Indian chole aloo tikki

Method
Prep:20min  ›  Cook:20min  ›  Ready in:40min 

1. Place the cooked potatoes into a bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and crush the potatoes with a fork. Oil your hands with a little vegetable oil, and divide the potato mixture into 4 equal parts. Pat each portion into a potato patty about 1cm thick.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and fry the potato cakes until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Set aside; keep warm.
3. Grind the peppercorns and the 2 whole cloves with a mortar and pestle.
4. Heat a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium high heat, and stir in the cumin, bay leaves and red chillies, if using. Stir in the grated garlic, ginger and onion, and cook and stir until the onions are golden, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the turmeric, curry powder and black pepper-clove mixture. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato puree, and cook over medium heat until the tomatoes soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
6. Serve with the potato cakes, and sprinkle with coriander leaves.

Presentation suggestion

Place the potato cakes on a plate, serve the chickpeas on top, and don't forget the sauces! Recipes for Indian sauces - coriander sauce and tamarind sauce - are on this site. Finally, sprinkle with some fresh coriander leaves and a few thin slices of fresh onion.