This Aloo Tikki (Spiced Potato Patty) with Chickpea Curry Recipe is a great example of delicious plant-based Indian street food. The small potato cakes and vegetarian chickpeas work well as a starter or lite bite for four people, or the main meal for two people.
For the Aloo Tikki
Boil the potatoes until soft and chill. Peel the skin and crush. Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat and add coriander powder and a quick toss to get the spice smokey flavour, cool it down at room temperature. Take the crushed potatoes and add coriander powder and all other ingredients and mix. Form into a 60g – 80g patty. Heat a pan on medium heat with oil and shallow fry on both sides until golden brown.
For the Chickpea Curry
Soak the chickpeas overnight. Saute onions, fenugreek, green chilli, and ginger-garlic puree together in oil until golden brown. Add all the rest spices and cook for a minute in slow heat. Add tomatoes and cook until it leaves oil and gets light brown. Add water, tea bag, chickpeas, and cook on simmer until chickpeas are soft. To finish off add vegan butter, coconut milk and bring to boil and take off from stove and add freshly chopped coriander and squeeze lime juice.
For the Coriander Spinach and Fennel Puree
Soak green lentils overnight. Cook until soft. Blanch spinach and coriander in boiling water for 30 seconds, and strain and chill in ice-cold water. Blitz all the ingredients in a blender until smooth puree. Add blanched spinach and coriander in the puree and blitz again until smooth.
For the Tamarind Puree
Soak the tamarind brick in warm water for 1 hour, deseed and blitz for a smooth puree. Strain in a bowl, and add pomegranate molasses whilst whisking gently.
To Garnish
Coriander, spinach and fennel puree (from above)
Tamarind Puree (from above)
Cherry tomatoes – cut in quarters
Sev (chickpea vermicelli) – Shop bought
Coriander leaves
Chopped red onions
Coconut yoghurt
Assemble as shown in the image above.