
Air fryer rajma tikki (kidney bean patties)
Spiced kidney bean patties with ginger and cilantro, crisped in the air fryer and served with a cool mint yogurt and a crunchy cucumber tomato salad, a light Indian street-food dinner.
- 40 min total
- 30 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.12 a serving
- 360 calories
- Vegetarian

Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 2 cans kidney beans, drained, rinsed and patted dry
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped, divided
- 1½ tsp garam masala
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs, divided
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
From your pantry
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1¼ tsp salt, divided
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Each serving has about 360 calories, 20 g protein, 50 g carbs and 10 g fat, and costs about $2.12 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No kidney beans? Pinto beans or black beans work.
- No red onions? White onions or yellow onions work.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
- No plain Greek yogurt? Plain yogurt or sour cream works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No cucumbers? English cucumbers or mini cucumbers work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Mash the beans in a big bowl with a fork until mostly smooth.
Mix in the onion, ginger, garlic, half the cilantro, the garam masala, cumin, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ cup panko until it holds together.
Dolly’s tip: Too soft to shape? Add more panko a spoonful at a time.Shape into 8 patties about ½ inch thick, press both sides into the rest of the panko, and brush with the oil.
Air fry at 400°F for 12 to 14 minutes, flipping halfway, until and . Work in batches if needed.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Timer: 13 min
Dolly’s tip: Flip with a thin spatula. They firm up as they cook, so wait until halfway.Meanwhile, stir the yogurt with the mint, the rest of the cilantro, the juice of half the lemon and of salt.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
the cucumber and tomatoes with the rest of the lemon juice and of salt.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
Serve the tikki with the mint yogurt and the salad.

Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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Vegetarian dinners ›Air fryer Greek yogurt recipes ›What to make with cucumber and tomatoes ›