Paneer Tikki aur Chole

Tikki chole is one of the more popular chaats in North India. One afternoon when I was left with the task of feeding my hungry grandchildren, I thought of making the most of what was available on my kitchen shelf. I then chanced upon this recipe which has today become very popular amongst my family and friends. It took some time to master the art of making crisp alu tikkis. I use old potatoes (which are commonly referred to as wafer potatoes) to make the tikkis crisp and a slice of soaked bread to not only bind the potatoes but also to make them more crunchy. The paneer filling for tikkis uses tomato purée which adds a sharp tangy taste to it. If you are one of those who would like to avoid deep frying tikkis (all of us think it a crime to eat deep fried food), you can shallow fry on a griddle (tava) using a little oil. Chole along with these tikkis makes a heavy snack. But you will enjoy the tikkis by themselves with a little green chutney.

Preparation Time: 15 mins.
Cooking Time : 30 mins.
Serves 3 to 4.
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For the tikkis
1 1/2 cups boiled potatoes, grated
3 tbsp cornflour
1 bread slice (with crust removed)
salt to taste

For the filling
1/2 cup crumbled paneer (cottage cheese)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Other ingredients
bread crumbs for coating
oil for deep-frying

For serving
1 recipe Chole
4 lemon wedges
1 onion, chopped

1. Use old potatoes (wafer potatoes) to get crisper tikkis.
2. You will need 3 to 4 medium sized boiled potatoes for 1½ cups of grated potatoes.