Delhi aloo chaat is a serving of crispy baby potato halves topped with chaat masala, lemon juice and a dash of tamarind chutney. Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan, this is a simple potato chaat recipe that will have you reaching for more!
If you like Indian street food, do try aloo tikki. These are golden and crispy spiced potato patties shallow fried to perfection.
On rainy days, all that my heart desires is a good book to curl up with, a cup of tea, and... aloo chaat, Delhi style. This Delhi aloo chaat is one of those snacks that is ready in a snap! And it is one that nobody, and I mean nobody can refuse. The chaat masala (a special combination of choice spices), lemon juice and tamarind give the potatoes a piquancy that is music to the taste buds.
Like with everything else, there are many, many variations of aloo chaat that you will find on the internet and each one will differ in the time taken, the ingredients used, the spice level etc. Why I like my version of this popular street food is because it ticks all the right boxes.
what makes this aloo chaat recipe work
- It's easy - This is an aloo chaat recipe that almost anyone can make. No culinary skills required. Seriously. Just shallow fry some boiled baby potatoes in a cast-iron skillet and mix in a few spices and that's it.
- It's quick - How much time does it take to toss a few ingredients together? If you have boiled potatoes at hand, it's ready in 5 minutes, tops.
- It's super-tasty - I challenge you to have just one or two potato halves and stop. Once you start, you will be craving for more, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself devouring the whole bowl!
- It's gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan - it's a real treat for people who don't eat meat, dairy, or if they are on a gluten-free diet.
- It has a few choice ingredients - 7 ingredients including the potatoes. That's it!
Note: If you want to make your own tamarind chutney at home, here's a simple recipe. It goes very well with all kinds of fried snacks. But if you want to save time, buy the chutney online or at any Indian store. It comes sealed in a glass bottle and keeps well in the fridge for a few months. When I don't have any homemade chutney in the fridge, I just shake out some on the potatoes straight from the bottle and I'm done.
Ingredients
Note: exact quantities are given in the recipe card further down in the post.
- Baby potatoes
- Cooking oil
- Black salt- black salt is a kind of rock salt that is light pink in colour. It is a commonly used ingredient in Indian cooking, especially in chaat, chutneys and raita (yogurt dip).
- Chaat masala - chaat masala is a combination of many powdered spices like paprika, cumin, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and mango powder.
- Lemon juice
- Cilantro leaves, chopped fine
- Tamarind chutney
How to make delhi aloo chaat
Time needed: 25 minutes
This potato chat comes together in just three easy steps.
- Boil, peel and halve baby potatoes.
- Toss them in a skillet with chaat masala, black salt and lemon juice.
- Top with tamarind chutney and cilantro.
Note: Instead of boiling the potatoes, you can steam them if you have an instant pot! It's much easier than boiling than on the stovetop and takes a fraction of the time. Here's how to do it.
- Arrange the baby potatoes in a steamer basket.
- Fill the inner liner of the instant pot with 1 cup water.
- Place the steamer basket inside the pot.
- Press the pressure cooking (manual in some models) button and make sure the steam release handle is on 'sealing'.
- Set the timer to 2 minutes.
- Release the pressure as soon as the timer goes (Quick Pressure Release) and remove the lid.
- Peel and halve the potatoes.
Recipe Notes
- The doneness of the potatoes might vary with the size and type of potatoes. You can make this recipe with regular potatoes too and quarter them once they are steamed. Adjust the steaming time accordingly. Medium sized regular potatoes will steam for approximately 4 minutes in the instant pot.
- Peeling the potatoes is optional if you're using baby potatoes. The skins are soft and if you don't mind them, you will save some time.
- A good test of their doneness is the fork test. Insert a fork in the centre of a cooked, whole potato and if it is met with resistance, the potato is not cooked through.
- It might take a few trials to get the potatoes exactly right!
Tips for making the tastiest aloo chat
- Use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet for this aloo chat recipe - the heat is distributed more evenly in a heavy skillet, and the potatoes get fried quickly with a lovely brown crust.
- The chaat potatoes should be boiled soft but still firm. If they are over-cooked and mushy, they won't hold their shape.
- Serve this potato chaat warm. It doesn't taste as good at room temp or out of the fridge. You can even have it straight out of the skillet with a fork like I do sometimes!
Variations
- Sprinkle some finely chopped red onions and sev on top of the potatoes for a different flavor. Sev are crispy and crunchy noodles made from gram flour and are easily available in any Indian grocery or even supermarkets.
- Instead of tamarind chutney, you can also make use of some green coriander chutney. Or make the chaat even more interesting by drizzling both the chutneys if you have them!
Other vegetarian snacks you might like
📖 Recipe
Easy Delhi Aloo Chaat
Ingredients
- 24 oz baby potatoes approximately 18-20
- 1 teaspoon black salt
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon tamarind chutney
- 3 tablespoon cooking oil
Instructions
- Boil, peel and halve the baby potatoes.
- Heat the oil in a skillet and shallow fry the potato halves till they are golden brown. As the potatoes are frying, sprinkle the black salt and chaat masala on top.
- Once the potatoes are fried, add the lemon juice and mix well.
- Arrange the baby potatoes on a plate and drizzle the tamarind chutney on top. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Black salt, chaat masala and tamarind chutney are all easily available in any Indian grocery store or even big chain supermarkets like Walmart, but if you want to order these ingredients online, the Amazon (affiliate) links are given above in the post.
- Black salt is a kind of rock salt that is light pink in colour. It is a commonly used ingredient in Indian cooking, especially in chaats, chutneys and raitas.
- Chaat masala is a combination of many powdered spices like paprika, cumin, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and mango powder.
- I recommend using a cast iron skillet for this recipe. The heat is distributed more evenly in a heavy skillet and the potatoes get fried quickly with a lovely brown crust. However, if you don't have a cast iron skillet, a regular pan works too.
Nutrition
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