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Potato Basket Chaat
Tarla Dalal
06 December, 2024
Table of Content
Potato Basket Chaat
Crafting the Exquisite Potato Basket Chaat
This recipe for Potato Basket Chaat offers a visually appealing and incredibly delicious take on a popular Indian street food. It features dainty, crispy potato baskets, which are essentially potato straws expertly shaped and deep-fried, providing a unique edible container. These baskets are then filled with a vibrant, crunchy mixture of stir-fried bean sprouts and capsicum, creating a delightful contrast in textures and flavors. This dish is perfect as an appetizer for parties, a sophisticated snack, or a unique addition to any chaat platter.
The Secret to Perfect Potato Baskets: Choosing the Right Potato
The key to achieving perfectly crisp and golden potato baskets lies in selecting the right kind of potatoes. As noted, it's crucial to use old potatoes or a variety typically used for making potato wafers. These potatoes are preferred because they contain more starch, which is essential for achieving that desirable crispness. Furthermore, these specific potato varieties do not brown easily during frying, ensuring your baskets remain an appealing golden hue. The process for the baskets involves thickly grating the potatoes, then meticulously soaking, rinsing, and thoroughly drying them to remove excess starch and moisture before deep-frying.
Shaping and Frying the Dainty Potato Baskets
The innovative technique for shaping these baskets involves using metal tea strainers, preferably old ones. After the grated potatoes are meticulously prepared and dried, they are divided into equal portions. Each portion is then pressed onto a 37 mm (1½") diameter metal tea strainer. A second strainer is placed on top, holding the potato strands firmly in place. This assembly is then deep-fried in oil on a medium flame. The firm hold ensures the basket retains its shape as it cooks to a beautiful golden brown. Once cooked, the strainers are removed from the oil, inverted, and lightly tapped to unmold the perfectly formed, crispy potato basket. These can be made a day or so in advance and stored in an airtight container.
Preparing the Zesty and Crunchy Filling
While the potato baskets are the foundation, the filling brings the chaat to life. It's a healthy and flavorful blend that starts with heating butter and briefly sautéing a medley of spices: black pepper powder, chili powder, dried ginger powder (sonth), and sugar. This quick sauté releases their aromas and flavors. Next, bean sprouts and chopped capsicum are added, providing a fresh crunch. To enhance the tangy and savory notes, dried mango powder (amchur), roasted cumin seed powder, and fresh chopped coriander (dhania) are mixed in, along with salt to taste. This mixture is cooked for just about a minute, ensuring the sprouts and capsicum remain slightly crisp, then set aside.
Assembling the Potato Basket Chaat: Layers of Flavor
With both the crispy potato baskets and the zesty filling ready, the final assembly is quick and straightforward. For each serving, approximately 3 to 4 tablespoons of the prepared filling are spooned into each individual potato basket. The filling provides a hearty and nutritious core to the crispy shell. This step is followed by a generous drizzle or spoonful of green chutney over the filling. The green chutney, with its fresh, spicy, and tangy profile, adds a vital layer of flavor that is characteristic of traditional Indian chaat, complementing the other components beautifully.
Serving Immediately for an Unforgettable Experience
Once assembled, the Potato Basket Chaat is arranged appealingly on a serving plate and served immediately. This immediacy is crucial to ensure the potato baskets remain crisp and the filling retains its fresh texture. The combination of the warm, crisp potato, the cool and crunchy bean sprout filling, and the tangy zest of the green chutney creates a delightful explosion of flavors and textures in every bite. It's a visually appealing and satisfying snack that perfectly embodies the vibrant and complex flavors of Indian street food.
Tags
Preparation Time
15 Mins
Cooking Time
40 Mins
Total Time
55 Mins
Makes
10 null
Ingredients
Main Recipe
For the potato baskets
2 cups thickly grated potatoes (old potatoes)
oil for deep-frying
For the filling
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup red or yellow chopped capsicum
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (kalimirch)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp dried ginger powder (sonth)
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried mango powder (amchur)
1/2 tsp roasted cumin seeds (jeera) powder
2 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
1 tsp butter
salt to taste
Other ingredients
1/2 cup green chutney
Method
For the filling
- Heat the butter and add the pepper powder, chilli powder, ginger powder and sugar and sauté for a few seconds.
- Add the bean sprouts, capsicum, amchur, cumin seed powder, coriander and salt and cook for about a minute. Keep aside.
For the potato baskets
- Soak the grated potatoes in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Drain and wash in running water for about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Drain and wipe dry using a dry absorbent cloth.
- Divide the grated potatoes into 10 equal portions.
- Place each portion of the grated potatoes on a 37 mm. (1½") diameter metal tea strainer and top with a second strainer.
- Hold firmly and deep fry in oil on a medium flame till the basket is golden brown. Remove the strainer from the oil, invert it and tap lightly to unmould the basket.
- Repeat steps 5 and 6 to make 9 more baskets. Store in an air-tight container.
How to proceed
- Put 3 to 4 tablespoons of the filling into each potato basket.
- Top with a spoonful of the green chutney.
- Arrange on a serving plate and serve immediately.
Potato Basket Chaat recipe with step by step photos
Nutrient values (Abbrv)per plate
| Energy | 28 cal |
| Protein | 0.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 5.7 g |
| Fiber | 0.8 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.8 mg |
| Sodium | 6.1 mg |
Click here to view Calories for Potato Basket Chaat
The Nutrient info is complete
