New Potato + Chickpea Chaat (Aloo Chana Chaat)

The flavors in this incredibly popular Indian street-side snack will dance in your mouth. Buttery potatoes wrap around the chickpeas in an open embrace. They’re followed by a flourish of shallots, a smouldering slick of date and tamarind chutney, and the crunch of sev. Beats a bag of potato chips any day. Although tamarind and sev (chickpea noodles) might seem hard to find, they are nearly always available in the Asian section of big supermarkets. Look for thin or “nylon” sev—but if you can’t find any, a little Bombay mix works a treat. ...

April 8, 2025

Chráime

Ingredients 2 large baking potatoes 2 medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into ½ inch thick wedges 5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed Chili peppers, quartered and seeded (your choice of the freshest available or personal favorite): 1 to 2 pimiento (cherry bomb) peppers (my personal favorite) –or– 1 to 2 jalapeño peppers (perfectly good, and readily available) –or– 1 to 2 serrano peppers (good for heat, but not much flavor) salt, to taste 1¼ to 1½ pounds of white fish fillets (tilapia, sole, halibut, or cod) 1 tablespoon sweet paprika 3 ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley 1 cup water ⅓ cup olive oil coarse salt, to taste Preparation In a large flame-proof casserole or Dutch oven, build the casserole: Set the potato slices on the bottom. Scatter the bell peppers, garlic, and chili peppers over the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt. Place the fish on top and sprinkle it with paprika and salt. Add the tomatoes and cilantro or parsley. Pour the water in at the edges. Sprinkle the top with oil Sprinkle generously with salt. Set the pan over high heat, cover, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the fish is cooked through. Check the pan after 20 minutes; if there seems to be too much liquid, uncover the pan for the remaining cooking time. At this point, the casserole should be fully cooked and ready to serve, however, I’ve found that cooking for an extra hour, uncovered, over low heat really brings the flavors together and is really worth the extra time. ...

February 1, 2015