Chaat Masala Potatoes with Yogurt and Tamarind
The new Flavor cookbook is finally here, I have been waiting for it all summer long. In this book, Yotam Ottolenghi has teamed up with Ixta Belfrage and together they have come up with more creative ways to cook vegetables. I am a vegetarian, I own the two previous books in this series Plenty and Plenty More and I have eaten at his restaurant when I was in London last year, I was curious to see if there would be any more new and inventive recipes that would surprise me. And I am delighted to note there are so many more exciting plant-based recipes. And as Ottolenghi himself claims, this book showcases the umpteen ways to cook the beloved cauliflower and still many more ways to fry eggplant, so yay to that.
The authors explore three broad concepts in this book - Process, Pairing, and Produce which form the three broad chapters in this book. Vegetables as we know it can often be transformed into something exquisite based on the Process they go through like charring or infusing. While certain others can be elevated based on complementary Pairings like a squeeze of lime or a dash of heat. Still, some other Produce naturally imparts a certain depth of flavour and needs little support so to speak, think mushrooms. Although unconventional, once you get into the book these chapters make so much more sense.
This Chaat Masala potato with Yogurt and Tamarind is a take on the aloo chaat, popular street food in India. Baby potatoes are tossed in the tangy chaat masala spice mix and roasted in the oven till perfection. Chaat masala is a fantastic spice blend that has amchur or dried mango powder in it which gives it a wonderful tang. I use both chaat masala or amchur on its own in my cooking, they are pantry staples for me. I loved how this came together, we ate it with store-bought naans for dinner. Even if you don't end up making all of this dish I highly recommend you make the chaat masala roasted potatoes, they were so sensational. They will make a wonderful side on any holiday table!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post and opinions expressed here are my own.
Chaat Masala Potatoes with Yogurt and Tamarind
Adapted from the brilliant cookbook Flavor, this dish layers crispy chaat masala–roasted potatoes over creamy yogurt, bright cilantro chutney, and a sweet-tangy tamarind dressing. It’s fresh, crunchy, and wildly addictive - the kind of potato chaat that disappears fast.
Ingredients
- 750 g baby potatoes, cut lengthwise into ½-inch slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- Freshly ground pepper
- Salt (use lightly - chaat masala already contains salt)
- 1½ cups cilantro
- 1 green chile, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 4½ teaspoons store-bought tamarind paste (or homemade extract)
- 1½ teaspoons superfine sugar
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala
- 1½ teaspoons water
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 green chile or jalapeño, sliced into rounds
- 1½ teaspoons toasted coriander seeds
- 1½ teaspoons toasted nigella seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- Add the potatoes and 2 teaspoons salt to a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Simmer 6 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
- Transfer the potatoes to the baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, chaat masala, turmeric, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes, stirring once or twice, until deeply golden and crisp.
- Make the cilantro chutney: In a food processor, blend cilantro, green chile, lime juice, olive oil, and salt until smooth.
- Make the tamarind dressing: Whisk tamarind paste, sugar, chaat masala, and water.
- If using tamarind pulp: soak in hot water, extract the tamarind liquid, and give it a short boil to mellow any raw taste.
- Assemble: Spread the yogurt on a large serving platter. Spoon the chutney over the top and swirl lightly without fully mixing.
- Drizzle with half the tamarind dressing. Add the roasted potatoes, red onion, and sliced chile. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, then finish with toasted coriander and nigella seeds.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe is adapted from Flavor, with small tweaks: I used tamarind pulp instead of paste and simmered it briefly to remove the raw edge.
- Assemble just before serving for the crispiest potatoes.
- Leftover potatoes are great wrapped in roti with extra chutney.
