This Potato Cutlet (Aloo Tikki Recipe) is prepared with soft, fluffy mashed potatoes that are lightly spiced and then coated in breadcrumbs for a crispy and crunchy outside. A popular appetizer, side, and snack in Pakistan, this potato cutlet recipe is as easy as boiling potatoes.
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The word cutlet is a reference to the French word "Cotelette." This refers to thinly sliced meat that is breaded and fried. The potato cutlets in this recipe are vegetarian versions known as aloo tikki or potato patty. Call it whatever you will; it's a delicious recipe I highly recommend trying at least once.
I love to pair my cutlets with some tawa fry beef keema, lentil curry with tamarind, and basmati rice for a delicious meal. For a fun twist on this recipe, try my potato cheese balls (with chicken).
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Why you'll love this potato cutlet recipe
- Great way to use leftover mashed potatoes - I love using leftover mashed potatoes to create this recipe. No one ever guesses they're eating leftovers.
- Lots of menu pairing options - These potato cutlets taste good with about anything. Try them with tandoori grilled lamb chops, hot and sour soup, easy eggplant curry, or chicken pulao.
- Customizable recipe - Perfect for a vegetarian diet, you can make a Vegan or Gluten-free version as well. Both methods are provided in the recipe card.
- No complex ingredients required - The ingredients to make the potato cutlet are fairly simple and easy to source. The only one you may have trouble with is Anardana and that isn't essential.
Ingredients notes
- Red potatoes - I like to use red potatoes for their creamy texture in this recipe. Due to their waxy nature, they are firm. This makes them crack less easily than russets when shaped into patties.
- Green onions - I like the fresh light taste of these onions much more than regular ones. Feel free to try the recipe with regular onions if you prefer.
- Amchur powder - This is a spice I love to use in most of my vegetable recipes. Made from sour green mangoes, it adds a nice tang to the potatoes. Amchur is becoming increasingly popular and is easily available in stores.
- Anardana - These are dried pomegranate seeds and are popular in South Asian recipes. Anardana is tangy and crunchy, adding both flavor and texture to the cutlets. If these are difficult to source, simply omit them, but I highly recommend trying them at least once in this recipe.
- Panko crumbs - I like to use Panko versus regular bread crumbs for the coating as this yields a super crispy texture.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Meat-Filled cutlets - There's a version of this potato cutlet that my grandmother used to make, with spicy cooked ground beef as a filling in the center. The filled cutlets have an egg-like shape and are an entire meal in one.
- Add cheese or shredded chicken - Add some shredded chicken along with mild cheddar or mozzarella to the potato cutlet for some protein.
- Add lentils - Add some boiled and mashed lentils and turn this into a bun kabab patty. Make a sandwich and enjoy it with some tamarind dipping sauce and some cilantro mint chutney.
Step-by-step instructions
- First step - Place the boiled and peeled potatoes in a flat tray and use a potato masher to break them up. Add all the spice powders and continue to mash the potatoes till they're all well distributed.
- Second step - Add in the anardana (pomegranate seeds) and cumin seeds next and mix by hand to distribute it evenly throughout the potatoes.
- Third step - Add all the chopped greens and mix well.
- Fourth step - Shape the potatoes into patties, making sure to seal any cracks.
- Fifth step - Set up a station to breadcrumb the potato cutlets. Flour, beaten eggs, and panko breadcrumbs are placed in containers that are wide enough to comfortably dip each potato cutlet in.
- Sixth step - First coat the potato cutlet in the flour. This serves 2 purposes; it dries out any residual moisture and also helps the eggs stick to the aloo tikkis. This helps the panko crumbs stick to the potato cutlet, resulting in a crispy coating.
- Seventh step - Proceed to coat all the cutlets in the egg and breadcrumbs and lay them out to fry.
- Eighth step - Preheat some oil in a wide frying pan and place the cutlets in it, a few at a time.
- Ninth step - Flip after a few minutes to brown and crisp both sides evenly. The sides may be lighter than the top and bottom of the cutlets depending on how thick they are, but should still crisp up.
- Tenth step - Dip the cooked potato cutlet in some chutney or ketchup and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Cook the potatoes al dente - This helps the cutlets from cracking when frying them.
- Chill the potatoes - After the potato cutlets are prepped, place them in the fridge for 20-30 minutes so they firm up and are easier to fry.
- Mash the potatoes by hand - Overworking the potatoes can make them a little gummy. I simply use a handheld masher to break them down and stop as soon as I see they're broken down. A few clumps are to be expected.
- Use a cooling rack when frying - Using this to drain the excess oil keeps the potato cutlets crispier than if you were to use a paper towel.
- Frying a large batch - If you're frying a large batch of cutlets, turn your oven on and preheat it to a low setting. Place the cutlets in it as you continue to work, to keep them warm while you finish up the frying. Make sure the cutlets are in a single layer and not covered to keep them crisp.
- Use water to help shape - I keep a bowl of water next to me as I shape my patties and use it to help smooth out any cracks that can sometimes develop.
Recipe FAQS
Yes! Simply dip in corn flour, rice flour, or chickpea flour and pan fry; or make an egg and flour batter, dip and fry. The aloo tikki will not be crisp with this method, but the flour will provide a nice finish and keep the patties from breaking.
For an egg-free version, make a batter with some rice flour and rice flour and coat the patties in it before frying. Add some Panko crumbs if gluten is not an issue, or simply fry with the batter.
Aloo cutlets can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the fridge. To reheat, use an oven or toaster oven for best results. I don't recommend freezing the cutlets as they get soggy and start breaking apart when defrosted.
Other recipes you may like
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don't forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture then tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
Potato Cutlet (Aloo Tikki Recipe)
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Ingredients
- 4 red potatoes (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon salt (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon amchur powder
- 2 teaspoon white cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoon anardana (pomegranate seeds) (optional)
- 4 green onions (see notes)
- 1 jalapeno pepper (see notes)
- ½ cup cilantro (see notes)
- 1 cup flour (see notes)
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup cooking oil (see notes)
Instructions
- Boil, peel and mash the potatoes.
- Add the salt, red chili powder, amchur and mix evenly into the mashed potatoes.
- Add the anardana and cumin seeds next.
- Finely dice the jalapeno, green onions and cilantro and mix into the potatoes.
- Shape the seasoned mashed potatoes into small round patties, about 2.5 inches in diameter and ½ inch thick.
- Lay out a breading station with the flour, beaten eggs and panko bread crumbs.
- Coat the cutlets in the flour, egg, and bread crumbs (in that order).
- Heat the oil in the frying pan.
- Shallow fry the cutlets till they're brown and crispy on both sides.
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