It is no secret that tikkis are as deeply rooted in my North Indian soul as samosas and Thumbs up. Chaat is always on my menu when I visit Raipur. But this Diwali, the time flew by faster than the gaps at our local chaat walla. To make it work, I made these healthy aloo paneer recipes.
It’s been a two-week-long struggle. I fell ill, lived on khichdi for a while, and then made up by eating as many jalebis and not being labeled a glutton. My mum’s jalebis, which are super hot and thin, are dipped in enough cash (thick syrup) to make them not too sweet. They’re so good, and I haven’t even tried jalebis outside.
This is not about jalebis. These also paneer-tikkis are great for Diwali and the aftermath. You guys, I tried. I did. To eat as healthy as possible, I fought with myself and tried to follow all my five tips for eating healthy this holiday season. The jalebis, however, are only once in a lifetime, and I was very tempted to fall for them. You know that my intentions are good and proper. These healthy also paneers and tikkis make me feel happier. They are healthier. They are not fried or swimming in ghee and are not as carb-heavy. Do I do tikkis any disservice? Let’s not think like that.
Even though I didn’t want to drink the Thumbs Up, I served this with Flavored Lemon Honey Tetley Green tea. Because balance is what I value. A cup of green tea energizes me daily and gives me daily doses of antioxidants. They have some new flavors. Are you a fan of Spice and Citrus? Maybe some Cinnamon or Honey? Both, please. And another batch of healthy aloo paneer-tikki.
Ingredients
Three tablespoons Ghee
3 Potatoes boiled, mashed
100g Paneer, or cottage cheese, grated
3/4 cup steamed Green peas (optional).
1 Onion, finely chopped (optional).
1/2 cup instant cooking oats, ground into powder (See Note 1
1 inch Ginger grated
2 Finely chopped green chilies
Two tablespoons Coriander chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
One tablespoon Chaat masala powder
Salt to your taste
Instructions
Start by mixing all ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix all ingredients, then gently mash the green peas with your hands. Adjust the salt and spices to your liking.
Divide the mixture into equal portions and form them into discs of 1/2 inch thickness.
In a large skillet, heat ghee and fry the tikkis until golden brown.
Serve the tikkis hot with chaat masala, chopped Coriander, spicy Pudina (Mint), Chutney, or Ketchup.
Notes
- Mix one tablespoon of sabudana with the oats in a mixer (watch the video). This will make it easy to fast.
- To make it vegan-friendly, swap ghee instead of vegetable or canola oil.
- This recipe is for my coriander chutney, which makes a great dipping sauce.
