Try Out Yotam Ottolenghi’s Recipe for Chaat Masala Potatoes with Yogurt and Tamarind

For award-winning chef, writer, and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi, food is about more than what we eat. It is about joy, pleasure, and surprise. It is about a sense of place and home. It is about commonality, an act which brings people together.

On Wednesday, May 11, 2022, Ottolenghi will appear here at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. He will be interviewed on stage for a 50- to 60-minute conversation with Lauren Gilger, host of KJZZ’s The Show, followed by 20 to 30 minutes of audience questions. Get your tickets to the show here, and then prepare for the Ottolenghi experience by trying out one of his recipes, below.

CHAAT MASALA POTATOES WITH YOGURT AND TAMARIND

Serves Four
As a side

This dish is inspired by aloo chaat, an Indian street-food that has many regional variations, all of which are not for the fainthearted 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 flavor and looks. It’s absolutely perfect for a weekend lunch, alongside other vegetables, such as eggplant with herbs and crispy garlic or 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 flavor. It gets its sharpness from amchoor, dried mango powder, which is used widely in Indian cooking as a souring agent. You’d recognize the flavor from samosas and pakoras, where it is often used.

Both the cilantro chutney and the tamarind dressing 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 chutney will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week and the tamarind dressing for up to 2 weeks.

1 lb 10 oz/750g baby new potatoes, cut lengthwise into ½-inch/1cm-thick slices
table salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chaat masala
½ tsp ground turmeric
black pepper

CILANTRO CHUTNEY

1½ cups/30g cilantro
1 green chile, seeded and roughly chopped (2 tbsp)
1 tbsp lime juice
¼ cup/60ml olive oil
¼ tsp table salt

SWEET TAMARIND DRESSING

4½ tsp store-bought tamarind paste (or double if you’re extracting it yourself from pulp)
1½ tsp superfine sugar
¼ tsp chaat masala
1½ tsp water
1 cup/250g Greek-style yogurt
½ small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds on a mandoline, if you have one, or by hand (½ cup/60g)
1 green chile, thinly sliced into rounds (2 tbsp)
1½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted
1½ tsp nigella seeds, toasted

 1. Preheat the oven to 450°F/220°C fan. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Put the potatoes and 2 tsp salt into a medium saucepan and top with enough cold water to cover by about 1½ inches/4cm. Place on medium-high heat, bring to a boil, then simmer for 6 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost cooked through but still retain a bite. Drain through a sieve and pat dry, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, chaat masala, turmeric, ¼ tsp salt, and a good grind of pepper. Roast, stirring once or twice, for 35 minutes, or until deeply golden.

3. For the chutney: Meanwhile, in the bowl of a small food processor, combine the cilantro, chopped chile, lime juice, olive oil, and salt and blitz until smooth. Set aside.

4. For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the tamarind paste, sugar, chaat masala, and water and set aside.

5. Spread the yogurt on a large round serving platter. Top with the chutney, swirling it through without completely incorporating. Drizzle with half the dressing and top with the potatoes, onion, and sliced chile. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, then sprinkle with the coriander seeds and nigella seeds and serve at once.

Published with the permission of Yotam Ottolenghi 2022

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