As I started traveling to India to visit extended family on my own, I would often take the Shatabdi Express from Delhi to Chandigarh. Meaning century in Sanskrit, these are mostly day trains that connect major Indian cities. The first were introduced in 1988 and commemorated the birth centenary of India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Of course I knew none of that nor how to actually buy a ticket myself - my family would do it for me. I was simply guided onto my train and told to hang tight until I reached my destination. It was the fastest and most efficient way to get from the capital of India to my grandmother's home, the home where my mother grew up, and where I was born. At that time the roadways were older and less reliable than the train. This has since changed and now the highway between the two cities is an easy ride with amazing rest stops along the way.
I'm sure you're wondering what riding trains in India has to do with today's post? Well, no matter where you travel there, the beauty is that you can always get a good vegetarian meal option. In a country where so many choose not to eat meat, there is always a spicy potato patty on the menu fit between two slices of bread. It's the quintessential veggie burger and a street food commonly found in North India and beyond. And it's why I truly enjoyed my train experiences. It's also a great recipe to get into your weekly routine and make for road trips because it holds up well on long journeys.
In this post, I take the traditional Aloo Tikki, roll it into fun tiny nuggets and Air Fry them. What I got is pictured above, and literally disappeared in seconds. My girls loved the new 'finger food' version of one of their favorite recipes. Aloo Tikki can be made in several ways. Some add white bread to a boiled potato and then mold it into a patty. In our home we use just potato and then help it bind with besan, or chickpea flour. I prefer not to serve white bread and when you can get perfection out of these simple ingredients why reach for that other stuff? Be prepared to make a few batches. These are darn good! And speared with a toothpick and dipped in chutney or a dollop of our Tikka Masala they may just be your next party appetizer.
Air Fryer: Aloo Tikki, Spiced Potato Nuggets
Makes 20 - 24 depending on the size
1 medium Russet potato, boiled and peeled (about 6-inches long)
2 tablespoons besan (chickpea flour)
2 tablespoons finely minced onion (red or yellow)
1 tablespoon kasoori methi, dried fenugreek, lightly hand-crushed to release flavor
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon chaat masala
¼ teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
½ teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil spray
1. In a large plate or thali mash the potato with the back of a fork until completely broken down. There should be no chunks.
2. Add the besan and mash down more until the flour is mixed well.
3. Add the onion, methi, garam masala, chaat masala, red chile, and salt. Using the fork, a spatula, or your hand, mix well. The finer the onion is minced the better it will mix. You can also add thinly sliced green chile or cilantro.
4. Keep a small bowl of water nearby to dip your hands before molding the potato mixture. It helps pull it together. Use a teaspoon measuring spoon and scoop a heaping teaspoon of the mixture – more like 2 teaspoons. Mold into a small, perfectly round ball. Place into the air fryer basket – no parchment paper is necessary. Continue until the basket is filled. I can fit about 16 balls in my air fryer. Just be sure they are not touching. I do push them down ever so slightly, so they don’t roll around and move.
5. Spray them lightly with oil. I use avocado or coconut oil. Air fry at 390 degrees Fahrenheit (199 degrees Celsius) for 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and continue until all the potato mixture is used up. Serve with your favorite chutney like our Tamarind Chutney, mint-cilantro, tomato, or coconut chutneys.
Not to worry, oven baking tips are coming. As a rule of thumb, to convert to oven cooking, just raise the temperature a bit. I would suggest 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, but I need to experiment first. Feel free to give it a try for yourself and let me know how it goes.
Watch me make it! Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking here.
[[ recipeID=recipe-8lkqylbk0, title=Air Fryer: Aloo Tikki, Spiced Potato Nuggets ]]
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These nuggets are the perfect appetizer. Serve each on a toothpick and dipped in your favorite chutney.
Servings: 24
Keywords: Potato, Vegetarian, Vegan
