Potato Cakes (Trinbagonian Aloo Pie)

Aloo Pie: Aloo meaning Potato in Hindi, are simply flat elongated puffy fried pieces of dough, filled with a spicy (and often peppery) mashed potato filling. Trinidad and Tobago's favourite street food for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Dough:
3 cups of all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. instant yeast
¼ Tbsp. sea salt
¼ Tbsp. brown sugar
2 cups of water

Mashed Potato:
¼ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. oil
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 russet potatoes
¼ tsp. chili peppers, freshly ground
¼ tsp. ground garlic
¼ tsp. ground geera (ground smoked cumin)
1 tsp. chives, chopped
1 tsp. tony chachero’s creole seasoning (in place of salt and black pepper)
3 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. sour cream
2 cups cooking oil for frying

Toppings (optional):
Curry Channa
Chickpeas
Gorbanzo beans
Tamarind Chutney
Cucumber Chutney
Mango Chutney

In a large mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients listed under the dough. Making a small hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and slowly add in the water. Using your fingers start mixing the dough as you add the water.

Mix until you form a soft, stick dough. Knead for a good 5 minutes.

Cover with a damp paper towel and let this rest.

On the stove bring to a boil a pot of water. Once the water is boiling add in ¼ tsp. salt, oil, cayenne pepper and the peeled and cubed potatoes.

Allow the potatoes to cook until tender. As though you are about to make mashed potatoes.

Drain the potatoes and place in a large mixing bowl.

To the bowl with the potatoes add creole seasoning, sour cream, geera, chili pepper, chives and garlic. Using a potato masher start mashing and mixing the potatoes to incorporate all the ingredients.

Taste the mashed potato mix. Add more salt and black pepper or garlic if desired.

Heat your cooking oil to 375°F.

Start making small golf sized balls with the dough. Once all the dough has been rolled into golf sized balls, start to roll each one out length wise, using a rolling pin.

Start scoping in a little of the potato mixture into each piece of rolled out dough.

Taking one side of the rolled out dough, pull it over the potato mixture. Using your finger tip brush on a little water on the top side of the folded dough, then pull the other side of the dough over it. Press down gently to seal.

Place the filled dough seal side down on a floured baking sheet. Continue to fill the rest of the balls.

Once all the dough has been filled with potato filling start frying. Fry until golden brown and the dough is fully cooked through. Always do a trial run first to make sure your oil is not to hot. Once it is golden brown drain on grease proof paper.

To Serve, make a slit down the middle, right where the seam is and fill with Channa and your favourite Chutneys!