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Epicurious

Tater Tot Chaat

By Urmila Ramakrishnan

5.0

(2)

Tater Tot Chaat in a platter topped with fresh mint cilantro and pomegranate seeds.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Micah Marie Morton

Chaat is one of my all-time favorite foods. It can be a snack, a shareable side for game day, or a dinner all on its own. This take on aloo chaat swaps the typical boiled spuds for frozen tater tots that get crisped up and tossed in spice-infused ghee. Using tater tots not only saves time, but gives you an extra crispy texture—a true win-win. The tater tots get blanketed in an array of sauces, sweet pomegranate seeds, red onion, crispy sev, and a heaping handful of fresh herbs for a colorful and flavorful meal.

While the recipe has several components, they all come together fairly quickly. When the tater tots are baking, you can whip up your sauces: a tart-sweet tamarind chutney, a spicy green chutney, and a refreshing yogurt. The green chutney is made with equal parts cilantro and mint, but if you’re part of the 14% of the population for whom cilantro tastes like soap, you can opt to make it with 100% mint. Preparing your own sauces is going to offer more control over flavor, but if you’re low on time you can always opt for a jarred green chutney and tamarind chutney like Deep from your local Indian or South Asian grocery store.

Note: If you prefer to cook your tater tots in an air fryer, preheat your air fryer to 400° then cook the tots, shaking the basket halfway through, until deep golden brown and crisp, 10–14 minutes.

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    45 minutes

  • Yield

    6 servings

Ingredients

Tater Tots

1 (32-oz.) bag frozen tater tots
2 Tbsp. ghee or unsalted butter
2 tsp. amchur (dry mango powder)
2 tsp. asafetida
2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. Kashmiri chile powder or cayenne pepper
½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Tamarind Chutney

⅓ cup tamarind concentrate
2 Tbsp. (lightly packed) grated jaggery or dark brown sugar
1 tsp. asafetida
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. Kashmiri chile powder or cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt

Green Chutney

1 (½" piece) ginger, peeled
½ medium jalapeño, stem removed
½ cup (lightly packed) cilantro leaves
½ cup (lightly packed) mint leaves
½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
⅓ cup finely chopped yellow onion
½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Yogurt Sauce and Assembly

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
Pomegranate seeds, torn mint leaves, torn cilantro leaves with tender stems, sev, finely chopped red onion (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Tater Tots

    Step 1

    Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425°. Bake one 32-oz. bag frozen tater tots in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet until deep golden brown and very crisp, 20–25 minutes (or per package instructions). Remove from oven and set aside.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbsp. ghee or unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 2 tsp. amchur (dry mango powder), 2 tsp. asafetida, 2 tsp. ground turmeric, 1 tsp. Kashmiri chile powder or cayenne pepper, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and stir to combine. Cook, stirring often, until very fragrant and oil is sizzling slightly, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

  2. Tamarind Chutney

    Step 3

    Tamarind Chutney Bring ⅓ cup tamarind concentrate, 2 Tbsp. (lightly packed) grated jaggery or dark brown sugar, 1 tsp. asafetida, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. Kashmiri chile powder or cayenne pepper, ¼ tsp. ground cumin, ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt, and ⅓ cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan and cook, stirring often, until reduced by about one third, 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

  3. Green Chutney

    Step 4

    Blend one ½" piece ginger, peeled, ½ medium jalapeño, stem removed, ½ cup (lightly packed) cilantro leaves, ½ cup (lightly packed) mint leaves, ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt, ⅓ cup finely chopped yellow onion, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¼ cup water in a blender, scraping down sides as needed, until a sauce-like consistency, 1–2 minutes. (The chutney should be chunky and not completely smooth.) Set aside.

  4. Yogurt Sauce and Assembly

    Step 5

    Mix 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, 2 tsp. fresh lime juice, 2 tsp. sugar, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl to combine; set aside.

    Step 6

    Transfer reserved tater tots to a large bowl and pour reserved ghee mixture over. (If ghee has solidified, heat over low just until melted again.) Toss until tater tots are thoroughly coated.

    Step 7

    Spread reserved yogurt sauce over a platter and scatter tater tots evenly over. Spoon reserved tamarind and green chutneys over. Top with pomegranate seeds, torn mint leaves, torn cilantro leaves with tender stems, sev, and finely chopped red onion.

    Do Ahead: Tamarind and green chutneys can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill separately.

TagsEpicuriousTurmericHerbs & SpicesTamarindGingerJalapeñoChileVegetableCilantroMintYogurtDairyPomegranateFruitStarterDinnerLunchSuper BowlPotatoRoot VegetableSnackVegetarianWeeknight Meals

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