Rosheen Kaul’s aloo tikki buns leave other vegie burgers in the dust
There are a few moving parts to this recipe, but the payoff is pure magic: a riot of spice, crunch, and chutneys that launch these buns into the stratosphere.
If every vegie burger tasted this good, the world would be a lot hungrier for them. Aloo tikki are the crispy, spiced potato patties found all over South Asia – think hash brown, but a million times more delicious. They are traditionally eaten as a snack or tucked into a pav (soft bun) with punchy raw onion, crunchy toppings and a riot of flavourful chutneys.
There are a few moving parts to this recipe, but those chutneys are pure magic; they are what truly launch this dish into the stratosphere.
Ingredients
TIKKIS
200g zucchini
400g potatoes, peeled
½ tbsp ginger, grated
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
½ tsp garam masala
1 tbsp potato starch (or cornflour)
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
1 tsp lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp ghee
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp chilli powder
SPICED BUTTER
4 tbsp salted butter, room temperature
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
½ green chilli, finely chopped
ONION CHUTNEY
2 tsp cooking oil
½ brown onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
¼ tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp garam masala
GREEN CHUTNEY
2 cups coriander, leaves and stems
½ cup mint leaves
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin powder
1 green chilli
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp water
TO ASSEMBLE
cooking oil
4 brioche buns or other soft white rolls
ripe tomato, sliced
Method
Step 1
For the tikkis, grate the zucchini into a bowl, salt lightly, and set aside for at least 10 minutes to release its liquid. Squeeze thoroughly through cheesecloth or paper towels to remove all moisture and set aside.
Step 2
Dice the potatoes and boil in generously salted water until tender. Drain and mash while hot. Mix in the ginger, spring onions, coriander, garam masala, potato starch, panko crumbs, salt and pepper until smooth. Once slightly cooled, fold in the lemon juice, egg and zucchini. Test the consistency by rolling a small ball; if it’s too soft, add more crumbs until malleable.
Step 3
In a small pan, heat the ghee with the turmeric and chilli powder until sizzling and fragrant – taking care not to burn the spices – then pour the infused oil over the potato mixture and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Divide the mixture into 4 large portions, flatten into patties and set aside.
Step 4
For the spiced butter, combine the butter, chilli flakes, coriander and green chilli in a small bowl, and set aside.
Step 5
To make the onion chutney, heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the onion over medium-high heat. Once translucent, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes until the colour deepens. Add the chilli powder, salt, turmeric and garam masala, saute for another 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Step 6
For the green chutney, place the coriander, mint, sugar, salt, cumin, green chilli, lemon juice and water in a small food processor. Blend until smooth and set aside.
Step 7
To assemble, heat about 2cm of oil in a heavy-based pan until it shimmers. Carefully add one patty; if it doesn’t sizzle immediately, increase the heat; otherwise the potato will absorb too much oil. Fry the tikkis in batches, turning once, until crisp and golden. Drain on a cooling rack or paper towels.
Step 8
Split the buns and spread the cut sides generously with the spiced butter. Layer the base with a tablespoon of onion chutney, a crisp tikki, and a slice of tomato. Dress generously with the green chutney, top with the bun and eat immediately.
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Rosheen Kaul is the former head chef of Melbourne’s Etta, author of the cookbook Chinese-ish, and a Good Food recipe columnist.
