Aloo Tikki Burger (Potato Patty Burger)

Aloo tikki burger is a popular Indian street food and a fusion of traditional Indian flavors with a Western-style burger. It consists of aloo tikki, which is a potato patty mixed with various spices and herbs, served in a burger bun along with a variety of toppings and condiments.

It is popularly called the McAloo tikki burger as it was introduced in India by the fast food chain McDonald's to cater to the Indian vegetarian market. The burger features flavorful aloo tikki, a potato patty seasoned with aromatic spices. The patty is cooked to perfection, offering a crispy outside and a tender inside. What makes the aloo tikki burger stand out is the tandoori mayo.

What is aloo tikki?

Crispy from the outside, and fluffy inside, these Indian-style potato patties are packed with flavors and so easy to make. Aloo tikki is a popular Indian street food made with potatoes that are seasoned with spices and herbs, shaped, and pan-fried until crispy.

Aloo pattice is a delicious snack that goes well with masala chai. Serve it with green chutney, sweet chutney, or any dip of your choice. They are very versatile and can be served as a chaat, or turned into a sandwich, burger, or wrap. They are great make-ahead party appetizers and can be mixed, shaped, and fried a day before gatherings.

Ingredients

For the aloo tikki

Potatoes: Waxy or semi-waxy potatoes work best to make these patties. Avoid starchy potatoes.

Spices: I use garam masala, chaat masala, amchur, and chili powder.

Binding agent: I use cornstarch (corn flour) and breadcrumbs for binding.

Herbs: I use cilantro and mint leaves. I also use ginger and green chilli.

Optional veggies: You can add finely chopped vegetables along with potatoes to make the patties wholesome. Some good options are green peas, carrots, and green beans.

For the burger

Burger buns: In this Indian-style aloo tikki burger recipe, I have used brioche burger buns.

Tandoori mayo: You can use store-bought tandoori mayo or make it at home with this easy tandoori mayonnaise recipe.

Burger veggie: I am using lettuce, tomato, and onion.

Step-by-step instructions

Make the aloo tikki

Step 1: Boil potatoes until they are just done, taking care not to overboil them. Drain the water immediately and let them cool down before peeling. Mash them using a potato masher (images 1 and 2).

Step 2: To this, add ginger, green chili, cilantro, mint leaves, garam masala, red chili powder, chaat masala, amchur, and salt. Mix well (images 3 and 4).

Step 3: Add the cornstarch and bread crumbs. Bring the mixture together to form a firm and non-sticky dough (images 5 and 6).

Step 4: Pinch out a small portion of the mixture and make a ball. Gently flatten it with your palms making sure there are no cracks at the ends (image 7). Repeat with the rest of the mixture (image 8).

Step 5: Heat oil in a frying pan. Carefully place the cutlets in a single layer in hot oil and shallow fry on medium heat for 5-6 minutes (image 9). Carefully flip the cutlet and fry on the other side for 3-4 minutes until they are golden brown (image 10).

Make the tandoori mayo

Step 6: Take mayonnaise, sour cream, ginger powder, garlic powder, chili powder, garam masala, ground cardamom, sugar, salt, lemon juice, and tomato ketchup in a small bowl. Mix well making sure there are no lumps.

Assemble the aloo tikki burger

Step 7: Cut the burger bun and spread a little butter. Lightly toast it on a griddle. Spread around ½ tablespoon of tandoori mayo on the bottom half of the toasted bun (image 13).

Step 8: Place lettuce and tomato on top. Next, place the crispy aloo tikki on top of the tomato (images 14 and 15).

Step 9: Spread ½ tablespoon of mayo on the tikki. Top with onion slices. Cover the burger with the top half of the bun.

Useful tips

Use waxy or semi-waxy potatoes to make tikki. Avoid starchy potatoes as they will not hold the shape and may fall apart when frying. Red potatoes or Yukon gold works well for this recipe.

The potatoes should be just done and not mushy. Make sure they are fork-tender. Once the potatoes are done, drain the hot water immediately. If the cooked potatoes sit in water, they will turn very moist and will not bind together.

Cool the boiled potatoes completely before peeling and mashing them. Do not add breadcrumbs to hot potatoes as this will make the mixture sticky.

The tikki mixture should be non-sticky and have no moisture content. If it is too sticky, add one tablespoon of breadcrumb at a time and mix well. To make the patties gluten-free, you can substitute breadcrumbs with rice flour.

Make sure the oil for shallow frying is hot. Fry the tikkis on medium heat. Frying them on low heat will make them too oily and high heat can burn them.

Do not disturb them for the first 4-5 minutes when frying. This will help the crust to form. You will need to fry them for 5-7 minutes on one side and another 3-4 minutes after carefully flipping them.

Toast the burger buns slightly before assembling them. This adds flavor and makes the buns sturdy.

Recipe card