Whether it’s raining or a cup of hot afternoon tea, the pleasure of breakfast becomes different if it is accompanied by steaming potato chops. Crispy on the outside and soft, spicy potato filling on the inside, this simple dish has been a favorite of Bengalis for many years. From roadside stalls to home kitchens, potato chops are equally popular everywhere.
The history of potato chops is quite old. Since potatoes became popular in South Asia, various types of fried snacks have been made. This dish, made by dipping potatoes in a gram flour batter and frying them, quickly became popular in the Indian subcontinent. In Bangladesh too, it is now one of the most popular dishes for afternoon snacks, iftars, or entertaining guests.
Servings: 8 to 10 potato chops
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Whatever it takes.
For the full
- 4 medium-sized potatoes
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 to 3 green chilies, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
- Half a teaspoon of roasted cumin powder
- Half a teaspoon of garam masala powder
- Half a teaspoon of red chili powder
- A pinch of turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon of mustard oil or white oil
For the batter
- Gram flour 1 cup
- 2 tablespoons of rice powder
- A pinch of turmeric powder
- Half a teaspoon of red chili powder
- A pinch of baking soda, if desired
- Salt to taste
- Water as needed
For frying
Soybean oil or white oil as needed
How to make it
First, boil the potatoes well, peel them and put them in a bowl. Then mash the potatoes well. Heat oil in a pan and lightly fry the onion. Then add ginger paste, green chili, turmeric, red chili powder and a little salt and fry for a while.
Now add the grated potatoes and mix well. Add the roasted cumin powder, garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves and stir for another one to two minutes and turn off the stove. When the puri cools down, make equal sized round or oval shaped chops.
In another bowl, mix gram flour, rice powder, turmeric, red chili powder, salt, and baking soda with a little water to make a medium thick batter.
Heat enough oil in a pan. Dip the potato chops one by one in the batter and drop them in the hot oil. Fry on medium flame till both the sides turn golden brown.
Place on tissue paper, drain excess oil and serve hot.
Serving: Potato chops go great with tomato sauce, coriander chutney, tamarind chutney or hot chili sauce. You can serve them as an afternoon snack with a cup of hot tea if you like.
Tips
- The filling can become sticky if the potatoes are too soft, so be careful while boiling.
- If the batter is too thin, it won’t stick well to the chops. If it’s too thick, the coating will be thick.
- If the oil is too hot, the outside may burn quickly, but the inside will not heat up properly. So fry on medium heat.
- If you want, you can add chopped boiled eggs, minced meat, or roasted peanuts to bring out the new flavor.
- Refrigerating prepared chops for 15 minutes before frying reduces the chance of them breaking during frying.
