Shakarkandi Ki Tikki (Indian Sweet Potato Cutlets)
Indian sweet potato cutlets crisped in ghee, seasoned with ginger, green chili, roasted cumin, and amchur. Made the vrat friendly way with rock salt and arrowroot, no onion and no garlic.
Servings 8 tikki
Ingredients
For the Tikki
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes (shakarkandi) about 4 medium, roasted or boiled and cooled
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot flour or water chestnut flour, buckwheat flour, or 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 serrano or green chili minced
- 1 teaspoon roasted ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- ½ teaspoon amchur (dried mango powder)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) crushed
- ⅓ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons sendha namak (rock salt) or fine sea salt
To Cook and Serve
- 3 tablespoons ghee or neutral oil, for shallow frying
- ½ cup cilantro mint chutney to serve
- ¼ cup plain yogurt to serve
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
Instructions
Cook the Sweet Potatoes
- Roast the sweet potatoes whole at 400 degrees F for 45 to 55 minutes, or boil them in their skins for 25 to 30 minutes. Roasting gives a drier mash and a better tikki.
- Cool completely, peel, and mash smooth. If the mash looks wet, spread it on a plate and chill uncovered for 15 minutes.
Season and Shape
- Add the arrowroot, ginger, green chili, roasted cumin, chili powder, garam masala, chaat masala, amchur, lemon juice, kasoori methi, cilantro, and salt to the mash.
- Mix with your hands until the mixture holds together when squeezed. Taste and add salt as needed.
- Divide into 8 portions, roll each into a ball, and flatten to about ½ inch thick and 3 inches across, smoothing the edges so they do not crack.
- Chill the shaped patties on a plate for 20 minutes.
Fry
- Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a flat pan or tawa over medium heat.
- Add the tikki with space between them and cook undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes, until the underside is deep gold.
- Flip once, add the remaining ghee around the edges, and cook 4 minutes more. Drain on a rack and dust with extra chaat masala.
Notes
- Dry mash is everything: Roast rather than boil, and cool completely before mashing. Wet mash is why tikki fall apart.
- Vrat version: Sendha namak and arrowroot, water chestnut, or buckwheat flour keep this fasting friendly. On a regular day, use sea salt and cornstarch.
- Oven: 425 degrees F, brushed with ghee, 20 minutes, then flip and bake 10 to 12 minutes more.
- Air fryer: 380 degrees F, brushed with ghee, 12 minutes, flip, 6 to 8 minutes more.
- Freezing: Freeze shaped raw patties on a tray, then bag for 2 months. Cook from frozen over medium low heat, about 3 minutes longer per side.