I can eat chaat every single day, for any meal of the day! This shakarkandi chaat is a faral-friendly recipe, that I make for myself while I fast for Navratri. It is easy to make, filling and delicious. I usually like to pair it with paneer sauteed in ghee with black salt, black pepper powder and dry mango powder. This recipe is a short-cut version of the traditional recipe. Instead of boiling the sweet potatoes, we will directly cook them until they become crispy in the air fryer. It saves time, and fewer dishes, so yes, I am in for it.
What is Purple Sweet Potato Chaat?
This sweet potato chaat is commonly available in India on roadside during winters. It is famously known as Shakarkandi Chaat, and is a delicious, crispy, sweet, tangy and crunchy all at once. These sweet potatoes are cooked directly on the coal, cut into cubes, and tossed in chutneys, and topped with delicious toppings. In India, we get white sweet potatoes most commonly, while in the US purple sweet potatoes and yams are more common. I like to make this chaat using any sweet potatoes I have on hand. To make this recipe at home, we will peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Toss them in ghee and salt, and air fry them until cooked and crispy. We then toss the special spice mix, made from salt, black pepper, cumin powder, and anardana powder/ dry mango powder. To this, we will add imli chutney and cilantro chutney and toss the sweet potatoes well! I like to add toppings like roasted and crushed peanuts, roasted sesame seeds, pomegranate arils, and finely chopped cilantro.
Why You Will Love This Chaat Recipe
It is an easy and quick recipe if you have chutneys on hand It is a delicious way to enjoy sweet potatoes in season Makes for a great snack or lunch It is naturally gluten-free, and if you use vegan ghee, can be made vegan too Has a beautiful balance of flavors and textures
What is Chaat?
Chaat is an Indian street food cuisine, which translates the verb “to lick “. Chaat has bold elements from sour, sweet, and spicy chutneys, to bold spices, with a graciously simple filling of potatoes and chickpeas! There are so many different kinds of chaat recipes made throughout India, but, the elements remain the same. These chaat recipes, truly are finger-licking good, and you just can’t and won’t stop eating them, once you have tried them! Try my Aam Panna Pani Puri!
Ingredients to Make This Chaat Recipe
Sweet Potatoes - Use any kind, I am using purple sweet potatoes. You can even mix, Yukon gold potatoes, yams, and purple sweet potatoes if you wish too. Ghee - Using ghee adds a beautiful nuttiness to this recipe, and it just tastes more delicious. If you want to make this vegan, use vegan ghee/ any oil of your choice instead. Spices - We will mix together, roasted cumin powder, anardana or dry mango powder, black pepper powder and salt. You can add sendha namak if fasting instead of using regular salt Chutneys - Two main chutneys are the imli chutney and cilantro chutney in this recipe. If you are fasting and making this recipe, substitute peanuts with sev in my cilantro chutney recipe. Toppings - Add roasted and crushed peanuts, roasted sesame seeds, pomegranate arils, and finely chopped cilantro for toppings.
Step-by-Step Recipe for Purple Sweet Potato Chaat
Prep the Ingredients - You can prep the chutneys as a part of the meal prep/ or make them fresh, along with roasting the sesame seeds and peanuts. Crush the roasted peanuts and keep it aside. Preheat the air fryer on 375 for 2 minutes. Cut the purple sweet potatoes into ½ inch cubes. I am using a crinkler knife hence the crinkle cuts on the potatoes. Add ghee and toss them, so the sweet potatoes are covered in ghee. To make this recipe vegan, use any nuetral flavored oil. I prefer to use avocado oil. Toss the prepared sweet potatoes in the air fryer basket. Cook them on 375F for 10-12 minutes. Give them a shake at 5-6 minutes mark, to make sure they crisp up from all the sides. In the meanwhile, make the spice mix. Mix together, roasted cumin powder, dry mango powder or anardana powder, black pepper and salt (sendha namak if fasting). Mix it well! Keep it aside. I prefer the charred marks on the sweet potatoes. They are nice and crispy, along with adding the smoky flavor, which compliments the natural sweetness of the purple sweet potatoes perfectly! Once the potatoes are cooked, take them out in a mixing bowl. Add the prepared spice mix, crushed peanuts, and roasted sesame seeds. This is a thorough mix, and the spices should properly coat the potatoes. To this, add a generous drizzle of imli and green chutney, and mix again. Top it off with some more crushed peanuts, roasted sesame seeds, pomegranate arils and finely chopped cilantro!
More Faral Recipes
Variations of This Sweet Potato Chaat Recipe
Serving Suggestions for Shakarkandi Chaat
Serve the sweet potato chaat in small cups or plates, with a sprinkle of chaat masala, pomegranate arils, drizzle of cilantro chutney, and finely chopped cilantro.
Storage Instructions
I like to store the roasted sweet potatoes, and all the other ingredients separately. The The chutneys will make the sweet potatoes soggy and they might not taste as good the next day. Freeze the roasted sweet potatoes, and toss them in the air fryer or oven at 400F for 5-7 minutes or until crispy.
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