Pearl Millet Okara Tikki

This is nutritious tikki or croquette that is a crowd pleaser as well. This is made using pearl millet flakes and Okara.

Okara! Wondering what it is? Okara is the leftover meal after extracting soymilk from soy beans. I made nutty soymilk for Kongguksu and utilized the Okara made from it. Since I had used some almonds too in my recipe for the milk used in kongguksu, this Okara had almond meal too and hence a very flavorful and nutrient tikki. I have used the wet Okara, meaning it is not completely dry powder. It has wetness but is not watery. Dry Okara can also be used in this recipe just add a couple of tablespoons of water.

Nowadays every market store has different millet products and millet flakes are quite common. I have used Bajra or pearl millet flakes. Also, any millet flakes can be used for this recipe.

If you don’t have the flakes, try adding the flour but may be in lesser quantity. Cooked and mashed millets can also be used. 

Potatoes help in flavor as well as binding the tikki s for uniform shaping. The spices add a lot of flavor. The kitchen king masala can be replaced with garam masala too. This tikki is very tasty like Vethalavalli Kizhangu Tikki.

Millets are very healthy. Pearl millet or bajra is popular in India. Pearl Millet Banana Muffins are very tasty and a healthy breakfast. Samai/Little Millet Idli is another healthy breakfast, and Bajra and Thinai Kozhukattai or Barnyard Millet Upma Kozhukattai are yet another tasty tiffin or dinner that any family would love to feast on. Be it a Millet Pongal or Barnyard Millet Payasam, any millets can be used from breakfast to appetizers to main course to dessert. A lot of healthy meal options are available with millets. Explore the site and enjoy nutritious meals.

Makes 16 tikkis of 2-in size

Okara (wet) - 3/4 cup

Potatoes - 1/2 cup, cooked and mashed

Rice flour - 1 tsp

Salt - 3/4 tsp

Turmeric- 1/4 tsp

Chili powder - 1/4 tsp

Thai chili - 2, finely chopped 

Ginger - 1/4tsp, grated

Kitchen king masala - 3/4 tsp

Cumin - 1/2 tsp

Cilantro - 2 tbsp, chopped

Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp, toasted

Oil - 6 to 8 tsp

Add the okara and pearl millet flakes in a bowl, mix and set aside for the millets to absorb the water from the wetness in okara.

Add the potatoes, Thai chili, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, Kitchen king masala, salt, and turmeric. Mix thoroughly. Add the sesame seeds and rice flour and mix together to a dough like consistency.

Divide into 16 portion, roll into a ball and flatten to about 2 inches diameter with half inch thickness.

Heat a pan, drizzle a little oil, add the tikkis, drizzle a tablespoon oil and pan fry for about 3 minutes on medium flame. Flip and add another tablespoon oil and cook for 3 minutes. Keep aside. Cook the remaining tikkis.

Serve with ketchup or cilantro-mint chutney.