132) BOTOTYA KACHRI

BOTOTYA KACHRI

TASTY, TASTY KONKANI POTATO CHILI CHIPS

Ingredients:

     1)    Big potatoes – 1 kg.

     2)    Hot red chili powder – 1½ teaspoons

     3)    Asafoetida powder – 1 pinch

     4)    Salt (powder) – 1½ teaspoon

     5)    Rice powder – 50 gm.

     6)    Cooking oil – to deep fry

To Prepare:

          Peel the potatoes. Use a sharp knife to thinly slice the potatoes. Konkanis do not use a mandolin or a chip maker to slice the chips since the chips need to be a little thicker and a little bit uneven so that the potato chips are both crisp as well as chewy at the same time. So they are always sliced with a sharp knife or on an ‘addoli’.

          Put the chips in a bowl and sprinkle the powdered salt. Mix well with your fingers to nicely marinate the chips. Leave for 30 minutes. The potato juice will start oozing out. Now take out a handful of chips and squeeze out the juice without tearing the chips. Transfer to another bowl. When all the chips are squeezed dry, sprinkle the chili powder and the asafoetida powder and mix well with your fingers (use a glove if you have sensitive skin). Now add the rice powder and mix again thoroughly.

To Fry:

          Set a pan or wok on the stove. Pour in enough cooking oil to deep fry the chips. As soon as the oil is hot and is just about to start smoking lightly, quickly put in the chips one by one (so that they do not stick together). Do not crowd the pan. Use a perforated stainless steel ladle to stir frequently on medium heat in order to evenly fry all the chips. When the chips are feeling crispy, lift out and drain the excess oil.

          Serve hot with rice or simply enjoy as a snack. You will love the bototya kachri.