Palak ki Tikki (Spinach Tikki) with Tomato Raisin Chutney
This recipe for palak ki tikki or spinach tikki is what I am craving every happy hour even if it is only the 3 of us and a baby. It is perfection. I know not many of us are having happy hour right now, so these work as a light dinner too. We are only a few days out to spring, I can already feel it in the air and I think this recipe is easy to take with you for a socially distant spring picnic. It is also great for meal prep and will make great spring time sliders. I usually prep and shape the tikkis on the weekend and simply pan fry it on the day we want to eat it.
I love serving this tikki with a Tomato Raisin chutney, it is a fantastic combination. The chutney is sweet spicy and tangy and so delectable. I make it with cherry tomatoes but Romas would work well too. The soft juicy raisin complements the tangy tomatoes and the pairing really works.
My mom is usually the queen of potato burger patties. Whenever she comes to visit she makes and freezes batch for me. And every time we heat it up to eat it I am so appreciative of the effort. This tikki reminds me of her burger patties only it is a much smaller version eaten more like canapés or small sliders.
How to make the perfect Tikkis
Use a floury or a starchy potato, like russet or Idaho or Yukon (although it has lower starch than the other two). It tends to have less water and becomes nice and fluffy when cooked and mashed. A texture that is desirable for a good tikki.
Instead of mashing the cooked potatoes grate them. It works like a potato ricer and the resulting texture is lighter. It is slightly more time-consuming, although it is really not that much more.
Toast the chickpeas flour, it helps impart a nutty aroma that works with the flavours of the tikki.
The tikki recipe is from Chetna Makan's cookbook Healthy Indian Vegetarian. This book offers such a refreshing take on Indian food so you won't find many of the usual Indian fare in this book. It has simple, weeknight-friendly recipes with new and interesting flavours. Most recipes in this book require very little time or effort but everyone that I have made has been so fantastic. Although it is a vegetarian cookbook it offers plenty of vegan friendly recipes. For instance, the green tikki and the tomato raisin chutney featured in this post are both vegan recipes. It has quickly become my most used cookbook this year. Chetna has distilled the essence of everyday Indian cooking in this book, making every recipe accessible to all homecooks.
Potato pairs wonderfully with chaat masala, here is another recipe that I feature them together - Chaat Masala Potatoes
Palak ki Tikki with Tomato Raisin Chutney
These Palak Tikkis are crisp on the outside and soft inside - made with spinach, peas, potatoes, roasted chickpea flour, and a handful of crushed peanuts for extra texture. They work as an appetizer, a light dinner, or a party snack. The Tomato Raisin Chutney is sweet, tangy, and spicy, and pairs perfectly with the warm spices in the tikkis.
Ingredients
- 4-5 tablespoons (50 g) chickpea flour
- 1 + 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or any neutral oil)
- 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
- 2-3 garlic cloves, grated
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 150 g spinach, freshly chopped
- 2 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- ¼ cup (60 g) roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon amchur (optional)
- Salt, to taste
- 400 g cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¼ teaspoon nigella seeds
- ¼ teaspoon methi seeds
- Pinch of hing
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 dried chillies
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 20 g raisins
Instructions
- In a dry skillet, roast the chickpea flour over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden. Transfer to a bowl.
- In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add peas and green chillies and cook 2 minutes.
- Add chopped spinach and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring, until wilted and the pan is dry.
- Add mashed potatoes, chaat masala, crushed peanuts, chilli powder, amchur (if using), and salt. Mix well.
- Add the roasted chickpea flour and stir until everything comes together.
- Shape the mixture into small tikkis/cutlets.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan. Pan-fry the tikkis on medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden. Serve warm with chutney.
- Heat oil in a skillet. Add mustard, cumin, fennel, nigella, and methi seeds. Let them sizzle 30 seconds.
- Add hing, dried chillies, coriander powder, and chilli powder. Stir 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes and cook until blistered and soft. Add salt and sugar.
- Gently crush the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Cook on low heat 15 minutes until thick and glossy.
- Add raisins and cook 10 more minutes, until the chutney is soft and jammy. Let cool before serving.
Notes
- Roasting the chickpea flour removes its raw taste and makes the tikkis easier to shape.
- Make sure the spinach mixture is dry before adding potatoes - this keeps the tikkis crisp instead of soggy.
- You can swap cherry tomatoes for Roma and raisins for chopped Medjool dates in the chutney.
