A weekend trial with my grandson… Potato Smiley made from scratch. After shaping the first smiley I left the dough in the creative hands of the little one who fathomed how he can make the potato mash to smile and was also able to reason out as to which patty smiled the best. His creative side also brought out an impromptu limerick. Not a great fan of fried stuff he enjoyed helping his “paati” not only with the smileys but also the video.
A patented product of McCain’s, this ‘Angrezi Aloo Tikki “originated around 1990 if we go by the YouTube commercials.” Grin-shaped mashed potato bites with the crispy outside that will get kids (and parents) asking for more’ says McCain USA. ‘Dil mange more’ seems to be their tagline too thus shaping up nearly 19.7% obese kids. Yes …these happy faces are carbohydrate and fat-loaded. They are addictive yet have a positive side if eaten in moderation.
A piece or 2 gives instant energy boost and potatoes possess complex carbohydrates which has an edge over simple starch. Research shows that frying can increase resistant starch and potatoes are definitely more satiating when compared to rice. Thus these smiling faces can be made into a healthy meals if combined with “chole” or a peas masala. A fresh salad along with the smileys and a dash of Indian Chutneys make a quick and tasty meal…but remember just a smiley or two.
Being my first trial I used some Maida roux for the binding which can be easily substituted with whole wheat flour without a change in texture or taste. The little cornflour dusted finally while kneading gives it the crisp finish on frying. I used Italian spices that come with Pizzas for seasoning the dough. Chilly flakes, finely chopped coriander, green onion shoots can be used in the dough as flavourings with a liberal sprinkle of chaat masala after frying. Two big potatoes weighing totally around 200g can yield around 15 smileys which can be frozen and fried whenever required.
POTATO SMILEYS RECIPE
Ingredients for Potato Smileys:
- Potato 200g
- Butter 1 Chiplet
- Finely Chopped Garlic 1 Tsp
- Flour-Maida /Wheat Flour 3 Tbsp
- Water 1 C
- Cornflour 2 Tbsp
- Italian Seasoning 1 Tsp
- Oil for Frying
- Salt to Taste
Preparation Method for Potato Smileys:
- Wash and soft boil the potatoes. You can pressure cook them too.
- Peel and rub them against a sieve so that soft dough is got. You can also use a grater to get a smooth potato dough.
- Take a pan, add a chiplet of butter and the chopped garlic. Sauté till creamy white and add water. Bring to boil and stir in the flour. Cook the flour into a smooth dough. Add the potato dough and mix well on a low flame till dry.
- Remove on to a plate. Cool. Dust with cornflour. Grease your palms and knead into a soft smooth dough.
- Shape into smileys and deep fry till golden brown. Sprinkle chaat masala while hot and serve.
NOTE:
- You can use any Seasoning of your Choice-Chilly Flakes / Chilly Powder / Pepper Powder / Finely Chopped Coriander / Finely Chopped Green Onion / Chaat Masala.
- Fry on moderate heat.
Crunchy & Delicious “Potato Smileys” are ready 🙂
