These are adapted from Suvir Saran’s potato patties called palak ki tiki, from his lovely cookbook “Masala Farm.” They are a striking green because of all of the raw spinach that gets packed into them. The big, spicy burgers are incredibly easy to put together and to cook. Suvir serves them with chutney, either green or tamarind, but we both agree that they’re delicious with plain old ketchup. I made a quick raita to serve with the burgers by stirring sweet pickle relish into plain yogurt.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red boiling potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
- 4 firmly packed cups finely chopped, stemmed, washed spinach (about 3/4 pound leaves)
- 1 fresh, hot green chili, finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste (Suvir Saran uses about 1 1/4 teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup panko or chickpea flour (you will not use all of it)
- 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
312 calories; 7 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 830 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
Makes 10 substantial burgers (about 3 1/2 inches)
Preparation
- Steam potatoes over 1 inch of boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wide bowl and mash with a fork. Add remaining ingredients except panko or chickpea flour and oil and mix well with your hands, squeezing the ingredients together. There will still be small chunks of potato and potato skin in the mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Scoop out about 1/2 cup of the spinach-potato mixture, roll it with the palm of your hand to make a ball, and coat with panko or chickpea flour. Then press down to flatten to a 3 to 3 1/2-inch cake. Continue with remaining mixture. Chill for at least 1 hour.
- When you’re ready to cook, place a rack over a sheet pan. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Swirl pan to coat with the hot oil. Lower heat to medium. Place 4 to 5 patties in the pan (do not crowd), and cook until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and brown for about 4 more minutes. Remove to the rack. Heat remaining oil in pan and cook remaining patties. Keep patties in a low oven until ready to serve. Serve with a salad and your choice of toppings, such as the usual (ketchup, mustard, relish), or yogurt raita, garlic yogurt, or chutney.
- Advance preparation: You can form the patties and keep them refrigerated for up to 2 days, or cook them all the way through and keep them refrigerated for 2 or 3 days. Reheat on a baking sheet in a low oven for 10 to 15 minutes. The patties freeze well. Thaw completely before reheating.
About 50 minutes
Dining and Cooking