Potato Pea Croquettes (Matar ki tikki)

I like to sleep with my curtains open so that each morning, I can wake up abusing the sun for coming out so early. I know that is paradoxical. I mean, how difficult is it to get up and pull the curtains over the rather large window I have been blessed with? To be quite honest, I do enjoy waking up grumpy. It makes me happy. Now you know another reason for why no one has ever been able to decode a woman’s thoughts.

My rambling aside, I associate cold rainy days with fried food and hot tea, as do most Indians. When you’re at home, lovely mothers or cooks do the hard work for you. All you need to do is wrap yourself in a warm comforter and enjoy deep fried love!

This living alone thing has its ups and downs. Mostly, it isn’t really allowing me to pursue my hobby of ultimate laziness. So, in a place like Hannover where the weather is mostly wet and gloomy, after three months, I pushed myself into boiling potatoes one day. They stayed in the fridge for another three days and troubling dreams till I made myself get up one Saturday morning. I didn’t take a bath and I didn’t brush my teeth. I scrunched up my hair and wiped the sleep from my eyes. I made my way into the kitchen with last night’s dirty pan (to be washed). This was my day, my moment. I made matar kit tikki.

Let me translate this dish for you. It is quite simple. It’s a mashed potato croquette with a spicy peas filling, pan seared to golden brown perfection.

I started with peeling a few potatoes that I had boiled earlier in the week. I added some salt and a spoonful of regular flour to it, mashed it all together and put it aside.

For the peas, I heated some oil in a pan and added a teaspoon each of sesame seeds and flax seeds. I waited for them to pop and then I added a pinch of turmeric, garam masala and chili powder. I cooked this till my spices were aromatic and then I added some frozen peas directly to the pan. I cooked this till the peas were lightly blistered.

Now comes the tricky part. I rubbed some oil onto my hands and that definitely helped. Also, the flour mixed into the potatoes makes the mix a little drier and easier to handle. I took some potato mix and flattened it into a thin disc with my fingers. I placed a spoonful of peas into the center of it and covered the filling by pulling the edges in. This is a difficult thing to do. It does need some practice and I’m sure I’ll get it some day. But I think it would be easier just to make two disks of similar size, stuff the peas in the middle and squeeze the edges of both patties together. If it is the road taken that you prefer, then go for it. I myself prefer challenges and I didn’t do too badly.

I took a tablespoon of oil in a very good non-stick frying pan and placed the cutlets in it when it was hot. You only need to cook them for two minutes per side. Then put them on a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

I ate them with hari chutney, dahi ki chutney, flat bread and half a green apple (to feign being healthy). A translation for the rest you ask? Well, if I gave it all out in a single post, I wouldn’t have any more ideas in my bag and I’m sure you would end up being bored of my incessant ranting. As always, I leave the exact boring recipe below this entertaining monologue for all you adventure seekers. Do share pictures, your experiences and thoughts if you end up trying this recipe (or not)!

MATAR KI TIKKI (for 6 tikkis or 2 people or just me)

Ingredients:

·      2 large boiled potatoes

·      1 tablespoon regular flour (type 405)

·      Salt to taste

·      1 tablespoon oil

·      1 teaspoon sesame seeds

·      1 teaspoon flax seeds

·      ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

·      ¼ teaspoon chili powder

·      ¼ teaspoon garam masala

·      ½ cup frozen peas

Method:

1.     Mash the potatoes, salt and flour together with a fork into smooth dough.

2.     Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and fry sesame and flax seeds till they begin to pop.

3.     Add all the spices in and cook for 30 seconds.

4.     Add the frozen peas and cook till the peas are lightly blistered. Remove from heat.

5.     Divide the potato dough into 6 parts and roll each part into a small ball. Flatten to form a disc and stuff with some of the peas.

6.     Pan fry in hot oil for 2 minutes per side.

7.     Serve piping hot!