Kenyan Bhajia with Kachumbari: Crisp Spiced Potato Fritters for After-School

Slice the potatoes thin and even, then soak them in cold water for 10 minutes to rinse off surface starch. Drain and dry them thoroughly on a towel.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb waxy potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1 1/4 cups chickpea flour (besan)
• 3 tablespoons rice flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, stems included
• About 3/4 cup cold water
• Neutral oil for frying
• 2 ripe tomatoes and 1 small red onion, finely diced, for the kachumbari
• Juice of 1 lime and a pinch of salt, for the kachumbari

Instructions

1. Slice the potatoes thin and even, then soak them in cold water for 10 minutes to rinse off surface starch. Drain and dry them thoroughly on a towel.
2. Whisk the chickpea flour, rice flour, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
3. Add the cilantro and enough cold water to make a batter about the thickness of heavy cream. Let it rest 10 minutes; it will thicken slightly.
4. Make the kachumbari: toss the diced tomato and onion with lime juice and salt and set aside. It gets better as it sits and needs no other treatment.
5. Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep pan to 350F. Test with a drop of batter, which should rise and sizzle immediately without browning instantly.
6. Dip potato slices into the batter one at a time, letting the excess run off, and slide them into the oil in small batches so the temperature holds.
7. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until the coating is deep gold and audibly crisp and the potato is tender when pierced.
8. Lift onto a rack, not paper, and salt lightly while hot. Fry the remaining batches, letting the oil come back to temperature between them.
9. Serve immediately, piled up, with the kachumbari alongside for spooning over the top.
10. Bhajia arrived in Kenya with South Asian communities who settled along the coast and the railway line, and were absorbed so completely that they are now street food in their own right, sold from Nairobi kiosks in newspaper cones. The pairing with kachumbari, a sharp raw tomato-and-onion salad found on nearly every Kenyan table, is the local contribution: the acid cuts the fried richness in a way a sauce never quite manages.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 340 kcal
• Protein: 9g
• Fat: 16g
• Carbohydrates: 41g
• Fiber: 6g
• Sugar: 4g
• Sodium: 480mg