Chaat masala potatoes with yoghurt & tamarind

Serves four (as a side)

This dish is inspired by aloo chaat, an Indian street food that has many regional variations, none of which are for the faint-hearted because they are loaded with sweet and sour and a fair bit of crunch. This is a slightly tamer version, though still pretty ‘noisy’, both in flavour and in looks.

INGREDIENTS

750g baby new potatoes, cut lengthways into 1cm-thick slices

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chaat masala

1⁄2 tsp ground turmeric

250g Greek-style yoghurt

1⁄2 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds on a mandolin, if you have one, or by hand (45g)

1 green chilli, thinly sliced into rounds (10g)

1 ½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted

1 ½ tsp nigella seeds, toasted

Salt

Coriander chutney

30g fresh coriander

1 green chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped (10g)

1 tbsp lime juice

60ml olive oil

Sweet tamarind dressing

1½ tbsp shop-bought tamarind paste

1½ tsp caster sugar

¼ tsp chaat masala

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C fan.

2. Put the potatoes and 2 teaspoons of salt into a medium saucepan and top with enough cold water to cover by about 4cm. Place on a medium-high heat, bring to the boil, then simmer for 6 minutes, or until they’re almost cooked through but still retain a bite. Drain through a sieve and pat dry, then transfer to a large parchment-lined baking tray and toss with the oil, chaat masala, turmeric, ⅓ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Roast, stirring once or twice, for 35 minutes, or until deeply golden.

3. Meanwhile, make the coriander chutney. Put all the ingredients and ¼ teaspoon of salt into the small bowl of a food processor and blitz until smooth. Set aside until needed.

4. For the tamarind dressing, whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl with 1 ½ teaspoons of water and set aside.

5. Spread the yoghurt out on a large round serving platter. Top with the coriander chutney, swirling it through without completely incorporating. Drizzle with half the tamarind dressing, and top with the potatoes, onion and chilli. Drizzle over the remaining tamarind, then sprinkle over the seeds and serve.  

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Photography: Jonathan Lovekin