by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage from Ottolenghi FLAVOUR (Ebury)
Photography by Jonathan Lovekin
This dish is inspired by aloo chaat, an Indian street food that has many regional variations, all of which are not 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. It’s absolutely perfect for a weekend lunch, alongside other vegetables, such as the aubergine with herbs and crispy garlic, or the radish and cucumber salad with chipotle peanuts. You can also serve it as a side with roasted lamb or chicken.
Chaat masala is the slightly tangy spice mix that gives this dish its distinctive flavour. It gets its sharpness from amchoor, dried mango powder, which is used widely in Indian cooking as a souring agent. You’d recognise the flavour from samosas and pakoras, where it is often used.
Both the coriander chutney and the tamarind sauce are great condiments to have on hand to brighten up sandwiches and wraps, to spoon over eggs, or to serve alongside tofu or fish. Double or triple them, if you like – the coriander chutney will keep in the fridge for up to a week and the tamarind sauce for up to 2 weeks.
Serves Four
As a side
Ingredients
750g baby new potatoes, cut lengthways into 1cm-thick slices
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chaat masala
½ tsp ground turmeric
250g Greek-style yoghurt
½ 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)
1½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted
1½ 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, or double if you’re extracting it yourself from pulp
1½ tsp caster sugar
¼ tsp chaat masala
Method
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, 1⁄3 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 1½ 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.
