Sindhi Besan Tikki (Chickpea Patties)

About this recipe

Besan tikki is a clever Sindhi snack — gram flour bound with grated bottle gourd and spices, shaped into patties and pan-crisped with minimal oil. The lauki (bottle gourd) keeps the tikki moist inside while the outside goes golden and crispy. This is pantry cooking at its best: three ingredients and technique make a snack that tastes far more sophisticated than it is. Squeeze the grated gourd very well first; excess moisture will prevent the mixture from holding together and create steamed rather than pan-fried patties. Besan has a warm, faintly nutty flavour on its own, but it needs aromatic support: ginger paste brings heat and brightness, green chillies add a sharp bite, turmeric and cumin ground warmth into the background. Coriander adds freshness and prevents the whole thing from becoming too heavy. The bottle gourd itself contributes almost nothing taste-wise — its job is textural, keeping the tikkis moist and preventing them from becoming dense. The mixture should be stiff enough to shape, loose enough to pan-fry without sticking. The pan-frying is where the magic happens. Brush the tava lightly with oil, let it heat well, then place the tikkis on and don't move them for the first two minutes. Let them develop a crust, which is what makes them crispy. Only then should you flip and do the same on the other side. Pressing down gently with the spatula encourages even browning and crust formation. Many home cooks flip too early and end up with floppy, oily tikkis instead of crispy ones. Eat besan tikkis hot, straight from the pan, with green chutney and a glass of chai. They're best fresh but will keep for a day and can be warmed briefly on the tava before eating. They freeze excellently before cooking; pan-fry straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the cook time.