Nepalese potato chutney
Cooking notes
This isn’t a ‘chutney’ in the traditional style. Crispy shallow-tried potatoes doused in nutty toasted sesame seeds – trust me, you’ve NEVER tasted anything like this before!
This recipe is a nod to my Mom’s Gorkhali heritage. She makes it in a very special way, and to me, it is the tastiest way to have potatoes. We’ve never had any leftovers!
We hope you enjoy making our family recipe – thank you, Mom, for sharing it!
Makes 2-3 servings.
Ingredients
60 gm white sesame seeds
2 dried red chillies
400 gm potatoes (3-4), sliced like chunky fries
1 green chilli, slit
3 tbsp cooking oil (mustard oil is preferred)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp amchur (dried mango powder)
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp asafoetida
Juice of 1 lemon
Method
Dry roast the sesame seeds and dried red chillies on a medium flame for 2 minutes. Stir it constantly so that the seeds do not burn. They’re done when the seeds change colour to golden brown.
Once the seeds are done, take the pan off the flame and at once pour out the sesame seeds and red chillies on a plate. Leave it to cool.
Wash the potatoes and peel them. Slice them like fries.
Heat oil in a pan. Lower the flame. Throw in the asafoetida and green chillies. Give it a stir.
Add the potato fries to the pan. Sprinkle the turmeric on top of the potatoes and stir it all gently without breaking the potatoes. Cook till they are tender BUT crisp. This takes about 10 mins on medium heat, and you may need to reduce the flame in the last 2-4 minutes.
Once done, take the potatoes off the flame, and transfer to a bowl.
Get back to the cooled sesame seeds and red chillies. Put them in the grinder to grind coarsely – remember, don’t powder the sesame seeds fully, two quick whirls in the grinder is enough even if the red chillies aren’t fully ground by then!
Sprinkle the sesame seed mix, salt, and amchur onto the potato fries. Add the lemon juice. Mix it all well and gently till all the fries are coated with the sesame seed mix.
Serve hot as a snack and enjoy!
PS – If you have coated all the fries with the sesame mix and still have some left over, just store it in the fridge, and sprinkle it on your salads or sandwiches!