Tandoori Aloo Tikka

Tandoori Aloo Tikka is a delicious appetizer perfect to serve at special occasions or have as a side for dinner. Baby potatoes marinated in a delightful combination of yogurt and spices, threaded to skewers and cooked to create this heavenly appetizer. You can cook this tandoori aloo tikka in an oven or air-fryer.

Tandoori Aloo Tikka are basically Tandoori spiced roasted potatoes. It is one of the popular Indian tandoori starters you will often find at restaurants. This is a vegetarian alternate to the popular Chicken Tikka Kebab, similar to Paneer Tikka.

Authentic Tandoori recipes are made in a special clay oven called Tandoor. The vegetables or meat are marinated and then they are grilled in the Tandoor. However when making these recipes at home, I like to use the air fryer or oven.

All you need to do is marinate the baby potatoes along with bell peppers and cook. Moreover, you can also add veggies of your choice when making this tandoori aloo tikka. It is a great appetizer to include at dinner parties or potluck.

This tandoori aloo tikka is gluten-free that can be served both as an appetizer and snack. Below, I'll be sharing the techniques to cook in instant pot, air-fryer, and oven along with prep and serving tips.

Another appetizer with baby potatoes you might like - Spicy Bombay Potatoes.

Ingredients Needed for Aloo Tikka

• Baby potatoes
• Red bell pepers
• Yellow bell peppers
• Lime wedges and onions to garnish

Feel free to add other veggies you like such as green bell peppers, pineapples, mushrooms, and even grape tomatoes.

For the Marinade:

The marinade for this Aloo Tikka includes basic ingredients such as yogurt, ginger, garlic, flavorful Indian spices, and gram flour (besan). This marinade is super flavorful and the addition of Kashmiri red chili powder gives the potatoes a gorgeous red color. We add gram flour to this marinade to make it thicker, so it sticks to the potatoes.

Steaming Baby Potatoes

The first step is steaming the baby potatoes. You can steam the potatoes in the pressure cooker or in an open steamer pot.

• Place the potatoes in the steamer basket. Add some water inside the pressure cooker and place the steamer inside it.
• Lock the pressure cooker lid and set the steam vent in the sealing position. Select the Pressure cook option and cook on high pressure. (If using a stovetop pressure cooker, cook for 1 whistle)
• Then quick release the pressure by setting the steam vent in the venting position. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and peel them.
• Discard the water inside the inner steel pot and wipe it dry.

Here is the detailed recipe to steam baby potatoes in the instant pot.

How to make Tandoori Aloo Tikka Marinade?

Aromatic spices, ginger, garlic, lime juice, gram flour, and yogurt come together for marinating this flavorful aloo tikka.  The addition of kashmiri red chili powder along with lime juice gives the bright red color and tanginess. The gram flour is for giving the extra dose of crispiness to the tikka. Mix all the marinade ingredients together well and make sure there are no lumps.

• Add the baby potatoes & veggies to the marinade and make sure that they are evenly coated.

• Cover the bowl with cling wrap. You can leave it on the counter for 30 minutes or refrigerate it.
• When you ready, remove the marinade from the refrigerator and thread on the skewers alternating between potatoes, onion and bell peppers.

How to make Tandoori Aloo Tikka?

Using Instant Pot Crisplid

• Brush oil inside of the Instant Pot Crisplid to prevent the baby potatoes from sticking inside the pan. Lightly brush the skewers with oil and place them in the fryer basket.
• Then place the CrispLid trivet in the inner steel pot of the Instant pot, then place the fryer basket with the skewers inside on the top of the trivet.
• Then set the CrispLid over the inner steel pot and switch it on. Set the temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the tandoori aloo tikka for 8 minutes.
• Then flip the skewer and then cook for another 7 minutes or till the baby potatoes get lightly charred.
• Make sure not to overcrowd the fryer as it will hamper the cooking. Work in batches if needed.

Using Air Fryer

Tandoori aloo tikka can also be cooked using an air fryer. The steps are more or less the same for both CrispLid and the Air Fryer method.

• Grease lightly on the insides of the air fryer basket.
• Arrange the sticks and cook at 180 degrees or 360F for 10 minutes.
• Turn the sticks and cook for 7 more minutes.

It is so convenient to make this Tandoori Aloo using the Crisplid or the Air Fryer. No preheating needed and heating up the whole oven for a small quantity of potatoes.

Using Oven

You can also make these potatoes in the oven if you don't have an air fryer.

• Prepare a baking tray lined with parchment paper or foil.
• Place a rack over top and preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Place the skewers on the rack, then bake for 15-18 minutes until potatoes are well cooked.
• Turn on your oven’s broiler and broil the Tikka Kebabs for about 3-5 minutes to get the char marks. Keep your eye on the potatoes so that they don't burn.

Other ways to cook Tandoori Aloo Tikka:

• Grill these spiced roasted potatoes on your backyard grill.
• You can use a cast iron pan to make this aloo tikka. But you may to need to cook them without the skewers if you are using a cast iron pan.

How to Serve Aloo Tikka Kebab?

• These potatoes are best served immediately for that perfect crispy on the outside and melt-in-the-mouth on the inside taste.
• Garnish with lime wedges and red onion. Sprinkle some chaat masala and serve with Mint Cilantro Chutney on the side for dipping.
• Serve as an appetizer at a party on the skewers or without skewers as Aloo tikka bites. Serve with Mint Chutney or other dipping sauces as desired.

Tips to make the best Tandoori Aloo

• It is important to steam the potatoes till they are just done. Otherwise they might overcook when roasted with the marinade.
• Use thick yogurt, also called hung curd for the marinade.
• Marinate for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to infuse well.
• Do not overcrowd and keep them in a single layer when making these in the air fryer.
• Make a batch and refrigerate them to use in 2-3 days.

If you enjoyed this scrumptious aloo tikka, then try these other air fryer Indian recipes

• Bharwan Baingan (Stuffed Eggplant)
• Tandoori Paneer Naan Pizza
• Kurkuri Bhindi
• Low Carb Tandoori Chicken