Easy Masala Chips are an East-African Indian speciality. These Kenyan Masala Potato Chips or Masala Fries are made from frozen oven-chips for ease and use only pantry ingredients so that you can have a delicious meal ready in no time at all.
EASY MASALA CHIPS
So you've eaten portions upon portions of plain chips with salt and vinegar, gorged on chips with ketchup, ventured out into loaded fries and now I'm guessing you're looking for another way to love the humble potato chip? Especially when chips and curry sauce isn't hitting the spot anymore.
These absolutely delicious Kenyan Masala Chips are just the way to do that. Oven-cooked potato chips are tossed in a delicious Indian masala to give a warming and finger-licking finish.
Easy Masala Chips are so quick to make as you do not need to spend ages with peeling fresh ingredients. The base is made from a mix of spice powders and passata so that you can have a delicious meal in minutes.
These Masala Fries are readily available in Kenya as a snack food and are now recreated in homes all around the world.
Btw, when I say "chips", I'm talking about the British version of chips and not American chips which would be "crisps" here!
This recipe is:
✔️Gluten-free (if using Gluten-free oven chips)
✔️Vegan (check oven chips packaging)
✔️Easy, guilt-free and ready in less than 30 minutes
✔️Perfect snack
✔️Mildly spicy but have a delicious Gujarati twang with the hot and sour flavour
✔️Great for get-togethers
My Grandma would regularly treat the family to East-African dishes and so my Dad now asks my Mum to recreate so many of those recipes!
Luckily, my parents have many old family friends who also previously lived in East Africa so my Mum was easily able to learn the recipes. Masala Chips is one such dish that we all now absolutely love!
East African Indian Recipes:
Kasoli nu Saak - Sweetcorn Curry in a Peanut Gravy
Sweetcorn and Red Kidney Beans Curry
Kenyan Masala Chips Ingredients
Potato Chips - we have used oven chips but you can also make your own. We find that using slightly thicker cut works better than thin fries to hold the masala.
Onion and garlic granules - you may use fresh onion and garlic
Tomato puree - we have used passata
Oil - vegetable or sunflower
Sugar - regular granulated sugar
Lemon Juice - fresh or bottled. Do not skip this step - adding the lemon or lime juice makes all the difference!
Red chilli powder - Kashmiri red chilli powder will lend great colour but won't be very spicy.
Ground cumin and coriander
Garnishing - optional
Finely chopped coriander
Lemon/lime wedges
Can I use stale chips?
This recipe is a great way to revive chips that have been previously cooked and have gone a little hard. The process of recooking makes them perfect again.
Can I use fresh onion and garlic?
Yes, but the recipe will take longer. Cook minced onion and garlic before adding tomato puree
Serving Suggestion
Best to serve straight away, if left then cook again on low heat until chips get crispy again.
These Masala Chips can be served with vegan mayo, guacamole or green chutney
Serve with cold drinks such as Cardamom Mojito or Mango and Lime Lassi also great with a cold beer for adults.
Storage:
These chips are best eaten immediately whilst hot as they will lose their texture once they cool.
How to make Kenyan Masala Chips
Note- Follow these step-by-step pictures, video is just above the recipe card below. For exact measurements and full method see printed recipe card below.
1. Oven or air fry frozen chips or make from scratch (First pic)
2. Heat oil in a frying pan (Second pic)
3. Add tomato puree (Third pic)
4. Cook on medium heat and reduce the sauce (Fourth pic)
5. Add onion and garlic granules and keep cooking for another 3-4 minutes (Fifth pic)
6. Tip in red chilli and ground cumin & coriander (Sixth pic).
Other Starter/Snacks Recipes
4. Mamra Upma
5. Maddur Vada
📖 Recipe
KENYAN MASALA CHIPS
Equipment
- oven
- Baking tray
- Frying pan
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 600 g frozen oven chips
- 250 ml tomato puree or passata
- 3 tbsp. oil
- 1 tsp. onion powder/granules
- 1 tsp. garlic powder/granules
- 2 tsp. red chilli powder
- 1 tsp. ground cumin and coriander
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped coriander
- Lemon/lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and bake chips according to package instructions.
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add tomato puree and cook on low heat for 5 minutes or it’s raw smell go away.
- Then add onion and garlic granules and keep cooking further.
- You’ll see the sauce leaves moisture and thickens.
- Then add red chilli powder and ground cumin-coriander.
- After a couple of minutes add lemon juice and sugar.
- Mix well and add baked chips.
- Mix through and sprinkle freshly chopped coriander.
- Serve with lemon/lime wedges and consume immediately.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
If you want to use fresh onion, garlic it may take longer time to cook.
You can use amchoor powder if lemon juice is not available. The nutritional information provided is an approximation calculated by an online calculator. Please consult a professional dietitian for nutritional advice.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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