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Crispy Masala French Fries served in a tin.
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Crispy Masala French Fries | How to make Crispy French Fries From Scratch

An Indian style spicy Potato French Fries Recipe that can be easily made at home. Thinly cut potatoes are deep fried until crisp and are tossed with few spices.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Soaking Time & Freezing Time2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizers and snacks, Snacks (Street Food)
Cuisine: World
Keyword: Crispy Masala French Fries
Servings: 4
Author: Padma Veeranki

Ingredients

  • 3 Large Potatoes Russet Potatoes
  • Oil For Deep frying

Masala (Spice Mix)

  • 1/2 tsp Salt Adjust to taste
  • 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper Powder
  • 1 tsp Chaat Masala Powder Adjust to your preference
  • 1 tsp Dry Herbs Optional

Instructions

Prep Work:

  • Rinse potatoes and then peel them.
  • Then slice the potato in slices having quarter inch thickness.
  • Then begin to cut them in sticks having quarter inch thick width. Rinse these potato sticks for a couple of times in water to get rid of the starch.
  • In a bowl take 4 cups cold water and dunk the potatoes in it. Keep this bowl in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes, drain the potatoes in a colander.
  • Rinse the potatoes with running water. Drain all the water.

Blanching Potatoes (Water Blanch) & Freezing:

  • Bring enough water to boil (not roll boil) in a pot. When the water starts bubbling, add in the potato pieces and blanch for about 5 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and drain the potatoes in a colander.
  • Then place them on clean kitchen cotton napkin and pat dry.
  • Now, place them in the deep freezer for about 2 to 3 hours until they are hard.

First frying french fries

  • Heat oil in a wok or pan. Keep the heat to medium-low or medium. The oil should have a medium-low heat or having a temperature of 130 to 135 degrees celsius.
  • Now, remove the frozen potatoes and add to the oil and oil blanch. You can fry in two to three batches. Do not over crowd the pan.
  • Stir often while frying them for uniform cooking.
  • Fry for about 2 minutes until the potatoes get almost half cooked, but they shouldn’t brown from outside. There should not be any colour change. Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper kitchen towel.
  • Let the half fried potatoes cool down at room temperature. Freeze them for about 30 minutes.
  • Repeat process with the rest of the potatoes.

Second frying - making french fries

  • Now increase the heat to medium-high or high. The oil should be hot on medium to medium-high heat having a temperature of 180 to 185 degrees celsius.
  • Remove the half fried potatoes from freezer and add to the hot oil. Stirring often begin to fry the potatoes.
  • Fry till crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon. place them on paper tissues again to remove the extra oil.
  • While still hot, transfer the french fries to a bowl.
  • Prepare the masala with some salt, red chilli powder, pepper powder, chaat masala and some dry herbs. Give it a Nic mix.
  • Sprinkle French fries with the prepared masala and gently toss the bowl to mix well.You can add your choice of herbs and spices.
  • Gently shake and toss the bowl so that the salt, herbs etc mix well with them.
  • Serve these homemade french fries hot with some any dip or sauce of your choice.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Use potatoes with a high starch content. Russet, Yukon Gold and Idaho potatoes are a good choice. 
  • You can even prep the potatoes a day before you want to fry them so just cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight. This is to ensure that the excess starch is removed from the potatoes and they fry up nice and crisp.
  • Soaking the potatoes in cold water helps to get a nice crisp.
  • Rinsing the potatoes in water or cold water helps to remove starch, which prevents the potatoes from sticking together during the frying process.
  • The oil should not be so hot that when you add the potatoes, it splatters. This means that you need to turn the temperature down! The oil should be bubbling gently while frying.
  • Make ahead option: You can make the fries few hours before serving. Heat the fries in oven at 350 degrees F for seven to ten minutes before serving.
  • If you want a healthier option, you can bake the fries in a preheated oven at 230 degree Celsius or 450° F for about 35 minutes or until nice and crispy. Don’t overcrowd the fries on the baking sheet, having them spread in one layer allows them to cook evenly.