
Shakarkandi Chaat
A warm sweet potato chaat with quick-pickled onion, tangy tamarind chutney, spicy green chilli chutney and crunchy sev. It tastes sweet, sour, hot and crisp.
Chaat masala for the sweet potato
3 gStirred into the roasted sweet potato with pickled onions (step 5)Everything else
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C fan (425°F/gas 7).
- In a bowl, mix 100 g red onion, 15 g ginger, 2 g green bird's-eye chilli, 25 g lime juice and salt to taste. Set aside as the pickled onions.
- Put 700 g sweet potato in a roasting tray, add 27 g vegetable oil and toss to coat.
- Roast for 35 minutes, turning once halfway, until the sweet potato is tender and charred at the edges.
- Transfer the sweet potato to a mixing bowl. Add the masala (3 g chaat masala) and 2 tbsp of the pickled onions, mix well and spread over a serving platter.
- Spoon over spicy green chilli chutney and tamarind chutney to taste. Scatter with more pickled onions, 30 g sev and coriander leaf to taste. Serve at once, with the remaining chutneys, sev and pickled onions alongside.
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Sweet potato

PotatoUse the same weight, cut to the same size. It is less sweet and holds shape better; add a pinch of sugar if the recipe relies on sweetness.
YamUse the same weight, peeled and cut to size; it is drier and starchier, so cook a little longer and add extra liquid if needed.
PumpkinUse the same weight, cut into chunks; it is softer and sweeter, so add it later and cook briefly to avoid collapsing.

Vegetable oil

Peanut oilUse 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
GheeUse 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oilUse 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Chaat masala

Tandoori snack spice mixUse the same weight; taste first as it can be smokier and saltier. Add lime or amchoor if the dish needs more tang.
Dried mango powderUse about half the weight, mixed with black salt and a pinch of ground cumin. It gives tang and saltiness but lacks the minty, asafoetida notes.
Black saltUse about half the weight and add lime juice to taste. It gives the salty, sulphurous edge but not the full tangy blend.

Red onion

OnionUse the same weight; cook a little longer. Milder and less sweet when raw.
ShallotUse the same weight; sweeter and softer, so reduce cooking time slightly.
Spring onionUse only the white parts, weight for weight, for raw or quick-cooked dishes; green parts are too grassy for long cooking.

Fresh ginger

Ginger pasteUse equal weight. Sauté in hot fat until the raw allium smell disappears; slightly wetter, but provides identical warmth and pungency.
Ground gingerUse 20% to 25% of the weight (1 g for every 4 to 5 g fresh). Stir into the gravy; adds peppery heat and warmth, though it misses the crisp, zesty kick of raw root.

Green bird's eye chilli

Bird's eye green chilliUse the same weight; heat and flavour are very close.
Green chilliUse 1.5 to 2 times the weight; deseed for less heat. Larger chillies are more watery.
Fresh green chilliUse 1.5 to 2 times the weight; chop finely and adjust heat by tasting.

Lime

LemonUse the same weight; sharper and less floral, so reduce any extra souring slightly.
Lemon juiceUse about 30 g juice per lime (2 tbsp), strain pips; add at the end for fresh sourness.
Dried mango powderUse 1 g amchoor for about 15 g lime juice; add early with spices; gives dry mango sourness, not citrus aroma.

Green chutney

Mint chutneyUse the same weight; more minty and less coriander.
Tamarind and coriander chutneyUse the same weight; more sour, so adjust salt.
Raw green mango chutneyUse the same weight; sharper and sourer.

Tamarind chutney

Tamarind pasteDilute with water to chutney consistency, then add jaggery or sugar and salt. Use the same weight of paste as chutney, then adjust.
Tamarind extractUse the same weight, sweeten with jaggery or sugar and add salt. Slightly more concentrated, so taste as you go.
Date and tamarind chutneyUse the same weight; sweeter and thicker. Add lime juice or a little tamarind paste if too sweet.

Coriander leaf


Sev

Lentil crispCrush or break into small crisp pieces and use the same weight as sev; add at the last moment so it stays crisp. It gives a salty crunch but not sev's fine noodle shape.
Fried split chickpeasCrush coarsely and use the same weight; it gives a nutty, crisp legume taste. Add just before serving, as it softens in hot gravy.
BreadcrumbsToast in a little ghee until crisp and use the same weight; substitute only for texture as a garnish, not for sev eaten on its own.
Similar dishes

- Same: Shakkarkand Ki Tikki and this dish both use sweet potato, ginger, green bird's-eye chilli, chaat masala and coriander.
- Different: Shakkarkand Ki Tikki also contains potato, cumin seed, mild chilli powder, cornstarch and dried breadcrumbs, and it is shaped into cakes and shallow-fried in vegetable oil, while this dish roasts sweet potato and finishes it with tamarind chutney, spicy green chilli chutney, lime, pickled red onion and sev.

- Same: Chakra Vazhikilangu Poriyal shares sweet potato as the main ingredient with this dish, and both use vegetable oil, green chilli and salt.
- Different: Chakra Vazhikilangu Poriyal is a dry South Indian stir-fry with mustard seeds, cumin seed, urad dal, curry leaf, turmeric, dried red chilli and poriyal powder, while this dish is roasted sweet potato tossed with chaat masala, lime, tamarind chutney, green chilli chutney, pickled onion, sev and coriander.

- Same: Bengali Pantua and this dish both use sweet potato as the main ingredient and vegetable oil.
- Different: Bengali Pantua adds milk powder, plain flour, baking powder, ground cardamom, pistachio, sugar, clove and saffron, while it lacks this dish's chaat masala, lime, tamarind chutney, green chilli chutney, red onion, ginger, green chilli, sev and coriander; it is fried dumplings soaked in syrup, not roasted sweet potato tossed with chutneys.

- Same: Murgh Malai Tikka shares chaat masala, green bird's-eye chilli, ginger and coriander leaf with this dish.
- Different: Murgh Malai Tikka is grilled chicken thigh marinated in yoghurt, double cream, cheddar cheese and malt vinegar, while this dish is roasted sweet potato tossed with lime, tamarind chutney and sev.





























