As much as I adore cooking, it is also often for work, or a means by which to get food on to the table. But to my toddler daughter, it is always fun. Smashing potatoes? Joy! Mixing and squidging a mixture into patties with our hands? What a hoot! Trying to get peas, which are bouncing and sliding all over the table, into a blender (one by one)? Hilarious! Although this recipe is a means to an end, it’s also a bit of fun – and, for that, it doesn’t matter how old you are.
Potato, coconut and peanut tikkis with pea chutney
There’s no chilli in this recipe, but feel free to add a little Kashmiri chilli powder if you want. It has a gentle, rounded heat that distributes well in tikkis. You’ll need a blender or food processor to make these.
Prep 10 min
Cook 40 min
Makes 10
75g roasted peanuts
600g potatoes, peeled and chopped into 3cm pieces
Salt
75g desiccated coconut
2cm ginger, peeled and grated
1½ tsp garam masala
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
20g mixed herbs (mint, coriander etc), chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
For the chutney
40g desiccated coconut
100ml boiled water
200g peas, defrosted, plus one small handful to serve
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
½ tsp salt
In a food blender, grind the peanuts to a fairly fine powder. Set aside, but don’t wash the blender just yet.
Next, make the chutney. Put the desiccated coconut in a small heatproof bowl, pour over 100ml just-boiled water and leave for five minutes. Transfer the coconut and water to the blender, add the peas, garlic, lime juice and salt, and blend smooth. Scrape into a little bowl and set aside while you shape and fry the tikkis.
Put the potato pieces in a medium saucepan, add cold water to cover and a big pinch of salt, put on a medium heat and cook until a knife slides in without any resistance – this should take about eight minutes from when the water starts to boil. Drain the potatoes and leave to rest until cool to the touch.
Put the desiccated coconut, ground peanuts, ginger, spices, a teaspoon of salt and chopped herbs in a large bowl, add the potatoes and mash well. With wet hands, divide the mix into 75g piles and shape into patties. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and cook for three to four minutes on each side, until golden brown.
Serve the patties with the chutney alongside.
