Maru Chips
Ingredients
500gm potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
1 cup gram flour/besan
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp red chili powder
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2-3 chopped green chilies
1/4 tsp garlic paste
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
a pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
Rinse and drain the potato slices. Then put them back in a bowl of water and sprinkle 1 tsp. salt. Let them sit for about 15 minutes in the salty water.
In the meantime, separately, mix all the rest of the ingredients together WITHOUT ADDING ANY WATER. We're not forming a batter. The trick with getting perfect maru bhajias is to not add water to these ingredients.
Drain the potato slices from the salty water and rinse then once more, then let them drain.
Now, start layering the slices with the dry ingredients. Take a wide plate, sprinkle some of the dry ingredients mixture on it, then place some slices on it, sprinkle some of the dry mixture over the slices again. Repeat with the slices and the mixture, and keep going until all the slices and the mixture are layered. Let this sit for about half an hour. The potatoes will slowly release their own water, so you do not need to add any water to this recipe.
When ready to fry, add a pinch of baking soda or Eno salt on the potatoes then mix them up properly with your hands. The salt and washed potatoes will help release enough moisture to coat the slices with a thin batter.
Heat some oil and deep fry these slices on medium to low heat to ensure the potatoes are properly cooked and crispy.
Serve with tamarind sauce, chutney or ketchup. Enjoy!