Aloo Ki Tikki

Makes: 24

Ingredients:

1 lb. 2 oz. Potatoes cut into pieces

1 C fresh or frozen peas

4 T oil

2 Green chilies, finely chopped and seeded

½ Red onion, finely chopped

¾ inch piece of ginger, grated

1 tsp. ground turmeric

1 tsp.  Ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

½ tsp. garam masala

2 T besan (chickpea flour)

1 T fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1.        Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender enough to mash (usually 15 minutes on medium-high heat).  Drain until dry and still hot. 

2.       Cook the peas in boiling water for 4 minutes, drain.

3.       Mash the potatoes and add the peas. 

4.       In a small sauce pan add 1 T oil and fry the chilies, onion, ginger, and spices for 1 minute.  Add this mix to the potatoes.  Add besan flour.

5.       Mix lemon juice and a pinch of salt to potato mixture.

6.       Divide the potatoes into portions about the size of golf balls and form into patties.

7.       Heat the remaining 3 T oil in a heavy-based frying pan (preferably nonstick) and add the potato patties in batches of 3-4 depending on your pan size.

8.       Fry them on each side until crisp and golden brown.  They can be served hot or cold.

Note: I added a 2 T of mint flakes on accident but it still tasted delicious.  Also, I had to subsitute regular flour for the besan and I think this was the demise of this dish.  The patties did not hold together once in the fryer.  They were burned on the outside as we tried to leave them in longer and longer to see if the added time would make them stay together but it did not.  I'll try it again with the Besan and let you know.  Even burnt the insided tasted AMAZING!  I used fresh sugar snap peas for this recipie.  It took a long time to shell them so I would suggest buying them pre packaged!