Chaat is a general term for a highly craveable category of Indian snacks that mix crispness, tang, and spice. There are many types, but typically they involve a carby, starchy base (think potato patties or samosas) that’s doused in chutney and finished with a variety of toppings: usually at least one crunchy thing like fried onions and one fresh thing like pomegranate seeds.
Now let’s chaat about these loaded sweet potato fries. For our disco-fry take on this dish, we slice sweet potatoes into long, narrow spears and season and roast them along with a bunch of chickpeas—a nod to the crispy, crunchy garbanzos that top a lot of chaat. While that's in the oven, we blitz up a quick condiment that combines two common chaat sauces: cilantro chutney and yogurt. (This recipe makes way more sauce than you’ll probably use, but it’s a banger that’s fab on a sandwich or with fritters, samosas, flatbreads, or rice.)
When it comes to the rest of the toppings, this is very much a choose-your-own-adventure situation. Chaat is more about the mix of contrasting textures and flavors than about the actual ingredients you use. Don’t worry if you can’t hunt down all the traditional stuff. You can still get the vibe from just the chutney and something nice and crunchy like puffed rice cereal, crispy fried onions, or even crushed potato chips.
If you are down for a side quest, there are two things worth seeking out:
- Chaat masala. This salty-sour spice blend of dried mango (called amchoor), mint, salt, cumin, and coriander is at the heart of every chaat dish. To use it, toss a pinch (a little goes a long way!) with any crispy topping you’re using on the fries. If you get some, we can pretty much promise it won’t go to waste: It’s also delicious sprinkled on fruit, similar to Tajin, or used to rim a cocktail glass. This one from Diaspora is my favorite.
- Sev. These thin, fried noodles are made from a batter of chickpea flour and water. This kind of batter is typically used to fry vegetables in Indian cooking, but in this case it runs through a special press and into hot fry oil. The addictively crunchy strands vary in thickness, but our favorite are the thinner, threadlike ones, known as nylon sev.
Once you have all your ingredients, it's time to roast, sauce, stack, and dig in. The result is a loaded mound of fries with a delectable combo of contrasting flavors and textures that, if you’re like us, will be hard to stop eating.
Chaat Sweet Potato Fries
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
The Base:
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes, about 2 large
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
Cilantro Coconut Chutney:
- 3 cups cilantro, leaves and stems, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup silken tofu or plain nondairy yogurt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Toppings:
- ¼ teaspoon chaat masala (optional)
- Something crunchy: sev; store-bought fried onions; puffed rice cereal; toasted cashews or peanuts; crushed potato, pita, or corn chips
- Something fresh: pomegranate seeds, chopped cilantro, finely chopped red onion
Procedure:
- Make the fries. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the sweet potatoes into fry-shaped sticks, about ¼ to ½ inch wide and about 3 inches long. Toss fries and chickpeas with oil, salt, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, and cumin. Spread on 2 rimmed baking sheets and bake until fries are golden and crisp on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is crisp, about 10 minutes more.
- Make the chutney. While the fries roast, combine all the chutney ingredients in a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary to thin out. You’re looking for a smooth consistency you can drizzle over the fries.
- Assemble. Transfer the sweet potato fries to a plate and drizzle with the chutney. If you’re using chaat masala, toss it with one of your crunchy toppings to coat. Top as desired, ideally with at least one crunchy item and one fresh.
Notes and Substitutions:
- Leftovers? Extra chutney will keep for about a week in the fridge or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
