Aloo Paalak Mungphali Tikki (Vegetable Patties with Spinach, Peanut, and Potato)
By Suvir Saran
Photography by Stephen Klise
Food styling by Elle Simone Scott
These are traditionally made in a deep fryer, but I find it simpler to cook them in a small amount of oil in a cast iron or non-stick pan. The patties can be made in the morning, refrigerated, and then sautéed for dinner. They also freeze perfectly and can be your go-to meal or snack. In India, we’d eat these as sandwich, between two slices of bread spread with tamarind or green chutney, or for those like me, both.
- Yield:10 cakes
- Prep Time:16 minutes
- Cook Time:16 minutes
- Total Time:32 minutes
Ingredients
2 pounds red boiling potatoes, simmered in water to cover until tender, 20 to 30 minutes
4 firmly packed cups finely chopped, stemmed, washed spinach
1 cup roasted peanuts
1 fresh, hot green chili, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup dried panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup, roasted peanuts, coarsely ground
2 tablespoons canola oil
Tamarind or Green chutney, for serving
Directions
Combine all of the ingredients except the breadcrumbs and coarsely ground peanuts and oil in a large bowl and mix well with your hands, squeezing the ingredients together (there will still be small chunks of potato in the mixture).
Mix the breadcrumbs and ground peanuts together in a bowl or plate.
Scoop out about 1/2 cup of the spinach-potato mixture and dump it into the bowl/plate with the crumb mix. Roll it with the palm of your hand to make a ball and coat with the crumbs. Then press down to flatten to a 3-inch cake. Press the crumbs evenly onto the patty and put it in a baking dish. Continue to shape the rest of the mixture. When you’ve covered the bottom of the baking dish with a first layer, cover with plastic wrap and layer the rest of the patties on top. Chill at least 1 hour.
When you’re ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, swirl the pan to coat with the oil. Place 5 patties in the pan, and cook until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and brown 4 more minutes. Turn and cook 1 more minute. Remove to a serving platter. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in the pan and cook the remaining patties. Serve immediately, with green chutney.
Cook Notes
Once cool, store refrigerated in a covered container for up to three days or frozen for up to a month.
Tags: Diwali Indian Cuisine Indian Food International Cuisine Peanut Recipe Peanuts Savory Suvir Saran Vegetables Vegetarian