We love baked potatoes, but we love the crisp creaminess of smashed potatoes even more. And forget sour cream and chives — we take it up a notch (or 10!) by using smashed potatoes in our version of Bhel Puri Chaat.
***There are THREE RECIPES in post: Smashed Potatoes, Tamarind Chutney, and Mint Chutney.***
Served throughout the Indian subcontinent and often thought of as a beach snack, chaat is a scrumptious melange of sweet, salty, tangy, and crunchy. Bhel Puri is a variation of chaat and is usually made with puffed rice and sev (a vermicelli-like snack made from gram flour) for crunch, but our recipe calls for much-easier-to-find ramen noodles.
This recipe also includes quick and easy recipes for two types of chutney: Tamarind and Mint. (Indian chutneys are a type of jam, but less sweet with no pectin, and usually include an acid and spices.)
To make the best use of your time, we recommend making your chutneys and preparing your chaat while your potatoes are boiling and baking (together, about 40 minutes). That way, you’ll be all ready to serve when your potatoes come out of the oven.
Kitchen Equipment
1 large cutting board
Kitchen knife
Large pot (for boiling potatoes)
2 large rimmed baking sheets (for baking potatoes)
Colander (for draining potatoes)
Parchment paper
3-4 small bowls
1 small saucepan
Small strainer (for straining tamarind liquid if not using pre-made tamarind paste)
Blender
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Large serving platter
Author:
Kelsey Miguel of Not Umami’s Cooking
Ingredients
Tikka Smashed Potatoes
2 lbs small waxy yellow potatoes (e.g. Yukon Gold)
Line a large baking sheet tray with parchment paper.
Wash/scrub potatoes (leave skins on).
Add potatoes to large pot, add 1 TBSP salt and enough cold water to cover potatoes.
Bring potatoes to a boil over high heat and cook for 15-20 minutes until fork tender.
Drain potatoes into a colander in sink and set aside to cool.
Smash & Bake Potatoes
In pot used to boil potatoes, toss boiled potatoes with 3 TBSP ghee or olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 2 TBSP Masi Masa Tikka Masala Spice Blend until coated.
Spread potatoes on parchment-lined baking sheets.
With a large pan or cutting board, smash potatoes until about ½” thick.
Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 20 minutes until crisp around the edges and golden brown.
Make Tamarind Paste (if using pre-made tamarind paste, skip this step)
Peel 4-5 tamarind pods
Place tamarind pods, 2 dates and 1 C water in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.
Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until pods are soft, 5-7 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
With tongs or fork, remove tamarind pods and dates from liquid. On a cutting board, remove seeds and any leftover shell or veins from tamarind pods.
Strain tamarind water into a measuring cup or small bowl and set aside.
Make Tamarind Chutney
In small saucepan, combine dates, tamarind pods, and ½ C strained tamarind water with ½-1 tsp cayenne pepper and ½ tsp salt (if using pre-made tamarind paste, combine ¼ C paste, ½ C water, cayenne pepper, and salt).
Bring to a low simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Make Mint Chutney
Remove ~30 mint leaves from stems.
Remove tough stems from ½ bunch cilantro and roughly chop, set all but ¼ C aside for use as garnish.
Add mint leaves, ¼ C cilantro, 1-2 green chilies, 1 clove garlic, 1 inch fresh ginger, 1 tsp cumin, 1 TBSP sugar or honey, ¼ C water, 2 ice cubes, and a pinch of salt to the blender, blend until smooth.
Prep Other Toppings
In a small bowl combine 6 oz plain Greek yogurt, pinch of salt, and a squeeze of a lemon juice.
Slice red onion as thin as possible.
Seed pomegranate (need ½ cup).
Crush ramen noodles in unopened package.
Serve
Place baked smashed potatoes on serving platter and top with:
Yogurt, then
Chutneys, then
Pomegranate seeds, crushed ramen noodles, chopped cilantro, and thinly sliced red onion.
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