Making the Dish
MAKE THE MINT CHUTNEY: Combine the chutney ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Refrigerate, covered, for up to five days.
MAKE THE PATTIES: Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool. When they’re cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes (the peels should slip off easily), discard the peels, and grate the peeled potatoes on the large holes of a box grater.
Put the grated potato in a large mixing bowl and stir in the cornstarch and salt. Mix well and then divide into 12 equal portions, rolling each into a ball.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until the seeds begin to crackle, about 30 seconds. Add the peas, coriander, and red chili, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer the pea mixture to a bowl and let cool. Mash the peas well.
Flatten each potato ball into a disk and place a spoonful of the pea filling on top, dividing the filling equally between the 12 potato balls. Press the potato patty around the filling to enclose it, forming it back into a ball. Flatten the filled ball to a disk about 3⁄4 inch thick.
In a large skillet, add enough oil to cover the bottom in a thin layer and heat over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook until the bottoms are crisp and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the patties over and cook until the second side is golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes more. For extra crispness, flip them over again and fry for another minute or so on each side.
Transfer the cooked patties to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Serve hot with mint chutney.
Step 1: Making the Dish
- 2 pounds small, thin-skinned potatoes (such as Yukon Gold)
- 2 ounces cornstarch
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons oil, plus additional for frying
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon ground red chili
- FOR THE MINT CHUTNEY
- 1 cup mint leaves
- 1 cup cilantro leaves
- 1 green chili pepper (such as jalapeño)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1⁄2 cup pureed mango
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
