On Thanksgiving, Americans eat vast quantities of cranberry sauce, the most chutney-like of all of the iconic American foods. So the day after, lets turn some leftover mashed potatoes into an Indian street food called Aloo Tikki, (also known as Potato Cutlets) and have it with that leftover cranberry sauce!
Ingredients
2 cups cold mashed potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 of a red pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped ginger
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
Method
1. Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds
2. Add ginger and garlic and let them cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally
3. Add the onion red pepper and stir it all together.
4. Keep stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes so that the onion softens.
5. Transfer onion//ginger/garlic/pepper mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the mashed potatoes and blend well.
6. Using your hands, form patties about 3" wide and 3/4" thick.
7. Using a non-stick pan, cook the patties for about 5 minutes on a side over a medium heat, sprinkling some oil around them occasionally to help them brown and get crispy.
8. Serve with delicious cranberry sauce! Or if Thanksgiving is over, this goes well with any sweet fruit chutney or a cilantro and chili-based green chutney.
Notes
This dish can be modified in lots of ways. Almost any vegetable can be mixed in with the potatoes - peas, cauliflower, mushrooms, cabbage - just make sure that it is cooked or almost cooked before adding it to the potato. It will cook a little further when the patties are browned. You can also add some bread crumbs or chopped toast to the mixture to lighten it a little. I sometimes put nuts - pignoli are delicious, although not strictly traditional. You can also squeeze a little lemon into the mixture or add chopped cilantro.
Learn more about simple Indian dishes by coming on our cultural and spiritual tour of South India in February.
