Crispy Chilli Potato just like in your favorite restaurant! Make this super easy and delicious restaurant style chilli potato at home with options to deep fry, air fry or even bake the potatoes. In Indo-Chinese restaurants you are most likely to find 2 versions of this dish – dry chilli potato and gravy. In this post I share both the versions. Serve the dry version as an appetizer or a party snack. Chilli potato gravy goes very well as a side with steaming hot Hakka noodles or Fried rice or even with plain fluffy basmati rice.
About Chilli Potato
Chilli potato is an Indo-Chinese starter made with crisp fried potatoes, tossed in slightly spicy, sweet & sour chilli sauce. It is an Indian and Chinese fusion dish that is more commonly served in the Indian restaurants and street stalls. Chilli potato is derived from the immensely popular Chilli Chicken & here chicken is substituted with potatoes.
Much like any other Indian Chinese Food, this one is prepared with Indian vegetables and spices but prepared following the Chinese high heat wok cooking with the usage of aromatic sauces. Indians love these fusion foods for the saucy taste, delicate crunchy texture and the addictive smoky flavors.
So this chilli potato is no exception and has a punch of flavors in every bite. I have made this recipe for years and my kids love this a lot. Years ago I would deep fry the potatoes because that’s how it is made in the Indo-Chinese restaurants. But years later now, I prefer to air fry or even bake the potatoes (for a larger batch). However you fry, this chilli potato turns so good!
To make chilli potato, first potatoes are cut to 2 to 3 inch portions, par-boiled and then deep fried until crisp just like the way we make the Potato Wedges. Then a super aromatic sauce is prepared in a wok with garlic, green chilies, onions, spring onions, chilli sauce and soya sauce. Lastly the fried potatoes are tossed into the delicious sauce. Sounds addictive right?
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How to Make Chilli Potato (Stepwise photos)
Prepare ingredients for sauce
- Slice 1 medium onion
- Chop 2 to 3 sprigs of spring onions, separate greens & whites (optional)
- Slit 1 green chili
- Slice, dice or Julienne ¾cupcapsicum
- Chop 2 to 3 garlic cloves to make 1½tablespoons chopped
1. Optional – In a small bowl, mix ½ to ¾ tsp of red chili powder with 2 tablespoon of red chilli sauce. Add few tsps of water and mix to a smooth mixture. Using red chili enhances the color of the dish without addition of too much sauce or food color. Alternately you can also add only red chili sauce and skip using the powder.
Prepare potatoes
2. Wash and peel 250 grams potatoes. Cut each potato to half inch slices first. Then cut each of the slice to 2 to 3 sticks of half each thickness. Soak them in water for about 30 minutes. To air fry or bake the potatoes, follow this potato wedges post where I detail each step with a picture.
Drain and boil them in fresh water for 3 to 4 mins. They should not be soft but should be firm and semi cooked. Skipping this step may not cook the potatoes well while frying.
3. Drain them up completely in a colander.
4. Add them to a wide bowl. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon chilli powder and 2 tablespoons rice flour or corn starch. Even yellow corn flour works well. Toss well to coat the potatoes well. If it is too dry, you may sprinkle some water.
Deep fry potatoes
5. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. When the oil is hot enough, to test drop a small portion of dough or potato. It must rise to the surface without turning brown. this is the right temperature. Gently slide the potatoes to the oil. Fry them on a medium heat for 2 to 3 mins without disturbing. Later stir and fry until golden and crisp.
6. When they are golden, turn down the heat and fry for a few more minutes to make them extra crisp. Alternately you may also remove them from the oil and then refry them. This gives extra crisp fried potatoes. Later remove them to a steel colander or a wired rack.
Make Chilli Sauce for Potatoes
7. Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry 1 slit chilli and 1½tablespoons chopped garlic. You can also use fresh sesame or olive oil (in place of deep fried oil) to enhance the flavors.
8. When the garlic begins to smell good, add 1 medium sliced onion and white parts of spring onions. Stir fry on a high heat for a minute.
9. Add ¾cupbell peppers and fry on a high heat until slightly tender yet crunchy.
10. Add 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ to 1 tablespoon soya sauce, ½ teaspoon vinegar and red chilli sauce you prepared in step 1 or 2 tablespoons just red chilli sauce.
11. Stir every thing well.
12. Add 3 tablespoons water to the pan. Bring it to a boil and allow the sauce to thicken. If you like to make a gravy dish, add ¾ tsp corn starch to half cup water. Stir it well and pour it to the pan.
13. When the sauce thickens, taste it and add more sauces to suit your taste. Turn off and cool down a bit. Add the fried or baked potatoes. Avoid adding crisp potatoes to hot sauce.
14. Toss the potatoes well to coat with sauce. Add spring onions.
Serve chilli potato hot while still crisp.
Pro Tips
1. To make the best crisp fried potatoes for this recipe always soak the potatoes in water for at least 30 mins. Then boil them in fresh water for 3 to 4 mins until slightly tender but still hold shape. This step makes the crispiest potatoes as the excess starch is removed.
2. Parboiling the potatoes before frying also helps to cook them completely from inside without browning too quickly.
3. I have made chilli potato for this post by deep frying but you can avoid that completely and grill them first. Then add to the prepared sauce.
4. Coating the potatoes in corn flour makes them crispy. However for health reasons you can also replace it with rice flour.
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Recipe Card
Chilli Potato Recipe (Chilli Aloo)
Chilli potato is a spicy Indo chinese style starter made with fried potatoes tossed in chilli sauce. This chilli potato recipe will help you to make spicy, slightly sweet & tangy restaurant style starter. The post shares making both gravy & dry versions.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Prep Time30 minutes minutes
Cook Time20 minutes minutes
Total Time50 minutes minutes
Servings4
AuthorSwasthi
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 3 medium potatoes (about 250 grams)
- 2 tablespoons corn starch or yellow corn flour or rice flour
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder (more if desired)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup oil (or more to deep fry)
To make chilli potato sauce
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1½ tablespoon garlic chopped (2 to 3 garlic cloves)
- 1 medium onion sliced (optional, if using spring onions)
- 2 to 3 spring onions chopped (optional, if using onion)
- ¾ cup capsicum (bell peppers diced or julienned)
- 1 green chili deseeded & slit
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ to 1 tablespoon soya sauce (naturally brewed)
- 2 tablespoons red chilli sauce (Sweet & hot Asian kind)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chili powder or red chilli paste (optional)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon vinegar
- salt (to adjust, if needed)
Instructions
Peel potatoes and cut each to half inch slices, Slice each to few half inch sticks. So you will have each stick of about half by half inch thickness. Immerse them in a bowl of water for 30 minutes & drain the water completely.
To Deep Fry Potatoes
Boil them in fresh water for 3 to 4 mins until they are slightly cooked but firm. Drain them to a colander.
Sprinkle flour, red chili powder and salt over the drained potatoes. Toss well to coat the flour evenly. If it seems too dry, sprinkle some water.
Heat oil in a deep pan. When hot enough slide the potatoes one by one to hot oil. Deep fry on a medium heat undisturbed for 2 to 3 mins, later stir and fry until crisp & golden.
For extra crispness, you may remove them from oil and refry on a low flame. Later remove them to a wired rack or steel colander.
To Air Fry & Bake in Oven
With a clean cloth wipe dry the soaked potatoes. Spray some oil all over the them. Sprinkle salt, red chilli powder and flour. Mix gently to coat. If it looks too dry, drizzle some oil and mix.
Air Fryer: Spread them in the basket in a single layer and air fry at 400 F or 200 C for 8 to 9 mins. Shake them & repeat for another 8 to 9 mins until crisp and golden.
In the Oven: Preheat the oven to 200 C or 400 F. Grease or line a baking tray & arrange the potatoes. Bake them for 23 to 30 minutes until crisp and golden. Adjust the baking time as it depends on the size of your potatoes and oven.
How to Make Chilli Potato
Optional for extra color and heat: Mix together red chilli powder, red chilli sauce and 2 tsps water to a smooth paste. Keep this red chilli sauce aside.
Heat one tbsp oil on a high heat in a wok or pan. Fry garlic and chilli until they smell good.
Add onions and stir fry for a minute followed by capsic*ms. Fry until they turn slightly tender yet crunchy.
Add the sugar, red chilli sauce, soya sauce, vinegar & 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Let the sauces begin to bubble.
When the sauce thickens taste the sauce and adjust more salt and sauce if needed.
Turn off and cool down slightly. Add fried potatoes and toss. Add spring onion greens.
Serve chilli potato hot or warm immediately as they lose the crispness if rested. Serve as an appetizer or as a side with noodles and fried rice.
Notes
- To make chili potato gravy, dissolve ¾ tsp corn starch with half cup water. Stir and pour to the pan along with the sauces. Also add more chilli & soya sauce as needed.
- Do not add crisp potatoes to hot sauce. Let it cool down a bit and then add them.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
Nutrition Facts
Chilli Potato Recipe (Chilli Aloo)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 311Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 523mg23%
Potassium 770mg22%
Carbohydrates 31g10%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 1025IU21%
Vitamin C 58.2mg71%
Calcium 60mg6%
Iron 5.5mg31%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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© Swasthi’s Recipes
Chilli Potato Recipe first published in September 2015. Updated in February 2022.
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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