Aloo Tikki Chaat

Want to impress with a really good app / snack? Make Aloo Tikki Chaat. You won’t believe how easy it is to replicate this Indian street food classic at home - pair it with a crisp, cool climate white wine or some bubbles (like Lambrusco!) and you're ready to party!  

(Also great for non-party related snacking - it's so easy to make!) 

Serves 2

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 medium potatoes
• 2 tbsp Smoki Seasoning Salt
• 1 small handful of frozen peas
• 1 tsp cooking oil
• 1 tbsp tamarind  or 1/2 tbsp tamarind paste (see notes) 
• 2 tbsp hot water
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 bunch of coriander
• ½ inch ginger
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tbsp Zesti Seasoning Salt
• ½ a lime
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 1 handful of sev, or use sesame sticks if you can't find sev! Leave this out if you don't have either - it's totally ok! See notes below. 

Method:

1. Prick some holes in the potatoes with a fork, and microwave for 4-5 minutes. Push the fork into the potatoes, and if it goes in without resistance, they’re cooked. Set aside to cool completely. While they cool, leave the peas out to defrost. 
2. For the tamarind ketchup, cover the tamarind in the water and leave to soak. After 10-15 minutes, push through a strainer to remove seeds. If using tamarind paste, skip this step. Mix with the ketchup, and add a pinch of salt. This is a really quick alternative to making fresh tamarind chutney, and gets the job done in a pinch. 
3. For the green chutney, combine the coriander, stems and all, ginger, garlic, Zesti, the juice of half a lime, and half of the yogurt in a blender. Blend until smooth-ish. You want it to be a sauce, but not completely smooth. 
4. When the potatoes have cooled, combine with the Smoki. Break apart with a fork, until everything is mixed. You don’t want the potatoes to be smoothly mashed, more broken apart. Gently stir in the peas. 
5. Heat a pan over a med-high heat, and add the cooking oil. Form the potatoes into 6 patties, around 2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick. Place in the pan, and let them cook, without turning for 4-5 minutes. If you try to turn it too quickly, they’ll stick and fall apart. Flip them over and repeat on the other side. 
6. To serve, place the aloo tikkis on a plate, and spoon over the yogurt, green chutney, and tamarind ketchup. Finally, finish with the sev, or sesame sticks if you’re using them. 

Notes: Sev is a spiced, crunchy snack made from chickpeas. The closest widely available textural sub is probably sesame sticks. The texture matters more than the flavour here, so as long as it's crispy, it will do the job. This is your chaat, have fun! 

Can't find tamarind or tamarind paste? Sub with HP sauce! You're likely to find tamarind (or tamarind paste) in a chunky block vs. the actual fruit (lucky you if you find this!) Look at the label to see if there's any added sugar, and adjust the ketchup accordingly. 

Make it vegan: Just leave the yogurt out :)