ALOO CHAAT – INDIAN FOR HOT POTATO SALAD or ‘SNACK’

Two things happened that lead to the creation of this dish. First, I saw the Netflix special called “Street Food”, the episode based in Dehli, India. They told the story of a street vendor while he made this dish on film and it was beautiful. It looked more sophisticated than you would expect from someone selling food from a stall and they had my attention at fried potatoes, let’s be honest.

The second thing that occurred on that same day was that I checked out Samin Nosrat’s book SALT FAT ACID HEAT from the library. I landed on her recipe for herb salsa. Being that my daughter is allergic to tamarind and that Aloo Chaat traditionally calls for both tamarind chutney and cilantro chutney, I knew I had to find a good alternative and I believed this would work. Granted the cilantro chutney in the link above sounds really delicious and would work, but my mind was set on using Samin’s ‘Mexican-ish’ herb salsa as a replacement, with a few tweaks.

Note: It is traditional to use a spice called Chaat Masala. I left it out because it also has tamarind but you could certainly add it to the fried potatoes. Or, use whatever combination of spices you have that are found in chaat masala like in this recipe.

Make ahead: The boiled potatoes and the herb salsa can each be made hours in advance. Assemble right before serving, or you can assemble this ahead and serve at room temperature. The potatoes won’t be quite as crispy, but it will be just as delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-3 LBS. Yukon gold potatoes (depending on number of servings needed)
• kosher salt
• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced (you could use a mandolin)
• 1 whole scallion, sliced thinly on a bias
• 1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced (again, a mandolin would help)
• 1 lime
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped + whole stems for garnish
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped + whole stems for garnish
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper (or smoked paprika would also be nice)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (or neutral oil such as grapeseed)
• Canola oil
• Chaat Masala (if using; or any spices mentioned at the link above)

DIRECTIONS:

Cut the potatoes into 1-2” pieces. You can peel or leave the skin on – your preference. Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then salt heavily. Boil until they are cooked through, maybe 15-20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and place them back in the pot and place back on the burner which is turned off, but still hot. It will only take a few seconds before this removes any moisture and dries out the potatoes. You could cover the pot and give them a rough shake, which will rough up the edges, resulting in a crispier potato, so you should probably do that.

Place the potatoes on a sheet pan to totally cool and continue to dry. I like to add a rack to the sheet pan before adding the potatoes, which allows them to properly dry and not steam on the bottom.

Make the herb salad by adding the shallots, scallions and jalapeño to a bowl and squeeze the lime over top. Allow the ingredients to sort of pickle in the lime juice, stirring a few times.

After about 15 minutes drain the lime juice (reserving to add back) and add the cilantro, parsley, Aleppo or smoked paprika, and a big pinch of salt and drizzle the olive oil in and stir mixture together. Add back the lime juice one tablespoon at a time and taste to see if it needs more each time. This can be done a couple of hours in advance and left at room temperture.

If frying, heat a pot over medium-high heat. Then, add the canola oil and allow it to heat up. Test the oil by placing one potato in the pot and if it sizzles and starts to fry, you’re good to go. Fry the potatoes until they are brown and crispy. If using chaat masala or spices, add them while the potatoes are frying. Drain potatoes with a slotted spoon or spider and place on a paper towel-lined plate and salt them. If you prefer to roast the potatoes, this is a good technique. (You would toss with the chaat masala or spices before roasting). Arrange the potatoes onto a large plate or platter and spoon the herb salsa on top and serve.