These spicy, spicy potato cookies from outside, or aloo tikki in Urdu and Hindi, take me back to my school years in Lahore. We lined up earlier for the school candy store Apa’s aloo tikki: each was neatly placed in the middle of the hot naan and folded during the recess for a mobile snack. This street-style-style snack, enjoyed from Pakistan to India to Bangladesh, goes beautifully with a cup of late-afternoon chai, as a side with morning eggs (shift over, hash-brown), or with ‘ a glass bubbling during a cocktail hour. Perfumed with fresh coriander, mint and cumin seeds, dip the braai sandwiches in fiery hari (green) chutney to fully enjoy it.
This recipe calls for cayenne pepper, but if you prefer more heat, then use the ground red chilli powder found in South Asian grocery stores. It is worthwhile to obtain rice flour as it offers a wonderful crunch but flour will work for all purposes. –Shayma Owaise Saadat