Baked Aloo Tikki

Give this healthy, crispy baked Aloo Tikki a try and you are definitely going to come back for more. This is my healthy take on Aloo Tikkis or Potato cutlets that are otherwise deep fried/ shallow fried. This recipe in particular is going to blow your mind. We’re using this minimum-oil recipe (just for brushing) to create an amazing dish out of my favorite tuber/veggie of all time.

What is Aloo Tikki?

Aloo Tikki is roughly translated to potato pieces but they are a lot more than pieces. It is said that this snack is the vegan alternative to hash browns. The variations of Aloo Tikkis are numerous. Some people consume it as snacks whereas some put it between two slices of bread to eat it like a sandwich. A variety of variations of Aloo Tikki exist thanks to the geographical spread of the Indian population. In some parts of India, turmeric and red chilli powder are used more whereas in some mint is utilized more. Based on the availability of the ingredients, the flavors are mixed and matched.

Aloo Tikkis are soul-warming snacks that originate from the Indian subcontinent, especially North of India, made out of boiled potatoes, peas, and different flavorsome spices. These ingredients are formed into ball-sized pieces and deep-fried/shallow-fried until golden. These golden delights are packed with healthy vegetables, appetizing flavor, and delicious spices. Have I made your mouth water yet or need I go on?

Inspiration to make Baked Aloo Tikki or potato cutlets

The street food business in India is massive. Apart from restaurants, there are specific streets dedicated to street food stalls that serve you dishes like Pani Puris, Kulfis , Samosas , Indo-Chinese. You name it and the street carts have it. People don’t hesitate to grab food from these stalls as long as it satiates their palate.

Ever since I moved abroad, I miss grabbing some hot Gobi Pakodas or a plate of Ragada Pattice (another variation of Aloo Tikki). Although these dishes are yummy to eat, some are made with unhealthy amounts of oil. It becomes difficult to consume such high quantities of oil regularly. Hence, I came up with the idea of making healthy Aloo Tikki with fresh ingredients and less oil.

How to make Baked Aloo Tikki (Tips and tricks)

The process of making Aloo Tikki is fairly simple. Add all your favourite veggies to the boiled potatoes along with spices. Season as per your taste and spice tolerability. Since we are air frying these, you don’t have to worry about the hassle of large amounts of oil. Just make sure that you lightly coat the cutlets with a little bit of oil before putting them in the Air Fryer.

Few things to keep in mind while making Aloo tikkis or patties are:

1. Binding it all : The binding agent is very important to hold all the ingredients together and hold the shape given to the tikkis. Potatoes in themselves are amazing binding agents. Occasionally some potatoes dry up after boiling and don’t bind well. This makes the tikkis crumble and break while frying. Instead you can try adding some crumbs to the mix and bind it well with a little bit of water. You could also add soaked bread slices and mix it well before shaping them.
2. Amchur : Also known as dry mango powder is what gives the tikkis a tangy flavour. It’s easily available in any Indian store. If you don’t find it, you can substitute it with sumac. Avoid skipping Amchur and Chaat Masala as these two spices give the tikkis that zing no other spice can give.
3. Crumb coating : This step is optional. The idea is to give the cutlets a crisp exterior and a soft interior. This job is done by the bread crumbs. You could either coat the cutlets in bread crumbs or skip this step. If you are going to crumb coat the tikkis, then I suggest dipping them in plant-based milk first and then in breadcrumbs.
4. Serve these tikkis with mint-coriander chutney or spiced plant-based yoghurt. It goes very well with pickled onion rings too. If you want to spruce it up a bit, keep these tikkis between two buns with onion rings and mint-corriander chutney lathered on both sides of the bread. It’s a common snack that we Indians have at tea time.

Freezing & Storing

These potato cutlets can be easily frozen and consumed later. Store them in an airtight bag or ziplock bag in the freezer. It can be stored for up to 3 weeks. Thaw the cutlets a few hours before and air fry them as per instructions.

Give this simple, healthy Aloo Tikki recipe a go and I would love to see which chutney you served it with. Tag me on Instagram . Ciao!

Try other snacks from the blog:

• Vegan Yoghurt Toast – Spicy

Healthy Aloo Tikki

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 3 large potatoes boiled
• 1 red onion chopped
• 1 green chilli finely chopped
• 1 inch ginger grated
• 2 tbsp mint leaves chopped
• 2 tbsp coriander chopped
• 2-3 tbsp corn flour
• Oil for brushing the surface
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp aamchur/dry mango powder (sub: sumac)
• ½ tsp chaat masala
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

• Grate the boiled potatoes in a large bowl.
• Add the chopped onions, chopped green chillli, and grated ginger to the bowl.
• Then add all the spices along with salt, corn flour (you may sustitute it with rice flour), chopped coriander and mint leaves.
• Mix everything well to form a soft dough.
• Grease your hand with oil and shape the tikka to your desired size. Brush them with oil.
• Air fry or bake at 180C for about 25-30 minutes depending on your apparatus.
• Serve the Aloo Tikkis with some mint-coriander chutney and fresh plant-based yoghurt!

This savoury TikTok Yoghurt Toast made Indian street food style is going to blow you mind! It comes together in 10 minutes and is a super quick! It tastes like having street food for breakfast, but super healthy!

This Yoghurt Toast (or initially custard toast?) has been trending on Tiktok for a long time. I didn’t give it much thought because its made with eggs and is sweet. But recently I dreamt about it being savoury and I love bringing my dreams to reality. I’m hoping I’m hoping I did the same for you. Where my savoury breakfast gang at?

This Yoghurt Toast is made with 3 simple ingredients : Vegan Greek yoghurt, Chickpea flour (with kala namak for eggy vibes) and spices.

It’s then added to bread (indented), topped with sliced jalapeños then baked in the oven (or air fried) .

Ingredients and Substitutes to make Savoury Yoghurt Toast

• Sliced bread , you can use any bread you have available: vegan white bread, whole wheat bread, sourdough, whole grain, etc. But remember: the softer the the better
• Chickpea flour (and kala namak) replaces the egg to make it vegan
• Vegan Greek yogurt (and lemon juice) I’ve used plain Soy Greek yogurt. You can use any type of plant based yoghurt!
• Spices and Spice blends I used ground cumin, red chilli powder and chaat masala. Chaat masala is a tangy spice blend commonly used in indian street food recipes. You should be able to easily find it in indian stores. Sub with Sumac or amchur (dried mango) powder
• Garnishes I topped it with jalapeños and chopped onions. I have listed a few ideas for toppings below

Suggestions for Toppings:

The toppings are endless and you can add your favorites or a mix of them too!

Here are some ideas:

• Onion tomato chutney
• Sev (indian crunchy snack)
• Chopped tomatoes
• Chopped cucumbers
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Coriander chutney
• Tamarind chutney
• Crushed Nachos
• Avocado
• Chopped nuts

How to make Savoury Yoghurt Toast?

Time needed: 7 minutes.

1. Preheat the ove n (or air fryer) to 180°C/350°F.
2. Make custard mixture In a small bowl, add the chickpea flour, kala namak/black salt (which imparts an eggy flavour), vegan greek yoghurt, lemon juice, ground cumin, red chilli powder and chaat masala. Whisk together to form a liquid yoghurt form.
3. Indent the bread : Using your fingers or the back of a spoon (forks tend to not work so well, in my opinion), press the centre of the bread indent and create a sort of well. Be careful not to cut through the bread! Add in the spicy yoghurt mixture into the indented area and top with the jalapeños, if using.
4. Time to cook : Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F. Then place bread on a baking tray with a silicone baking sheet (or regular) and bake for about 8-12 minutes (depends on your oven). Check for doneness at the 8 minute mark.

How to make Yoghurt Toast in the Air fryer?

If you don’t have an oven, you can make it in the air fryer too (that’s how the recipe went viral initially)! It’s actually easier. Just air fry for 4_5 minutes until the centre seems set and the edges seem browned.

Tips and Tricks for Savoury Yoghurt Toast

• Try to use soft bread and not one of the those hard rye breads as it will be difficult to make indents in them.
• Make sure to whisk the yoghurt mixture well so that it resembles a thick melted ice cream texture. Make sure you de-clump the mixture. You don’t want raw chickpea flour bites! Yikes!
• Be careful while cooking time, as this toast boy is sensitive and can go from beautiful golden brown to burnt black in not time. You want to look for a centre that is well set and caramelised on the sides and edges.

More Breakfast Recipes:

• Mango Cardamom Nice-Cream
• Idli and Sambar

Vegan and Savoury Viral Yoghurt Toast

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 2 slices soft bread
• 1 tbsp chickpea flour
• 2 tbsp vegan greek yoghurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2-1/4 tsp red chilli powder depending on spice resistance
• 1/4 tsp kala namak adjust to taste
• 1/4 tsp chaat masala
• 1/8 tsp turmeric powder optional, for the colour
• Toppings: Jalapeños, chopped onions, chopped coriander

Instructions

• Preheat the oven (or air fryer) to 180°C/350°F.
• Make the yoghurt mixture In a small bowl by adding chickpea flour, kala namak/black salt, vegan greek yoghurt, ground cumin, red chilli powder and chaat masala. Whisk together to form a liquid yoghurt mix.
• Indent the bread: Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, press the centre of the bread indent and create a sort of well. Be careful not to cut through the bread!
• Add in the spicy yoghurt mixture into the indented area and top with the jalapeños, if using.
• Then place bread on a baking tray with a silicone baking sheet (or regular) and bake for about 8-12 minutes (depends on your oven). Check for doneness at the 8 minute mark.
• Top with chopped onions and coriander (cilantro) and serve hot!

Kadala curry in Kerala (the region of India I belong to) is a spicy gravy based recipe made originally with black chickpeas and fresh coconut. It is usually served specifically with kerala puttu (as I did in the video) or appam. It is hands down my FAVOURITE breakfast of all times!

What is Kerala Garam Masala?

Kerala Garam Masala is VERY different from the North Indian Garam Masala most people are used to. The spices have sweeter notes because of the fennel and mace. All the ingredients can be easily found in your local Indian store 🙂

If you like this recipe tag @beextravegant on Instagram.

Check out these other recipes from my page:

• Idli Recipe
• Sambar Recipe

Kerala Kadala curry/Kari

Ingredients1x2x3x

Chickpeas/Kadala

• 1 cup/ 180g dry black chickpeas baby brown chickpeas or kala chana
• 1 tea bag for dark colour optional

Coconut paste

• 2½ cups water
• ¾ cup coconut pieces or ½ cup grated coconut, sub with coconut milk or desiccated coconut

Kadala curry Base

• ⅓ cup chopped shallots if available, use pearl onions
• 1 inch ginger finely chopped
• 1 or 2 green chilies or serrano peppers chopped
• A bunch curry leaves about 10
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder ground turmeric
• 1 tsp red chili powder to taste
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 to 2 cups water or the black chickpea water
• salt to taste

Kerala Garam Masala (makes about 3 times this recipe)

• 5 thin strands of mace
• 2 inch cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 6 cloves
• 1/4 tsp grated/ground nutmeg

Instructions

Chickpeas

• Pressure cook (overnight) soaked chickpeas with salt, tea bag and 6-8 cups water until tender.

Kerala Garam Masala

• Dry roast the Kerala Garam Masala spices till aromatic. Very slightly, do not let it burn!
• Grind them in a coffee grinder or a mortar pestle and store in a small air tight jar.

Coconut Paste

• Add coconuts to a blender with just enough water to blend it smooth. Set aside.

Kadala Curry

• Heat coconut oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds and let them pop.
• Add chopped shallots. Stir and saute for a minute.
• Then add the aromatics- ginger, chopped green chilies, curry leaves and saute till the shallots turn light brown.
• Then add ground spices- red chili powder, coriander powder, black pepper and 1 tsp of the Kerala garam masala.
• Saute for a minute on low heat.
• Then add the ground coconut paste and mix well. Saute for about 5 minutes on a low heat.
• Add the cooked black chickpeas (Kadala) and the chickpea water and stir.
• Season with the salt and cook kadala until you get the right consistency.
• Serve kadala curry hot with puttu, like I did here or with dosa (recipe on the blog) or rice.

Notes

• Sub black chickpeas with white chickpeas or any other beans you have
• Scaled this recipe as per your needs (make smaller or bigger batch).
• Sub fresh coconut with coconut milk, frozen coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut.
• If cooking chickpeas in a pot, add the soaked chickpeas to 3 cups water in a pot and the salt. Cover and bring the water to a boil. Cook on medium to till they are tender.

Healthy Aloo Tikki

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 3 large potatoes boiled
• 1 red onion chopped
• 1 green chilli finely chopped
• 1 inch ginger grated
• 2 tbsp mint leaves chopped
• 2 tbsp coriander chopped
• 2-3 tbsp corn flour
• Oil for brushing the surface
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp aamchur/dry mango powder (sub: sumac)
• ½ tsp chaat masala
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

• Grate the boiled potatoes in a large bowl.
• Add the chopped onions, chopped green chillli, and grated ginger to the bowl.
• Then add all the spices along with salt, corn flour (you may sustitute it with rice flour), chopped coriander and mint leaves.
• Mix everything well to form a soft dough.
• Grease your hand with oil and shape the tikka to your desired size. Brush them with oil.
• Air fry or bake at 180C for about 25-30 minutes depending on your apparatus.
• Serve the Aloo Tikkis with some mint-coriander chutney and fresh plant-based yoghurt!