Aloo Chat
Yield: 4 servings
Cook Time: About 40 minutes
Tips: Though not necessary, if you prefer your potatoes with a crispy outer crunch, potatoes may be fried (after they have been boiled, peeled and cut into chunks) in a skillet with 1-2 tablespoons of oil until golden and crispy to your liking (probably 5 minutes or so).
Suggestion: Delicious served with Cucumber Raita and Pappadums.
Ingredients
- Aloo Chaat
- 1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained
- 1 dried red chili pepper
- 1 lb. golden potatoes
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tesapoon black peppercorns
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried mint
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons mango powder
- 1/2 cup natural yogurt
- oil (for deep frying pappadums)
- Garnishes (optional)
- 4 pappadums
- cucumber raita
Directions
Aloo Chaat
Fill a medium saucepan with enough water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil, then gently immerse potatoes (skins on). Reduce heat enough to bring the water to a gentle boil and cook potatoes for 35-40 minutes or just until tender and able to be fairly easily pierced with the tines of a fork.
While cooking potatoes, pour can of garbanzo beans (with liquid) into a small saucepan. Add chili pepper and heat to boiling, then immediately remove from heat and cover. Allow to remain in saucepan while potatoes cook.
When potatoes are cooked, drain potatoes and transfer them to a work surface. Remove skins from potatoes, then cut into 1-inch cubes or random chunks. Place potato chunks in a medium mixing bowl. Drain liquid from garbanzo beans and remove chili pepper, then add garbanzo beans to potatoes and gently toss with potatoes. Set aside.
Using a coffee grinder (be sure to remove any ground coffee remnants first) or other spice grinder, or manually with a paste and mortar, grind together the cumin, peppercorns and salt. Add ground spices to a small mixing bowl and stir in the mint, chili powder, ginger and mango powder.
Put a small dry saucepan or skillet over a low heat burner and add the spice mix. Stir until fragrant (you'll be able to smell the aroma of the spices), then immediately remove from the heat.
Sprinkle half of the heated spice mix over the garbanzo beans and potatoes and gently toss to combine. Stir the rest of the heated spices into the yogurt. Serve the potato and garbanzo bean mixture in individual servings topped with the seasoned yogurt, along with Cucumber Raita and fried pappadums, if desired. (See recipe below for how to cook pappadums.)
While cooking potatoes, pour can of garbanzo beans (with liquid) into a small saucepan. Add chili pepper and heat to boiling, then immediately remove from heat and cover. Allow to remain in saucepan while potatoes cook.
When potatoes are cooked, drain potatoes and transfer them to a work surface. Remove skins from potatoes, then cut into 1-inch cubes or random chunks. Place potato chunks in a medium mixing bowl. Drain liquid from garbanzo beans and remove chili pepper, then add garbanzo beans to potatoes and gently toss with potatoes. Set aside.
Using a coffee grinder (be sure to remove any ground coffee remnants first) or other spice grinder, or manually with a paste and mortar, grind together the cumin, peppercorns and salt. Add ground spices to a small mixing bowl and stir in the mint, chili powder, ginger and mango powder.
Put a small dry saucepan or skillet over a low heat burner and add the spice mix. Stir until fragrant (you'll be able to smell the aroma of the spices), then immediately remove from the heat.
Sprinkle half of the heated spice mix over the garbanzo beans and potatoes and gently toss to combine. Stir the rest of the heated spices into the yogurt. Serve the potato and garbanzo bean mixture in individual servings topped with the seasoned yogurt, along with Cucumber Raita and fried pappadums, if desired. (See recipe below for how to cook pappadums.)
Garnishes (optional)
If serving with pappadums, fry pappadums one-at-a-time in hot oil (using a deep fryer, small skillet or saucepan filled with enough oil to cover one pappadum). Fry for about 30 seconds or until golden, bubbly and crispy. Drain pappadums on a plate stacked with a few paper towels. Break into bite-size pieces and either stir into the potatoes and garbanzo beans or stick into the sides of each serving bowl or dish (as shown in photo).