These spicy, crunchy, outer potato cakes, or aloo tikki in Urdu and Hindi, take me back to my school years in Lahore. We used to make a row for alo tikki from the Apa, owner of the tuckers shop: each one was placed neatly in the middle of the warm naan and folded for snack during recess. This street-food-style snack, enjoyed from Pakistan to India and Bangladesh, goes perfectly with a cup of chai in the afternoon, as a side with morning eggs (scroll, hash browns) or with a glass of bubbles during cocktail hours. Scented with fresh coriander seeds, mint and cumin, dip the fritters in a (green) fire chutney to fully enjoy them.
This recipe requires cayenne pepper, but if you prefer more heat, use the ground red chili powder found in South Asian grocery stores. It’s worth getting rice flour as it provides a really amazing crunch, but all-purpose flour will work. –Shayma Owaise Saadat