I've been obsessed with this crispy fried snack ever since my friend brought the recipe back from South Africa in 1988. This is adapted from a recipe she learned in a cooking class taught by a renowned Indian food authority in Cape Town, Ramola Parbhoo.
Ingredients
- fresh green Chili peppers: 0.25 cup (chopped)
- garlic: 1 Tbsp (coarsely chopped)
- ginger, peeled and: 2 Tbsp (chopped, fresh)
- salt: 1 tsp
- ground turmeric: 0.125 tsp
- vegetable oil: 2 tsp
- potatoes: 1 pound (peeled)
- water: 3 cups
- ½ cups chickpea flour: 3 piece
- ½ teaspoons salt: 2 piece
- ground turmeric: 1 tsp
- mustard oil: 2 Tbsp
- vegetable oil for deep frying:
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Combine the chiles, garlic, ginger, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric, and 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a food processor or mortar and pestle and process into a fine paste. (Add a tablespoon of water if you need more liquid.) Set aside.
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Place the potatoes in a saucepan with the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook the potatoes until they're soft and easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Reserve the cooking water.
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Mash the potatoes while they're still warm, using some of the cooking water to get a smooth consistency. Mix in 1 tablespoon green chile paste, chickpea flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon turmeric, and mustard oil. Add enough reserved potato-cooking water as needed to make a soft dough. Taste the dough for heat level and seasoning (the dough will taste raw, but should be salty and spicy; the flavors will mellow slightly during cooking). Add more salt and chile paste if desired.
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Heat the cooking oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Use a potato ricer (or sev machine, if you have one) to press noodles into the oil. Fry until golden brown and crisp, about two minutes. Use a skimmer or slotted spoon to transfer the noodles to a paper towel-lined bowl. Repeat until all noodles are fried. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
