Crispy Smashed Potato Chaat

Crispy Smashed Potato Chaat. A lip smacking recipe featuring baby Yukon gold potatoes, red onions, and not one, but 2 very different chutneys and creamy yogurt that hit every flavor note. Sweet Salty Tangy Spicy Creamy. We first cook the potatoes by boiling them, smashing them, and then oven roasting them at high heat to get them all crispy and delicious. Now the best part is the garnishes. We serve these crispy smashed potatoes with creamy yogurt, spicy green mint chutney, and sweet date tamarind chutney. A perfect balance of flavor.

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What is Chaat? Chaat is a spice mix made with dry ground mango, cumin, coriander, chillies and a few other spices similar to garam masala. Chaat is normally to snacks, fruit, veggies, potato to perk up and add a piquant flavor. Potato chaat is a popular snack made at home and street all over India and loved by everyone. I took the traditional recipe and went one step further and smashed plain boiled potato and crisped them up in the oven. Enjoy!

Crispy Smashed Potato Chaat Serves 6 as a side or snack

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds baby Yukon gold or baby Dutch potatoes
• 1/3 cup avocado or any neutral oil
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• ½ medium finely chopped red onion
• freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala
• 1-2 finely chopped green chillies, optional or as needed for extra heat
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to season
• Garnishes for serving
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, whisked and a pinch of salt added
• Mint cilantro chutney, recipe follows
• Date tamarind chutney recipe follows

MINT CILANTRO CHUTNEY

• 2-3 tablespoons, silken tofu or plain yogurt
• 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stem
• 1 cup loosely packed mint leaves only,
• 1 jalapeño or 2-3 green chilies to your heat level
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 fat date or 2 tablespoons raisins or 1/2 teaspoon sweetener of your choice to balance the flavor
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt,
• 1 tablespoon water or just enough to  blend

Place all the ingredient in a high-speed food processor. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning and lemon juice as needed.

DATE TAMRIND CHUTNEY

• 8-10 soft dates pitted and chopped 
• 2 heaped tablespoons tamarind paste (available in Indian, Latin, Asian and online stores)
•  1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• Rock salt or Himalayan pink salt
•  1 cup water

 In a sauce pan bring all the ingredients to a boil. Simmer for 35-7 minutes. Cool completely. You could either strain the sauce by pressing it through a mesh sieve or blend it in a food processor, thin it out with water to obtain a thin sauce. Keeps well refrigerated for a few weeks in a sterile jar.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Place the potatoes in a large pot. Add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain the potatoes and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, let cool slightly.
2. Gently smash the potatoes using a spatula by placing the spatula on the potato and pressing down gently using your palm or place another rimmed baking sheet on top of the potatoes. Push down firmly to smash the potatoes.
3. Drizzle the potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast the potatoes 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the potatoes are crisp and golden brown.
4. Once done, sprinkle chaat masala while still warm. Serve sprinkled with chopped onions, cilantro, green chillies and drizzled with both chutneys and a little yogurt. Enjoy as a snack!