Sabudana Tikki

Ingredients

• Sabudana – 1 cup
• Water – about ¾ cup for soaking
• Boiled potatoes – 2 medium, cooled and mashed
• Roasted peanuts – ⅓ cup, coarsely ground
• Green chilli – 1, finely chopped
• Cumin – 1 tsp
• Coriander – 2 tbsp, chopped
• Lemon juice or amchur – 1 tsp
• Rock salt or regular salt – as needed
• Oil or ghee – for shallow pan-frying

Method

1. Rinse the sabudana 3 times and drain. Add about ¾ cup water, or just enough to sit around the height of the pearls, and soak for 4 to 6 hours.
2. Press a pearl between two fingers. It should crush easily with no hard white centre. Drain for 10 to 15 minutes if any free water remains.
3. Mix the soaked sabudana with cooled mashed potato, peanut, chilli, cumin, coriander, lemon or amchur and salt.
4. Squeeze a portion in your palm. It should hold cleanly. If loose, add a little more mashed potato or peanut powder rather than flour.
5. Shape into patties about 1.5 cm thick and chill for 10 minutes if very soft.
6. Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat. Place the tikkis without crowding and leave them undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until a firm golden crust forms.
7. Turn with a broad spatula and cook the second side for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add only a few drops of oil around the edges if needed.
8. Serve hot with curd or green chutney. Unlike sabudana vada, these are pan-fried rather than deep-fried.