McDonald's McAloo Tikki (Copycat)

The original: McAloo Tikki · McDonald's →Your Food Lab’s take →Bharatz Kitchen’s take →CookingShooking’s take →

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About

When McDonald’s opened in India in 1996, it faced a problem no other market posed: most customers do not eat beef, and many do not eat pork. The menu was rebuilt around chicken and vegetarian food, and the aloo tikki, a spiced potato patty every Indian customer already knew as a street snack, became its heart.

This home version makes the tikki from boiled, mashed potatoes and lightly crushed green peas, bound with breadcrumbs and seasoned with salt, cumin, coriander, garam masala, red chili powder and chaat masala, whose tangy, slightly sulphurous note is what makes it taste Indian rather than simply like a potato cake. The mixture is shaped into four thick patties and frozen for twenty minutes so they hold together in the hot oil, then battered, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. The finished burger gets a light orange sauce of eggless mayonnaise, ketchup and paprika, and red onion, in a toasted bun.

Ingredients

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Potato3 large potatoes (about 1 pound / 450g), boiled, peeled, and mashed
Peas1/2 cup (70g) green peas, boiled and lightly mashed
Breadcrumbs1/2 cup (50g) plain breadcrumbs (for binding the patty)
Salt1 teaspoon (5g) salt
Cumin1/2 teaspoon (1g) cumin powder
Cilantro1/2 teaspoon (1g) coriander powder
Garam masala1/2 teaspoon (1g) garam masala
Chili powder1/2 teaspoon (1g) red chili powder
Chaat masala1 teaspoon (5g) chaat masala
Vegetable oilVegetable oil for deep frying

batter & breading

All-purpose flour1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
Cornstarch1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
Water1/2 cup (120ml) water
Breadcrumbs1 cup (115g) breadcrumbs (panko or regular)
Salt1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt

tomato mayo sauce

Mayonnaise1/2 cup (120ml) vegan mayonnaise (McDonald's India uses an eggless mayo)
Ketchup3 Tablespoons (45ml) tomato ketchup
Paprika1/2 teaspoon (1g) sweet paprika or Kashmiri chili powder (for that signature orange color)
Chili powder1/2 teaspoon (1g) sweet paprika or Kashmiri chili powder (for that signature orange color)

assembly

Burger bun4 regular hamburger buns (ensure they are vegan if you want a 100% plant-based burger)
Red onion1 small red onion, sliced into thin rings
Tomato1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
Vegetable oil1 Tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil or vegan butter for toasting buns
Butter1 Tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil or vegan butter for toasting buns

Recipe

1
Mash it up: Throw the boiled potatoes, green peas, binding breadcrumbs, salt, cumin, coriander, garam masala, chili powder, and chaat masala into a large bowl. Mix everything together with your hands until it forms a firm, dough-like mixture. The spices are what make this Indian McDonald's classic so special.
2
Shape the tikkis (patties): Divide the spiced potato mixture into 4 equal portions. Roll them into tight balls and flatten them into thick patties that are just slightly wider than your buns. Pop them in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up — this prevents them from falling apart when they hit the hot oil.
3
Make the secret orange sauce: The signature McAloo Tikki sauce is incredibly simple but iconic. Whisk together the vegan mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, and paprika until you get a smooth, light orange, sweet-and-tangy sauce. Keep it in the fridge until you're ready to build.
4
Set up the breading station: In one bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, water, and salt until you have a smooth batter (it should look like thin pancake batter). Put your outer layer of breadcrumbs in a separate wide dish. Dip a chilled potato patty into the wet batter, let the excess drip off, then completely coat it in the dry breadcrumbs, pressing gently so they stick.
5
Fry to golden perfection: Heat your vegetable oil in a deep skillet or pot to 350°F (180°C). Fry the breaded patties for 4-5 minutes, flipping once, until they develop a super crispy, deep golden-brown crust. Let them rest on a wire cooling rack so they stay crunchy.
6
Assemble the McAloo Tikki: Lightly toast your buns in a pan with a little oil or vegan butter. Spread a generous spoonful of that orange mayo sauce on both the top and bottom buns. Lay your crispy potato patty on the bottom bun, top it with a slice of tomato and a few raw red onion rings, then close it up. Enjoy the crunch!