Air fryer recipe · Snacks
Sweet Potato Corn Tikki
Sweet potato and corn patties held together with toasted besan - crisp shell, soft sweet centre, no deep frying.
- 40 minTotal time
- 200°CAir fryer
- 5Serves
- VegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 90kcal
- 2.7 gprotein
- 17.5 gcarbs
- 0.9 gfat
- 3.1 gfibre
Per serving, about 5 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes2 medium, boiled
- Sweet corn kernels3/4 cup, boiled
- Gram flour (besan)3 tbsp
- Ginger1 inch, grated
- Green chilli2, minced
- Roasted cumin powder1 tsp
- Chaat masala1 tsp
- Corianderhandful, chopped
Method
Boil and dry the sweet potatoes
Boil or steam the sweet potatoes whole in their skins for 12 to 15 minutes until a knife slides through, then peel and mash while warm. Spread the mash on a plate for ten minutes so the steam escapes. Sweet potato holds more water than regular potato, and a wet mash is the number one reason these tikkis fall apart.
Toast the besan
Dry-roast the gram flour in a small pan on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring the whole time, until it smells nutty and darkens a shade. Raw besan tastes chalky and stays bitter inside the tikki; toasted besan turns into the glue that also adds flavour.
Build the mix
Crush half the corn roughly with the back of a spoon and leave the rest whole, so you get sweetness through the mix plus little pops of whole kernels. Fold the corn, toasted besan, ginger, green chilli, roasted cumin, chaat masala, coriander and salt through the mash. The mixture should hold a ball without sticking to your palm; if it feels loose, work in another spoon of besan.
Shape and chill
Divide into eight and press into discs about 2 cm thick, pinching any cracked edges smooth. Chill the shaped tikkis in the fridge for 15 minutes. Cold patties hold their shape when the hot air hits them; skip the chill and the sugars in the sweet potato soften too fast.
Air-fry until deep golden
Preheat the air fryer at 200C for 3 minutes, brush both sides of each tikki with a thin film of oil, and lay them in a single layer with space between. Air-fry at 200C for 10 min, flip gently with a flat spatula, then air-fry at 200C for 6 min until the shell is deep golden, the edges are crisp and the centre is piping hot. Rest for two minutes before serving; the crust sets as it cools.
