So many delicious Indian dishes...so little time. This recipe, for Chola Tikki, is one you'll turn to again and again. Often served as an appetizer in restaurants or at roadside stalls in India, these patties have a spicy kick to them, a hearty texture and when paired with a delicious chutney or sauce, they taste like you spent the whole day in the kitchen. In this recipe, we used Tamarind Date Chutney, which is easy to make and has a lovely, sweet and tangy taste to it. This particular chutney brings the Chola Tikki to life but feel free to explore others.
Potatoes and chickpeas are the basis of the recipe, so it's a nice dish to make when the weather gets colder...definitely feels like fancy comfort food. Serve it along with Garlic-Ginger Asparagus and you've got a flavorful meal that is unusual, but simple to make.
...and here's a tip, if you boil the potatoes the day before, this recipe is a snap to prepare.
To make the tikkis (patties): Boil potatoes whole, in their skins until they are tender and you can pierce them with a fork. Once cooked, drain the water and let the potatoes cool down. Note: Do not cool the potatoes under running water because the potatoes will absorb the extra water, making potatoes mushy. After potatoes are cool, peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler and cut into chunks. Place in a medium bowl.
Drain the water from chickpeas and dry the chickpeas using paper towel making sure there is no excess water in chickpeas. Add the chickpeas to the bowl with the potatoes and mash with a fork, leaving the mixture somewhat chunky. Add in remaining ingredients, mix together and adjust salt and pepper to your taste. (Alternatively, you can pulse in a food processor being careful not to blend too much.)
Heat the oil in pan over medium-high heat. Using your hands, shape patties (tikkis) and when the oil is hot (not smoking!) place 3 to 4 in tikkis in the pan. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes until browned on the bottom, then gently flip onto the other side and fry for another 3 to 4 minutes. If the pan gets dry, add more oil and heat first before adding more tikkis. You may have to adjust the heat while cooking as needed.
To make the chutney: Simmer all the ingredients in water for about 10 minutes. Let cool, then place in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
To make the tikkis (patties): Boil potatoes whole, in their skins until they are tender and you can pierce them with a fork. Once cooked, drain the water and let the potatoes cool down. Note: Do not cool the potatoes under running water because the potatoes will absorb the extra water, making potatoes mushy. After potatoes are cool, peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler and cut into chunks. Place in a medium bowl.
Drain the water from chickpeas and dry the chickpeas using paper towel making sure there is no excess water in chickpeas. Add the chickpeas to the bowl with the potatoes and mash with a fork, leaving the mixture somewhat chunky. Add in remaining ingredients, mix together and adjust salt and pepper to your taste. (Alternatively, you can pulse in a food processor being careful not to blend too much.)
Heat the oil in pan over medium-high heat. Using your hands, shape patties (tikkis) and when the oil is hot (not smoking!) place 3 to 4 in tikkis in the pan. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes until browned on the bottom, then gently flip onto the other side and fry for another 3 to 4 minutes. If the pan gets dry, add more oil and heat first before adding more tikkis. You may have to adjust the heat while cooking as needed.
To make the chutney: Simmer all the ingredients in water for about 10 minutes. Let cool, then place in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
