Take mashed potatoes to new heights with these easy vegan potato cakes Indian style. This is a healthy, gluten-free version of aloo tikka, prepared and baked with no added oil.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Potato cakes are a great way to use leftover mashed potatoes and turn them into an excellent side dish that doubles as a veggie burger.
- Savory Indian spices and sweet frozen peas are easy to mix up, even a day early, for a quick meal.
- Unlike traditional aloo tikka (Indian potato cakes), traditionally fried in vegetable oil, this version is oven-baked and prepared with not even a little oil.
Ingredients, Notes, and Substitutions
Chickpea flour. Also known as besan, chickpea, or garbanzo flour is a super-binder for burgers and, in our case, potato cakes. Unlike all-purpose flour, it is naturally gluten-free flour, as is rice flour or potato starch, which can be used as a substitute.
Potatoes. You can use any potatoes you fancy. If you use russet potatoes or other types with thick skins, then peel them before boiling them. For thinner-skinned gold potatoes, you can prepare them with skins on them. Extra fiber – is always good!
Onions. I prefer a small red onion because it isn’t as sharp as yellow onions. Green onions (scallions or spring onions) make a good substitute. If you use onion powder instead, use 1 teaspoon.
Cilantro. If you aren’t a fan of cilantro, you can skip the fresh herbs or use chopped parsley as a replacement.
Garam masala. Garam masala is a traditional Indian spice mix, different from curry powder. You can find it at larger supermarkets and specialty stores, or try our homemade garam masala recipe, so you always have it in stock.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mash cooked potatoes with spices and lemon juice.
Step 2: Mix in the chickpea flour and the rest of the ingredients.
Step 3: Test the mixture by forming a ball or patty. If it crumbles, add a little lemon juice. If it sinks and spreads, add more flour.
Step 4: Form potato patties and chill for at least 30 minutes. Then bake at 400 F for 15 minutes until brown. Flip and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
Storage / Freezing / Reheating
Store baked potato patties in an airtight container for 5 days. When you reheat them in the oven, cover them with parchment paper or wrap them in aluminum foil, so they don't get too brown. You can also reheat them in the microwave.
Freeze baked potato cakes separated by a layer of plastic wrap or parchment paper, so they don't stick together. Bake them from frozen at 400 F, covering them for 15 minutes until they thaw in the middle.
What to Serve with Potato Cakes
I like to make potato cakes and let them cool in the refrigerator overnight, so I can bake them fresh the next day for a yummy brunch, smothered with vegan sour cream, tomato chutney, pineapple chutney, or lemon tahini dressing.
These savory vegan potato cakes also make a yummy burger tucked in a bun with any fixings you like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Indian potato cakes be made with sweet potatoes rather than mashed white potatoes. Because sweet potatoes naturally have a bit more moisture than white potatoes, you may need to adjust the amount of chickpea flour.
If you use a food processor rather than a potato masher, process it with spices and lemon juice. Then transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the chickpea flour, frozen peas, onions, ginger, jalapeno, and chopped cilantro with a spoon.
There are two reasons why potato cakes fall apart. Before you do anything, ensure all the ingredients, especially the flour, are mixed well. First, when you test a ball of potato mixture, it melts in your hand. This means the mixture is too wet, and you must add more flour. If the mixture crumbles, it is too dry. Add more lemon juice, a little at a time. Ultimately, the patties should be dense enough to hold their shape before chilling them, further setting them.
For these vegan potato cakes, start with a hot pan (medium heat), preferably non-stick, and then add the potato cakes in a single layer. Keep the potato cakes thin, less than ½ an inch thick, so they cook through. Use a large frying pan and cook them in batches if necessary. Fry for 10 minutes, flip each potato cake and finish browning them. Although we prefer not to use excess oil, you can spray a light coating of olive oil before adding the potato cakes.
To cook potato cakes in the air fryer, make sure they are no more than ½ an inch thick. Air fry at 400 F. Check after 5 minutes and then continue frying for another 2-3 minutes until they brown. Flip the patties and continue frying for another 2-3 minutes until they are brown on the other side.
Related Recipes
PrintVegan Potato Cakes Indian Style
Easy vegan potato cakes Indian style is a healthy, gluten-free version of aloo tikka, prepared and baked or air fried with no added oil.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 large potatoes (2 cups ½ cups diced), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon (pinch) of cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (½ fresh lemon)
- 1 small red onion, chopped (½ cup)
- 1-2 jalapenos, diced (remove the seeds or use only 1 chili if you want to reduce the heat)
- 1-inch knob of ginger, minced (1 tablespoon)
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped
- 2 tablespoons chickpea flour (gram flour)
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the potatoes and cover them with water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the potatoes for 15-20 minutes until they are soft when pierced with a fork.
- Drain the potatoes and run cold water over them to stop cooking.
- Add the cooked potatoes, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne pepper, salt (if using), and lemon juice to a large bowl. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes and combine the ingredients.
- Add the peas to a colander and run hot water over them to thaw them.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chickpea flour over the top and mix it into the potato mixture using a spoon or your hands.
- Stir or knead in the thawed frozen peas, diced onions, jalapenos, ginger, garlic, and cilantro.
- Check that the mixture is ready by forming a ball. If the ball crumbles apart, add more lemon juice. You need extra flour if the ball melts and spreads into your hand.
- Use about ½ a cup of potato mixture to form about ½ an inch thick patties. Place the patties on a large tray or plate. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- To bake, preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully transfer the potato cakes to the tray.
- Bake the potato cakes for 10-15 minutes until the top browns. Flip the patties and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Notes
- Substitute ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.
- Instead of white potatoes, make sweet potato cakes using the same ingredients. Because sweet potatoes have slightly more moisture, you may need more chickpea flour to bind them.
- See the frequently asked questions in the post for instructions to pan-fry.
- To air fry, be sure the potato patties are no more than ½ inch thick. Air fry for 5 minutes at 400 F. If necessary, fry for a few more minutes until they are brown. Flip, then fry for another 2-3 minutes until they are golden brown.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cakes
- Calories: 115
- Sugar: 3.4 g
- Sodium: 333.1 mg
- Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.3 g
- Protein: 4.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Monique van Dorst
Looks terrific, but.. I am going to try this with sweet potatoes instead.
Denise
Sweet potatoes would be great - you may need to add another tablespoon of chickpea flour, depending on how much moisture is in your sweet potatoes. Be sure to chill them so they don't fall apart. Happy cooking (and eating) 🙂