Imagine the perfect potato dish for the Indian palate, and the image of Gunpowder Aloo Chaat is going to pop up immediately—that is, if you have had the luck to taste these delicious potatoes before. If you have, then you know exactly what I mean. If you haven’t, then there are two things I have to say. First, you don’t know what you’re missing. Second, what are you waiting for?
Whipping up Gunpowder Aloo Chaat is the easiest thing to do, and the best part is that you could have it for an evening snack or as a dry side dish for dinner too! In case you’re wondering about the origins of Gunpowder Aloo Chaat, here’s what you should know. The dish is inspired by the Delhi-style Aloo Chaat popular in the National Capital as a street food. Aloo Chaat is the perfect blend of crispy, spicy, salty, tangy, sweet and umami potatoes covered in a blend of curd and chutneys. Naturally, the dish inspired by this Delhi-style Aloo Chaat has to pack quite the punch.
Enter, Gunpowder Aloo Chaat! Dishoom, a trendy Indian restaurant in London’s West End, first came up with the idea of Gunpowder Aloo Chaat. Now, if you’re thinking the potatoes in the dish have a generous sprinkling of that Andhra spice blend called Gunpowder, you’d be wrong. Instead, Dishoom’s Gundpowder Potatoes get their name and reputation from the addition of a wide range of spices that make the dish absolutely fiery and yummy. Again, the dish is not red in colour and is not overwhelmed by the addition of red chillies or red chilli powder.
Instead, most Indians would find the recipe mildly spiced, perfectly grilled and definitely a great addition to the table. What struck me when I first tasted Gunpowder Aloo Chaat was the fact that it captured the essence of Aloo Chaat without the wet mess that chutney and dahi inevitably produce. I use my oven to cook the dish, but you could also use a tandoor or grill pan to whip it up.
Ingredients:
200 g baby potatoes, parboiled and peeled
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp garam masala
3-4 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tbsp ghee
½ cup spring onions, chopped
¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped
Salt, to taste
2 tsp lime juice
Method:
1. Heat a pan on a medium flame and dry roast the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds. Once they turn fragrant, take them off the heat, cool down and grind into a fine powder.
2. Place the potatoes in a large baking tray. Add 1 teaspoon ghee and salt, mix well and place in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, transfer the ground spices into a large bowl with the remaining ghee, spring onions, green chillies and coriander leaves.
4. Mix well and check the potatoes. Take them out and add the spice blend, garam masala and adjust the salt.
5. Place the potatoes back in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 degrees. You can occasionally use a large spoon to stir the potatoes when they’re grilling in the oven.
6. Once the gunpowder potatoes are done, sprinkle the lime juice and serve them hot with a side of chutneys and curd.