Sweet Potato Chips Masala + Saveur Blog Awards Finalist

Happy new Month! Before we dig into this delicious pan of sweet potato chips masala, I have some amazing news to share with you. If you follow me on social media then you must have heard me insanely announce it over and over again like a broken record! A Kitchen in Uganda got nominated and made finalist in the Saveur Blog Awards in the Food Culture Category! Surreal to say the least! Never in my wildest dreams did I think this little blog will reach where it is now! To each and every one of you that stops here weekly for food inspiration, thank you. To all the sponsors I have had the chance to work with over the years, thank you for believing in A kitchen in Uganda and for giving me the voice to talk about Ugandan food and to inspire foodies around the world. If you took the time to nominate this blog, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Voting in now open and you can take two minutes to vote for AKIU HERE. The best part is that you can vote every single day on various devices (phones, laptops, etc) until the 12th of September. Let us bring the award home!

Chips masala are a huge part of East African cuisine and have been around for as long as I can remember. The first iconic chips masala dish I had was from Cafe Javas about 3 years ago. The memory of the flavors stayed with me and I vowed to recreate it someday. I went from buying spice blends and mixes (here is a dish I made with the spice blends) to eventually concocting my own until I reached the point where I thought the flavors were similar to that dish. Chips masala are not only limited to Irish potatoes. You can use almost any starchy tuber available to you. I have made them with cassava, yams, bananas, bread fruit and now sweet potatoes. I have to stop myself from making everything into chips masala! Oh and in case you are wondering, my simple spice blend consists of a lot of cumin, turmeric, black pepper and coriander.

What you will need:

About 2 Large sweet potatoes

2 Large tomatoes, finely chopped

1 Large onion, finely chopped

3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Green pepper, finely chopped

1 Tbsp Ground Cumin

1/2 Tbsp. Ground Turmeric

1/2 Tsp. Ground Black pepper

1/4 Tsp. Ground Coriander

1/8 C. Tomato Ketchup

Red pepper flakes

salt

A Sprig of thyme

Oil for frying

Observations:

1. I opted not to peel my potatoes and thoroughly washed them instead.
2. Make sure the chips are dropped in water immediately after thy are cut to avoid oxidation.
3. I like my chips slightly on the tangy side so I add about a teaspoon of vinegar. It is optional.
4. If you don’t like your chips too spicy, omit the red pepper flakes. If you would like more heat, add according to your preference.
5. The more turmeric you add, the more colorful it will be.

Method

1. Wash potatoes. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the potatoes into chips. Remove chips from water and drain any excess water.
2. Place a pan of oil on fire and let it get hot. Drop in the fried and fry till crispy and slightly golden brown. Once all the chips have fried, Pour the frying oil in a separate container and leave about a teaspoon to fry the onions.
3. Fry the garlic and onions till slightly browned. Add the tomatoes and let them cook till soft and tender. Add the ketchup, salt, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, coriander, red pepper flakes and thyme. Mix till all the ingredients are well incorporated and a strong aroma is released.
4. Add the green pepper in the tomato masala mix. Add the sweet potato chips in the tomato masala mix. Mix till all the chips are well coated.
5. Reduce the fire and let the chips continue cooking in the tomato masala mixture until all the liquid has evaporated.
6. Remove from fire and serve hot.

How do you like your chips masala?