Chips masala

Ingredients

Chips

• 1 kgpotatoes, cut into chips
• oil, for deep frying
• salt

Masala sauce

• 4tomatoes, chopped
• 2onions, finely chopped
• 4garlic cloves, crushed
• 3cm ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoonstomato paste
• 3 tablespoonsoil
• 2 teaspoonsgaram masala
• 1 teaspoonground cumin
• 1 teaspoonground coriander
• 1 teaspoonpaprika
• 1/2 teaspoonturmeric
• 2green chillies, chopped
• 1 teaspoonsalt

To finish

• juice of 1 lemon
• a handful of coriander, chopped
• 1 tablespoonbutter, optional

To serve

• extra lemon wedges
• kachumbari salad
• cold soda

Directions

1. Cut the potatoes into thick chips. Thick chips survive the sauce far better. Rinse them in cold water to remove starch. Then dry them thoroughly on a cloth. Pour oil into a deep pan to eight centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil.
2. Heat the oil to about 150C for the first fry. Fry them for about six minutes. They should be soft but still pale. Lift them out and let them cool completely. Now heat the oil to about 190C.
3. Fry the chips again for about three minutes. They should turn deep golden and crisp. Lift them out onto a wire rack. Salt them at once while they are hot. It is what stops the sauce turning them to mush. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan. Add the finely chopped onions. Cook them for about ten minutes. They should soften and turn deep golden.
4. Add the garlic, ginger and chopped chillies. Cook them for a good two minutes. Add all the ground spices together. Fry them for about one minute. Add a splash of water if they stick. That frying takes the raw edge off them. Stir the tomato paste in as well.
5. Fry it for a good two minutes. Add the chopped fresh tomatoes. Season it with all of the salt. Cook it down for about twelve minutes. It should reduce to a thick paste. Cook it until the oil separates at the edges. That separation is the sign it is ready. Mash the tomatoes down with the spoon. Taste it and adjust the salt and chilli. It should be strongly flavoured and quite thick.
6. Add them to the hot masala sauce. Toss them through quickly with a spatula. Coat every single chip in the sauce. Do this over the heat for one minute only. Work fast and get them straight to the plate. Finishing it off takes a moment. Squeeze the lemon juice over them. Add the butter if you want a richer finish.
7. Scatter chopped coriander over the top. Toss once more and serve at once. Serving it is done immediately while hot. Pile them onto a plate or into a paper cone. Cold soda is the usual drink with it.

Technique

• Kenya has a long-established South Asian community whose kitchens shaped a great deal of the country’s street food, including this dish.
• The chips are tossed through the sauce rather than served with it alongside, which is why they must be fried twice to hold up.

Substitutions

• Oven chips can be used at a pinch, though they soften far faster in the sauce.
• Any curry powder stands in for the individual ground spices.

Variations

• Some kiosks add fried sausage or chicken to the pan.
• A version with more chilli is made for those who want heat.
• Mayai pasua and smokie pasua are the other great Kenyan street snacks.

History

A Nairobi kiosk invention from the city’s Indian-influenced kitchens, ordered late at night across Kenya.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chips masala?

Chips masala is a street food from Kenya: fried chips tossed in a spiced tomato and chilli sauce. A Nairobi kiosk invention from the city’s Indian-influenced kitchens, ordered late at night across Kenya.

How long does Chips masala take to make?

Chips masala takes 20 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Chips masala?

Yes, within limits. Oven chips can be used at a pinch, though they soften far faster in the sauce. Any curry powder stands in for the individual ground spices.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chips masala?

Cut the potatoes into thick chips. Thick chips survive the sauce far better. Rinse them in cold water to remove starch. Then dry them thoroughly on a cloth. Pour oil into a deep pan to eight centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil.