Surjan Singh Jolly
Akhrot nadru anjeer tikki
Ingredients
- 50 gm dried figs, 50 gm shelled walnuts
- 400 gm (2-3 stems) lotus stem (kamal kakri), chopped
- 200 gm cottage cheese (tsaman or paneer)
- 4 tbsp canola oil
- 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf), coarsely crushed
- 1/2 green chilli, chopped finely
- 1/4 tbsp black peppercorns, crushed
- 1 pinch dried ginger powder
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
- Pinch of salt, Chutney
Method
- Soak figs in water for an hour in room temperature. When soft, chop finely.
- In a shallow pan, lightly dry roast walnuts. Set aside until cool, then crush coarsely.
- In a pressure cooker, cook chopped lotus for 10 minutes. When cool, mash it into a coarse paste.
- In a shallow frying pan, heat 1 tbsp canola oil on medium heat and sauté fennel seeds and chopped green chilli.
- Add mashed lotus stems, cottage cheese, walnuts and chopped figs. Mix together to form a smooth, thick paste. Add crushed pepper, dried ginger powder and caraway seeds and mix again. Remove from the flame after 2-3 minutes.
- Once the mixture cools, season with salt and make small or medium-sized patties (tikkis).
- In a frying pan, heat the remaining canola oil and shallow fry patties until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve it with chutney of your choice.
(Jolly is a senior executive chef)