These tanned, crunchy, or aloo tikki seasoned potato pies in Urdu and Hindi go back to the school years in Lahore. We used to line up for the school shop owner’s aloo tikki, Water: Each was neatly placed in the middle of a warm naanuri and folded for a mobile snack during recess. This street-food snack – enjoyed from Pakistan to India and Bangladesh – pairs nicely with a cup of late afternoon chai, as part with morning eggs (skip, hash browns) or a glass of bubbles during cocktail hour. Scented with fresh coriander, mint and cumin seeds, soak the fritters in the fire chutney (green) to fully enjoy them.
This recipe requires cayenne pepper, but if you prefer more heat, use ground red chili powder found in South Asian grocery stores. It’s worth getting rice flour because it offers a truly amazing crisis, but universal flour will work. –Shayma Owaise Saadat