tomato ketchup.
Dassana’s Notes
- Potatoes: Try to use starchy potatoes like russet potatoes. Do not use new potatoes.
- If making aloo tikki for fasting – Add arrowroot flour or buckwheat flour or water chestnut flour or sago flour. Use edible rock salt, instead of regular salt.
- Spices & Herbs: You can reduce or increase the ground spices and herbs. A variation is to add fresh mint leaves to the patties. You can even add chaat masala.
- Crispiness: You can twice fry the tikki. First fry till pale golden. Then again fry till crispy and golden.
- Stuffing: The spiced green peas stuffing can be given a skip. You can also swap green peas with steamed sweet corn, grated paneer and cooked chana dal (split chickpeas).
- Binding Ingredients: Add the binding ingredients which you have in your pantry. So in place of arrowroot flour you can add cornstarch, rice flour, roasted besan (roasted chickpea flour), tapioca starch, potato starch or soaked bread slices. But do not skip on breadcrumbs as they help in making a nice crispy crust on the aloo tikki.
- Servings: Recipe makes 6 large tikki. You can make then medium sized or large. Choose to halve or double the recipe easily.
Nutrition
Aloo Tikki recipe from the archives first published on August 2009.
Can I stuff this aloo tikki with paneer? How to go about it?
Yes, you can definitely stuff aloo tikki with paneer. Just crumble some paneer finely or grate it and mix it with a bit of chopped coriander, green chilies, salt, and a pinch of garam masala or chaat masala. Shape the aloo mixture into a ball, flatten slightly, add a small spoon of the paneer stuffing in the center, and seal it well before flattening again. Then shallow fry as usual.
Thank you! Absolutely delicious! I had them last night as a side dish to a curry and tonight I had them with fried eggs. I have one question … can you freeze them once cooked?
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the tikkis. Yes, you can freeze them after cooking, but they won’t stay as crisp when reheated; the texture softens a bit. For best results, it’s better to freeze them before frying. That way, they turn out nice and crisp. I hope this helps.
I love your website and recipes. You are truly a genius and an extremely good chef! Thank you so much for teaching me how to cook all these delicious dishes.
Thank a lot for your kind words. Humbled!
i have forgotten this wonderful menu ( perfect for picnic lunch box ) when i used to travel across the india this was the best sanck to keep aside ! im going to make right away !
This is a very nice snack that everybody likes!
Can we freeze the aloo tikki and use it again for roll?
You can freeze the prepared tikki or round patties. Then later fry them.
Wow lovely recipes and easy prepration methods.I am really proud.God bless you.
Retired Chef and Hospitality Consultant,New Delhi,India.
thank you much.
Hi, can we make patties the previous night, refrigerate them and then fry in the morning for lunch box?
Thanks,
Vani
yes you can do this way.
Tried the recipe and they came out good. Thank you Dassana Amit. The only extra ingredient I added was cinnamon powder and that gave nice flavor to the tikkis and with your permission I would like to post this recipe in my blog.
Thanks
Welcome Sri Vani. Thanks for your positive feedback. Yes you can post this aloo tikki recipe in your blog in your own words. You can give a credit link back to this tikki recipe post.
It was good but the taste and crunchiness deferred from the street vendors.
thanks pradipta. for the street style crunchiness use breadcrumbs to coat the tikki..
Hi, can we preserve home made aloo tikki in freezer, the way we get ready made tikki of McCain.
yes you can freeze them. before frying let the aloo tikkis come to room temp and then fry them.
Can I use the same recipe for cooking in air fryer? I’d be great to get air-fryer cooking versions if possible.
Akanksha, yes you can use the same recipe. just brush some oil on aloo tikki.
very nice recipes, i want to write a guest post on your site, how can i write? plz guide me.
thanks pranita. we do not take any guests posts.
Thanks a lot for your recipes. I’ve tried a number of them and my family loved it
Welcome Mamatha. Glad to know this.
i tried it for first time and hit was a big hit in my family ,and pictures helped me a lot !!!
thanks som for this feedback. nice to know.
very testy aloo tiki i like
I used to make aalu tikki at home.. so here is a tip. you can add bread crumbs as well in mixture of tikki so it gives more crunchy to tikkis.
thanks jyoti for this handy tip. will help readers too 🙂
I love aalu tikki…. Here very fine nai delicious recipe step given
thankyou monika 🙂
Hi mam, I usually visit this site. Ur recipes always turn out to be good. Whenever I have tried any recipe for the first time, it always came out to be yummmmmyy. Keep it up mam.
thanks a ton nitika for your positive and encouraging words 🙂
Itss….awesme recipe I tried at my home..I Just Loved it!!♥……
thankyou bhumika for your positive feedback 🙂
Can I use cornflour,instead of corn starch for the alootikis?
What s the difference,I would like to know.Thankyou
corn flour as we call in india is corn starch only. outside india, its called as corn starch. corn starch is white colored flour. whereas corn flour as its called outside india or maize flour is yellow colored flour. you can use corn flour and even corn starch.
hey dasanna, can i use besan instead of corn flour
you can use besan instead of corn flour. just roast the besan lightly in a small pan till its aromatic and then add to the mashed potatoes mixture.
Great explanation and easy to cook recipe. Super liked aloo tikki recipes 🙂
Simply superb maam
Hi maam, This is Deepthi and i am a big fan of yours.You are an amazing cook.The way you explain each and every recipes is incredible.If i have any doubt while cooking i simply look up to your blog.keep up the good work maam.the way you reply to all our comments itself motivates us .thank you
very pleased to know this thankyou so much deepthi 🙂
nice and looked easy to me but when I tried it my tikki just broke and the stuff got messed up please help.
some more corn flour would have helped the tikki to hold shape. when the binding agent is less in tikki or cutlets, then some more always can be added.
I don’t have starch …can I replace it by anything else
you can add rice flour or lightly roasted besan.
nice recipie enjoy it
thankyou parul 🙂
Hi, thanks fro sharing this easy recipe, I have tried it with rice flour, it became tikki but not very crispy and the edges were more softer, please share me how to improve.
the secret in getting the tikki crispy, is to shallow fry and on a low flame. slow cooking makes the edges and top crispy. you can also coat the tikkis with breadcrumbs or crushed corn flakes and this would also give a crisp texture.
Sry i meant to say.. aloo tikki” batter” be kept for d night.. n prepared next morning..
yes you can prepare the aloo tikki mixture in the night. keep in the fridge. before preparing the tikkis, bring the mixture to room temperature. or else they will absorb extra oil.
Can d aloo tikki be prepared and kept in the refrigerator at night.. n aloo tikkis be made in d following morning?
Love the recipe and the pictures . Thank you for posting . Going to make this for my husband today .
surely swathi try and let us know how it was? you are welcome.
Really awesome dish
thankyou syed 🙂
Love all ur recipes
thankyou kanika 🙂
Hi Dasanna.I am frequent visitor to your site.To begin with,you have an amazing assortment of dishes.I mean,”you ask for it and you have it ,kinds”.The way you elucidate each recipe is outstanding!!..crisp and clear..all the very best,ciao.
Thank you
we are very pleased to know this padmaja 🙂 thankyou so much for your kind and honest words and you are always welcome.
Thanq dassana for tasty recipes n ideas to pack tiffin for my kid ……
welcome sunaina 🙂
very testyyy..yammmm.
easy and testyyyyyy.
thanks fatima
Hi Dassana,
Thanks for this recipe, it turns out great. I made 1 tikki with fresh mixture, and the other 1 I refrigerated for next day. There was a difference between 2 patties at the time of frying. The fresh 1 had a solid crust from top which was gud, but the other 1 came out soggy.
Can you please tell me the recipe of tikki which I can refrigerate and have a solid crust from top at the time of frying.
welcome vineet. thanks for sharing your positive feedback on aloo tikki. before using refrigerated tikki mixture, bring it at room temperature by keeping it out for some time. 2nd thing you can do it to roll the mixture in bread crumbs and then fry it. it will give some crispness. but best is to make fresh aloo tikki recipe.
sooooo yammi………
Thanks Dasanaa .Very easy way to learn and yummy receipes.
thanks mythili
Thanks Dassana for such good recipes. The way u explained it is awesome. Please tellme some receipes for kids.
thank you vibha… i would have written about some kid recipes…. but i do not have enough time to do so. all the recipes that are waiting to be posted by me are general recipes.. not specifically meant for kids…
i suggest you to search on google or yahoo and you will come across a lot of kid recipes on the internet.