Mooli Tikki Bun Kebab Recipe

Prepare radish

Peel and grate the white radish (mooli). Place grated radish in a clean kitchen towel or fine sieve and press out as much liquid as possible. Reserve a little of the liquid (about 1–2 tablespoons) if needed; discard the rest.

Cook radish briefly

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon oil and the finely chopped onion. Sauté 1–2 minutes until translucent. Add the drained grated radish and cook, stirring, for 4–5 minutes to remove excess moisture and mellow the raw flavor. If you’re using green peas, add them now and cook 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Mix tikki dough

In a large bowl combine the cooked radish-onion mixture with the boiled mashed potato, chopped cilantro, green chilies, grated ginger, garam masala, ground coriander, red chili powder, amchur (or lemon juice) and salt. Add the cornstarch (or besan) as the binder. Mix thoroughly until you can shape the mixture. If the mix is too wet, add another 1 tablespoon cornstarch or a pinch of bread crumbs; if too dry, add 1 tablespoon reserved radish liquid or a little water.

Shape patties

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions for smaller bun kebabs (or 4 for larger burgers). With lightly oiled palms, shape each portion into a flat round patty about 3–4 inches (7–10 cm) across and about 1/2 inch (1–1.5 cm) thick. Press edges to seal so they don’t break while frying.

Pan-fry tikki

Heat a heavy skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl to coat. Place patties without crowding and shallow-fry 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp. Add remaining oil as needed and keep heat moderate so patties cook through without burning. Total cook time ~8–10 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm.

If you have store-bought chutneys, measure out the green chutney and tamarind-date chutney. To make quick green chutney: blend 1 cup cilantro, 1/2 cup mint leaves, 1 small green chili, 1 garlic clove (optional), 1 teaspoon lemon juice, salt to taste and 2–3 tablespoons water until smooth. Adjust consistency. For tamarind chutney, thin prepared concentrate with a little water if it’s very thick. Whisk the yogurt until smooth and season with a pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp chaat masala.

Taste and adjust: check both chutneys for seasoning, adding sugar to tamarind chutney to balance acidity if needed, and more lemon or salt to green chutney.

Toast buns

Slice buns in half horizontally. Lightly butter the cut sides and toast on a hot skillet or griddle for 1–2 minutes until golden and slightly crisp. Keep toasted buns warm.

Assemble kebabs

Spread about 1 tablespoon green chutney on the bottom half of each bun and 1 teaspoon tamarind-date chutney (or more to taste). Place a lettuce leaf (if using) on the bottom bun, then a radish-potato tikki. Add a couple of cucumber and tomato slices and a few rings of red onion. Drizzle a teaspoon of whisked yogurt over the onion and sprinkle a light pinch of chaat masala on the vegetables. Cap with the top bun spread lightly with remaining green chutney if you like extra heat.

Serve

Serve the Mooli Tikki Bun Kebabs immediately while warm with extra chutneys on the side. They make an excellent Course Two item — serve 2 patties per person for a modest portion or 1 larger tikki per serving if you prefer.