What is the perfect appetizer? Something with a really vibrant and varied flavor profile that really gets your appetite going! For me, that perfect appetizer has always, always been Chaat! Think about it- it is sweet, sour, tangy, spicy, fresh – all at the same time! It has a variety of textures as well and honestly, I’ve never come across someone who can have just a little bit of chaat and call it a day.
Well, that was the inspiration behind the Tandoori Hasselback Aloo Chaat! Think crispy Hasselback potatoes, with a fiery Indian twist and your favorite chaat toppings – this is the perfect recipe to take your celebrations up a notch or just add a special touch to your day! Believe me, everyone you serve this to will want seconds so be sure to make a little extra whenever you try this. 🙂
The next level of Indian fusion chaat is here! Hope you try this super flavorful and delectable recipe at your Diwali gatherings and otherwise too. As always, send me a picture, tag @thedancingcookbook and #thedancingcookbook whenever you do. Happy Diwali! 🙂
Tandoori Hasselback Aloo Chaat
Hasselback potatoes meet a fiery Indian tandoori twist and your favorite chaat toppings in this fusion appetizer that is the perfect festive showstopper. Smoky, tandoori baked potatoes and the flavor and texture explosion from the chaat: spicy, tangy, sweet, fresh and crunchy - you will keep coming back for more!
Ingredients
- 4 Gold/Baby Potatoes, scrubbed clean
- Cilantro Chutney
- Tamarind-Date Chutney
- 1/2 Onion, diced small
- 1/2 Tomato, diced small
- 1/2 cup Bhel Sev
- 1 Tsp Chaat Masala
- 1/4 cup Pomegranate arils, to garnish
- 1/4 cup Cilantro leaves, to garnish
- 3-4 Lemon Wedges
Tandoori Marinade (for Potatoes)
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil/Butter
- 2 Tsp Tandoori Masala
- 1/4 Tsp Turmeric
- 1 Tsp Coriander-Cumin Powder
- 1/4 Tsp Smoked Paprika (optional)
- 1 Tsp Salt (more to taste) - skip if using Salted Butter
- 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground
Sweet Yogurt Topping
- 1/2 cup Yogurt
- 1 Tsp Sugar/Sweetener of choice
- 1 Tsp Cumin Powder
Instructions
- Rinse the potatoes under water thoroughly and scrub to remove any dirt from the surface. Pat dry.
- Prepare the Tandoori Marinade: In a bowl, take olive oil/melted butter and add in the spices. Skip the salt if using salted butter. You can also add in herbs/other seasonings of choice. Set aside.
- On your chopping block, place the potato between chopsticks and slice thinly breadthwise (the cut should not go all the way through the potato - only three quarters in). Your potatoes should have a fan-like appearance by the end. Repeat for all potatoes.
- Drizzle the marinade over each potato and use a brush to rub it in. Make sure the marinade goes all the way into the slices of the potato for maximum flavor.
- Preheat your oven to 375 F. Place the potatoes on a baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes. Check after 20 minutes. The skin should appear crispy and the potatoes cooked - you can poke with a fork/skewer to confirm.
- While the potatoes bake, prepare the toppings. Cut the veggies, assemble the chutneys and prepare the sweet yogurt topping - in a bowl, combine yogurt, sugar and cumin powder and whisk until smooth.
- Assemble the chaat: Place the cooked hasselback potatoes on a plate. Top each with sweet yogurt, chutneys, onion, tomato, sev, pomegranate, cilantro and finish with chaat masala and a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy hot!
Notes
- The potatoes can be cut ahead of time and marinated. Toppings can be prepared earlier too.
- On the day of, simply pop the potatoes in the oven and lay out the toppings. Let guests assemble their own potato chaat once the tray of potatoes is out of the oven.
- Tandoori Hasselback potatoes can also be prepared with a marinade using yogurt and besan (roasted chickpea flour) along with spices, ginger-garlic and kasuri methi. Since this is a chaat where yogurt is a topping, I chose to keep the potato marinade simpler.