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Call them potato wedges or French fries, but there is perhaps nobody in the world who can say no to a crispy-crunchy potato snack. If you are craving a potato-based but spicy snack for this evening, then here’s a little secret you should know: French fries coated with Peri Peri spices aren’t the only option you have! Instead, these Nepali Mustang Aloo are just the dish you need to binge on with a cup of hot chai!
Originating in the Mustang region of Nepal, this fiery potato snack is eaten across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and North Bengal. In fact, you can also get an authentic taste of Mustang Aloo at local cafes and eateries in these Indian states. However, making Mustang Aloo at home isn’t as difficult as you might think, so why not just give it a try this evening?
The recipe for Mustang Aloo calls for quite a few spices—it is a hot, hot snack after all. Apart from red chillies, the Mustang Aloo recipe also requires the Himalayan Timur chilli pepper. In case you don’t have access to Timur, you can always replace them with Sichuan peppers or even black pepper when push comes to shove. This apart, spices like fenugreek, cumin and coriander are also added to the dish for a deeply spicy flavour. Want to try Mustang Aloo this evening? Here’s the recipe.
Image used for representative purpose only. Image courtesy: Facebook/Kunsang Tamang
Ingredients:
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
5-6 dry red chillies
1.5 tsp Timur pepper
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
½ cup spring onions, chopped
½ tsp ginger, grated
½ tsp garlic, minced
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
Salt, to taste
Coriander leaves, for garnish
3 tbsp oil
Water, for boiling potatoes
Method:
1. Boil the water in a large pot, then add the potato wedges.
2. Remove the potato wedges once they are parboiled.
3. Dry roast the dry red chillies and Timur pepper in a pan, then grind into a fine powder.
4. Heat oil in a pan, then add the fenugreek seeds, two dry red chillies, grated ginger and minced garlic.
5. Saute these for two minutes, then add the potato wedges and fry.
6. Add the Timur-red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt.
7. Mix well, then fry until the potatoes are golden-brown and crispy.
8. Add the chopped spring onions, toss well, then transfer the potatoes into a serving bowl.
9. Serve the Mustang Aloo hot with a sprinkling of coriander leaves.
