Author Notes
Every cuisine has a cutlet. Be it veal, chicken or lamb - these sublime breadcrumb-ed simple delights are something that will always be adored for their quick preparation and their wholesome homey quality. In Pakistan surprisingly (as it's such a meaty cuisine usually!) the 'Aloo Tiki', or the Spicy Potato cutlet is something that is more versatile than just a crumb fried piece of quick food - not only are these veggie, they can not only be eaten alone, with rice but can be made into a kind of a sandwich which mimics a Pakistani street food snack called 'Bun Kebab' - which is exactly what it says, a burger bun, warmed in a little butter, topped with a ground coriander leaf, mint and green chilli added and a tamarind and jaggery one as well, topped with onions, cucumber and tomatoes and eaten in bout 2 minutes flat!
This version is my own where I mix sweet potato and regular potato to create a nutty sweet flavour which is very popular with kids and grown-ups alike! —Sumayya Usmani
Ingredients
-
2
large potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
-
2 - 3
large Orange flesh sweet potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
-
1 tablespoon
whole cumin, dry roasted in a pan then crushed in a mortar and pestle
-
1/2 cup
chopped mint leaves
-
3/4
chopped coriander leaves
-
1/2 teaspoon
tsp red chili powder (optional)
-
1/2
lemon, juiced
-
Salt to taste
-
1
egg, beaten to coat cutlets
-
Vegetable oil to fry
Directions
-
Combine the two potato mash with all the spices, herbs and lemon juice. Take about 2 tbsp of the spiced mash and form into round balls and then flatten into the shape of a ‘cutlet’.
-
Heat a shallow pan on medium heat with a little vegetable oil. Dip the cutlets lightly into the beaten egg to aid in holding them together. Fry on either side till light brown and fragrant.
-
Enjoy immediately or can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Sumayya is a food writer and cookery teacher who grew up in Pakistan, but has now found home in Glasgow. Sumayya is passionate about sharing the flavours of her homeland with a view to highlight Pakistani cuisine as a distinct one. The author or two cookbooks: Summers Under The Tamarind Tree (Frances Lincoln) and Mountain Berries and Desert Spice (Frances Lincoln, out April 2017), her writing reminisces about food and memories growing up in Pakistan. She writes for many publications, appears on television, and co-presents BBC Kitchen Cafe weekly, on BBC Radio Scotland.
See what other Food52ers are saying.