Maneet Chauhan

Maneet Chauhan is an award-winning chef,  author, television personality and founding partner and president of Morph Hospitality Group in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a recipient of the 2012 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Award for her role as a permanent judge on  Food  Network’s “Chopped.” Chauhan and her husband, Vivek Deora, co-founded Morph Hospitality Group, comprising Chauhan Ale & Masala House, Tansuo, The Mockingbird and Chaatable. Chef Chauhan is the author of two cookbooks, Flavors of My World and Chaat:The Best Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India.

This recipe comes from my cookbook, Chaat: Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India, where I explore my home country’s most iconic, delicious, and fun-to-eat foods during an epic cross-country railway journey. RECIPES FROM THE KITCHENS, MARKETS, AND RAILWAYS OF INDIA: A COOKBOOK

There’s almost always an aloo (potato) chaat vendor at the Old Junction train station near Chandni Chowk. I usually hear the sizzle of frying potatoes and catch their earthy aroma before I spot him. This chaat recipe is found throughout most of northern India and makes an appearance in some eastern and western regions, where the ingredients vary based upon what vegetables are in season; that said, tomatoes, red onions, radishes, and cucumbers are all frequent dance partners. I recommend peeling the potatoes once they’re cool enough to handle but still warm enough so the skins will slip off easily, and then frying them up just after peeling to avoid gumminess. I like to use Kashmiri red chile powder in this recipe, but any fiery red chile powder will do. This chaat doesn’t keep well and should be eaten before the sev (fried chickpea noodles) get a chance to become soggy.

Idaho potatoes are the perfect potatoes to stand up to Indian spices and make the perfect potato dish.