Salmon and Sweet Potato Tikkis
I have a habit of combining foods with similar colours to see what happens (yes, I am quirky like that). And on most occasions, I am pleased with the results. There was that time when I decided to chuck cooked beetroot, red cabbage, some cherries that were too sour to eat on their own, dried cranberries and pomegranates into a bowl. Then, in an act of rebellion, I added a couple of ingredients of nonconforming colour: paneer and walnuts. I dressed this with a mixture of greek yoghurt, a tiny bit mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Not only was this puce concoction the most attractive thing on the table, it actually tasted amazing. And even I, a person who claims to not like salads, scoffed it down greedily.
I would like to think that Nature is giving us a hint (colour coded one at that!) about the foods that work well together. And I just can’t resist taking up on the offer. Of course, there are times when things don’t go as well in practice as they do in my head, but I am thankful that that doesn’t happen too frequently.
Take these little salmon & sweet potato fishcakes (or tikkis, as they are known in India) for example. I had cooked the salmon to go with rice, but found it rather mushy in texture. A quick consultation with Dr. Google told me that this is not an uncommon occurence and, as long as the salmon didn’t smell weird, it was safe to eat. It may have been safe but it definitely wasn’t a pleasant texture. So I decided to make fishcakes out of it. The plan was to combine the salmon with cooked potatoes but then I spotted the sweet potatoes.
Hmmm…..orange sweet potatoes vs cream coloured regular potatoes – which one shall I choose to go with an orange fish?
Don’t pretend you don’t know how that contest ended. I gave you the spoiler very early on, didn’t I?
Then, to take the orangeness one step further, I threw in a grated carrot. Result? Orange-inal deliciousness. (Sorry.)
Salmon & Sweet Potato Tikkis
Ingredients
- 200 g peeled sweet potatoes about 2 small, peeled weight
- 350 g cooked salmon, without skin flaked
- 1 large carrot peeled and grated coarsely
- 1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped seeds removed if you don't want the heat
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 0 - 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- ¼ cup plain flour
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 2 tsp lemon juice or to taste
- oil for shallow-frying
Instructions
- Chop the peeled sweet potato into approximately 1" cubes, place in a microwave-safe bowl, add 2 tbsp water, cover and microwave on high (850W) for about 4 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Mash until smooth.
- Add all the remaining ingredients. Mix gently until you get a homogenous mixture.
- You should be able to form a ball that holds its shape. If it doesn't, add a tiny bit more flour.
- Make tikkis/fishcakes about 2" in diameter. Heat about a tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the fishcakes in batches for about 2 minutes on each side until golden.