The colorful festival of India, Holi is just days away. This festival brings people from all walks of life together as they forget their differences and get drench in high spirits of colors, fun and off course food. So, how about we celebrate holi together this year ? In the coming days, i would be taking you through my memory lanes and share with you all, the food i associate with Holi. Read on !
This post is part of a 5 day long celebratory event co-hosted by me (Prachi) and my fellow food bloggers Sonal (from simplyvegetarian) and Shailja (sweet and savory by Shailja). Check out the event here : https://www.facebook.com/events/1640410059520111/
It is going to be so much FUN !!
Now, to get back to my post for the day, i thought about starting the merriment with an appetizer dish which is very north Indian, traditional and reminds of all things happy : Aloo Tikki with Chole (Indian style potato croquettes with spicy chickpea gravy) – Sound YUM right?
I remember savoring plates after plates of Aloo Tikkis which were sometimes dunked in cool minty yogurt or gravies but almost always laced with copious amounts of assorted chutneys (Tamarind chutney and the mint-coriander chutney). As a kid i could not remember the names of these chutneys and i would just name them by their colors i.e Red chutney and Green chutney. My mom used to keep this dish ready for us to eat in the lunch on the day of Holi. Me and the neighbouring kids used to go out to play holi early in the morning (apparently the only day in the year when mom did not have to pester us to wake up :P) and after hours of running around the blocks, playing with colors, we would come back home, all worn out and hungry ! These tikkis, as delicious as they are, used to make me jump in excitement and i used to devour them π
Traditionally Aloo Tikkis (Indian style spicy croquettes) are usually deep fried and crunchy to core. If you think you can steal just one bite and stay away from those calories … maybe you are better off without tasting them π The combination of all the assortments with the Aloo tikkis is so irresistible that the first bite response usually ends with a loud “tttt” a.k.a lip smacking !
To keep the spirits of Holi high and embrace my childhood, i thought of bringing out those childhood memories and reliving them through the dishes which i plan to make for this event !! I am already feeling so excited π
So, here i have for you my favorite combination of Aloo Tikki dish : Aloo Tikkis with Chole
Chole is a savory gravy dish of chickpeas cooked in a spicy broth. It is usually served with flat breads such as Naans, tandoori rotis or with rice & pilafs. The northern chaats (comfort street food) also serve these Chole with various fried items like Samosas, Tikkis and fried breads for elevating the flavours and textures of the chaat.
I love chole the most when served along side hot and crispy Aloo tikkis. The dish below is a healthier version of the dish. Instead of deep frying the tikkis, i added some binders and crisp enhancers (fancy words heh :P), pan fried them uptill crispy and they came out just as delicious ! Try them.
Aloo Tikki Chole
Aloo Tikki Chole
Recipe
For Tikkis
- 6 medium sized potatoes, boiled and mashed (depending on the size you would like for the tikkis, adjust the quantity of the potatoes)
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp grounded coriander powder (optional)
- 1 tsp dry mango powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 cup peas, boiled (optional)
- 3 slices of bread (u can also use 1 fistful of flattened rice/ Poha/ Chivda here)
- 1 tablespoon rice flour / corn starch
- 1 tablespoon oil
For Chole
- 2 cups boiled soaked and boiled chickpeas/garbanzo beans
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 green chillies, slit in middle and seeds removed (you can keep the seeds if you like your chole spicy)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Pinch of Asafoetida/ Hing (optional)
- 1 inch ginger, julliene
- 2-3 tablespoons water
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp coriander seed powder
- 1/2 tsp dry mango powder/pomegranate seed powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- chopped coriander for granishing.
Garnishing
- Mint- Coriander Chutney (Recipe here)
- Tamarind chutney (Recipe here)
- Yogurt (optional)
Method
Preparing Tikkis
- Take a big mixing bowl Into this, add in the mashed potatoes. Do not worry if the potatoes are not evenly mashed, they will get mashed in the process later.
- Now, add in spices, grated ginger and mix well till the mixture is homogenous. Meanwhile, soak the bread slices in a little water till the bread is soggy and then remove it from the water, squeeze the excess water and crumble with your hands till it resembles cake crumbs. Add this to the mixture.
- Now, add in the corn starch, peas ad coriander and combine well. Depending on your preference, you can mash the peas before adding to the mixture or keep it chunky for an added texture. Note : make sure the mixture is not hot or the corn starch will make the mixture sticky and hence difficult to manage.
- Keep this mixture to rest for about 10 minutes. After the resting time, divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and form patties shape. At this stage, keep these patties inside the freezer for 8-10 minutes so that the patties come together and firm up a bit.
- take a non stick griddle and bring to heat. Add in the oil and place the tikkis atleast 1 inch apart from each other. Pan fry these on both sides till golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain the excess oil on a paper towel.
Preparing Chole
- Take a pan. Add in the oil and bring to heat. Add in the Asafoetida and cumin seeds. Let the seeds splutter.
- Next, add in the onions and saute on medium high till they are translucent. Now, add in the Tomatoes, ginger and the spices. Add some water and let this cook on medium high till the tomatoes get soft and mushy.
- Now, add in the chickpeas and mix well. Adjust spices as required. Cover the pan with a lid and let this cook for 10-15 mins.
- Remove the cover. sprinkle fresh coriander on top and serve hot.
Assembly
In a plate, put 2-4 tikkis. Top it with chole, chutneys and/or yogurt and serve hot.
Taking this entry to Fiesta Friday π
Click below and go back to read what others have for u π Happy reading
Beautiful!
Thank u so much !
Explosion of flavors!!! I am so so in love with this dish!
Thank u so so much π
Thanks a lot Rafeeda
These look delicious, and I love the image of you having these after playing holi as a child – what great memories food can bring. The blog series sounds great, I will have to come back to see what else you have in store, but for now I hope I can take a few of these with me! Thanks for bringing to Fiesta Friday.
Thanks a lot Caroline. Since India is celebrating Holi right now … i thought this is the ideal time to share amongst you all a traditional recipe which was prepared at my place π Thanks for organizing the FF and thank u for stopping by caroline <3
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gorgeous photography.Like from right out of a magazine.
Oh thank u so much ! Thats a big compliment π
Yum this looks delicious! Holi sounds like such a wonderful festival
Oh it is definitely a fun festival – fun, food and colors !
Looks really good and your pictures just enhance how delicious your recipe must be π
aww thats a big compliment ! Thank u ! <3
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