Fried Besan Potato Squares

Signs of a good appetizer

Food is the highlight of any party and the first food to come out of the kitchen sets the mood. There is a lot of pressure on the party appetizers as they will make or break your party mood. So it is essential that the first finger foods that come out are the best and stand out.

Once the guests like the food served, they will relax and loosen up. If cocktails are important in a gathering, so are the snacks served. I always take a lot of pride in my snacks. I enjoy making them but what I enjoy even more is watching them being relished or devoured by my guests!

That gives me immense satisfaction as a chef. It is always nice when your guests enjoy the food made by you and are very vocal about their feelings. Don't you agree?

Potato appetizers are always a hit

There's no doubt about that! Anything with potatoes is a crowd-puller. It's a versatile vegetable that can be used in any recipe!

We love cooking with potatoes and have quite a few recipes using it. There is Aloo Bharta, South Indian Potato Fry, Mashed Potato Waffles, Potato Dosa, Potato Stuffed French Loaf, and Potato Cheese Sandwich.

Since this spicy Indian besan snack recipe also called for potatoes and had a unique way of making it, I just had to share this vegan party snack with you.

Why make this

• These fried potato squares are crispy, crunchy, and extremely flavorful
• They are naturally vegan and gluten-free
• It is a very simple and quick recipe
• Needs a few basic pantry ingredients
• You can cook them in many ways - fry, air-fry, shallow-fry or bake
• A perfect vegan snack for your next party or large gatherings

Flour - We will need chickpea flour or besan for this spicy Indian potato snack recipe. Besan can be found in Indian grocery stores or on Amazon. Besan Chutney is another popular recipe that can be made using this flour.

Potatoes - We need the non-starchy kind of potatoes here. I use Russet, gold or red potatoes.

Spices and herbs - cumin seeds, chilly powder, turmeric, ajwain, or carom seeds (helps for better digestion), green chillies (or serrano peppers), and cilantro.

Besides these ingredients, you will also need any vegetable oil for frying.

Before you begin, boil, peel and grate the potato. Keep it aside for now.

1. The first step is to add chickpea flour/besan to a mixing bowl.
2. Add chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt, cumin seeds, and ajwain/carom seeds. Mix all the masala together.
3. Add half of the water first. With a whisk/spoon give it a good mix so that there are no lumps formed. Then add the remaining water and make a thin batter.
4. Heat oil in a nonstick pan and pour this thin batter onto the pan. Immediately begin to mix it and lower the flame. Chef Tip - In about 2-3 minutes, this mixture will begin to thicken and not stick to the pan anymore. The key is to keep stirring it and cook it on low flame. Once it comes together like a dough mixture, take it off the flame.

5. Let it cool down for about 5 minutes and then add the grated potatoes to it.
6. Also add salt, chopped cilantro, and minced green chillies. It will be a little hot but using your hands bring all of this together.
7. Grease a cookie tray or a plate as well as your palms. Spread and flatten the mixture evenly. The thickness can be a quarter or half an inch. Freeze it for 15-20 minutes. Take out the tray from the freezer, and cut it into squares. Chef Tip - You can cut them in any shape you want.
8. Heat oil for frying. Shallow-fry the squares on medium flame. It should turn golden on both sides. Transfer to a plate with paper towels to soak off the excess oil.

Serving suggestions 🍽 

Serve the Besan Potato Squares hot along with some chutney, ketchup, mayo, or any other condiment of your choice. These fried potato bites can be served as an evening snack. This vegan snack is a great party snack/appetizer because one batch can yield many pieces.

Top recipe tips 💭

You can add more spices, greens, and fresh/dried herbs of your choice to give this spicy Indian potato besan snack more flavor. The consistency of the lump-free batter should be very thin like buttermilk.

Use a silicone spatula when cooking the chickpea batter. Use it to scrape the sides and keep stirring it continuously. Keep the flame low to medium. Freezing the squares for a couple of minutes is a key step. Do not skip it. When shallow frying, do not be in a hurry to flip it. Once the edges turn light brown, flip them carefully.

Recipe FAQs 📖