These Masala Chips are the ultimate flavour packed side dish. Chunky chips coated in a tomato Indian spiced sauce and then loaded with fresh chillies and herbs. So easy to make and you probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen now. A popular takeaway side, these are quick and easy to make at home and we have used oven chips to make it that little bit easier.
We would happily eat chips for every meal and even as a snack, so we are always looking for ways to make them a bit more exciting. These Masala Chips are a favourite when we go out to a restaurant, so we have been recreating them at home. They are total comfort food, but they have a really vibrant flavour too.
If you are looking for some other chip recipes to try, then why not try our Salt and Pepper Chips, Peri Peri Fries, Paprika Chips, Celeriac Chips, The BEST Air Fryer Chips, Skin on Fries or Air Fryer Potato Wedges.
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Why you will love them
- New way to eat fries - If you love chips, then this is an easy way to make them a little more exciting and get out of a plain chip rut.
- Budget friendly - Potatoes are always a great budget friendly ingredient, but cooking them this way makes them feel a bit more fancy without costing a lot extra.
- Adaptable - Use this recipe as a guide and feel free to adapt it based on your preferences. If you like more heat to your food, then you could add some more cayenne.
- Quick and easy - Because we have used oven chips, these are really easy to make. Everything is ready in just over 20 minutes.
- Takeaway alternative - If you are trying to cut back on takeaway, then this is a good place to start.
Ingredients needed
- Oven chips - Here me out! Whilst we would usually make our own chips, oven chips are perfect for this to make it a quick and easy side dish. There are so many great oven chip options out there now, so try and choose the best quality ones you can, as you will be able to taste the difference. Use chunky chips rather than skinny fries. Although they are oven chips, we cooked them in the air fryer as that is the best way to perfectly cook over chips in our opinion.
- Oil - This is what the onion is cooked in. You can use vegetable oil or sunflower oil.
- Onion - This adds some chunky texture and some flavour. You could use frozen onion if you wanted to save some chopping and you could swap the onion for shallots which would give a sweeter flavour.
- Garlic and ginger paste - You could crush the garlic and ginger separately or save some time and use a jar of garlic and ginger paste.
- Curry powder - This recipe uses a mild curry powder, but if you can handle more heat then you can use hot curry powder. Curry powders do vary a lot, so find one that you like.
- Spices - Some cumin and cayenne are added for extra flavour.
- Ketchup - This is where the tomato based sauce comes from and it adds a little sweetness too.
- Water - This loosens the sauce up and helps it to spread further.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make masala chips - Step by step
One: Cook the frozen chips according to the packet instructions. We cooked ours in an air fryer to make it quicker and we think it gives the best results.
Two: While the chips are cooking prepare the masala. Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook on low until the onions have softened, about 3 minutes.
Three: Add the spices and stir, continuing to cook for a further minute.
Four: Add the ketchup and water and mix well. Simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
Five: Add the cooked chips to the sauce and mix well.
Health benefits of potatoes
White potatoes have so many nutrients in them, they really shouldn't get a bad reputation. They are low in fat, sodium and cholesterol, they have nearly half of your daily vitamin C and they are a great source of potassium - even more than a banana.
They are full of fibre and magnesium, and they are filling too. On top of this, they are also suitable for almost any diet, from vegan to gluten free. I am not sure what more you could want!
What to serve with Masala Chips
We served these up with our Indian Burger for the perfect Indian inspired burger night. However, other burgers that go well with these chips include our Baked Chicken Burger, Mexican Burger, Pork and Apple Burger, Salmon Burger or Cajun Chicken Burger.
Chips need dip, and we have definitely got you covered there too. Why not dip these Masala Fries into one of these:
- Kebab Shop Chilli Sauce
- Easy Garlic Sauce
- Jalapeno Sauce
- Healthy BBQ Sauce
- Homemade Tzatziki
- Healthy Tomato Ketchup
Storage
Store: These Masala fries are best eaten straight away, however if you do have leftovers then you can store them in an air tight container in the fridge until the next day.
Freeze: We wouldn't recommend freezing Masala Chips. You could however make extra of the sauce and then freeze that to make even easier Masala Fries in the future.
Reheat: You can reheat leftovers, but they won't taste as nice as fresh. You can reheat them in the oven on a baking tray until piping hot. You can also reheat them in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes. Or a microwave for 60 seconds, although they will go quite limp!
Frequently Asked Questions
They are delicious crispy chips that are coated in an Indian style masala sauce. It has a spicy and tangy flavour.
You can make the sauce in advance and then once the chips are cooked, you can reheat it to coat the cooked chips.
Certain frozen chips can be gluten free, but others (like the ones we used) have a coating on them that contains flour and therefore gluten. Always check the packet and make sure that there is no cross contamination then these are gluten free.
Yes, these are vegan.
There are lots of options here. You can either cook them in the oven, air fryer or deep fry them.
Extra tips
• For some extra earthy flavour, and to add colour, you can add 0.5 teaspoon of turmeric at the same time as the other spices.
• If you like a spicier flavour, then you can add more cayenne, chilli powder and extra fresh chillies when serving.
• Make sure that the oven chips you use are all evenly sized, as they will all cook at the same rate that way. The cheaper supermarket own brand frozen chips tend to have very random sizes, so this is another reason why the better quality ones are best.
• You can make your own chips for this recipe if you want everything to be homemade.
• Make sure that you combine the chips with the masala sauce whilst they are still hot and crispy.
• If you don't want to use ketchup, you can take it out along with the water and use 50ml or passata instead.
More potato recipes
If you’ve tried this masala chips recipe, then let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Masala Chips
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) Frozen chips
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
- 1 Onion - small
- 1 teaspoon Garlic and ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon Curry powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoon Ketchup
- 3 tablespoon Water
Instructions
- Cook 200 g Frozen chips according to the packet instructions. We cooked ours in an air fryer to make it quicker.
- While the chips are cooking prepare the masala. Heat 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil in a pan and add 1 Onion and 1 teaspoon Garlic and ginger paste. Cook on low until the onions have softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add 1 teaspoon Curry powder, 1 teaspoon Cumin and 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper. Stir, continuing to cook for a further minute.
- Add 2 tablespoon Ketchup and 3 tablespoon Water and mix well. Simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked chips to the sauce and mix well.
Notes
- For some extra earthy flavour, and to add colour, you can add 0.5 teaspoon of turmeric at the same time as the other spices.
- If you like a spicier flavour, then you can add more cayenne, chilli powder and extra fresh chillies when serving.
- Make sure that the oven chips you use are all evenly sized, as they will all cook at the same rate that way. The cheaper supermarket own brand frozen chips tend to have very random sizes, so this is another reason why the better quality ones are best.
- You can make your own chips for this recipe if you want everything to be homemade.
- Make sure that you combine the chips with the masala sauce whilst they are still hot and crispy.
- If you don't want to use ketchup, you can take it out along with the water and use 50ml or passata instead.
Dijana
Wow, amazing chips! I rarely eat takeaway chips, because I think home-made chips are more delicious, and these are extra flavorful and stunning! Thanks for sharing!
Ieva
Yum! The seasoning on these chips is divine! Could not stop eating them! Thanks for another great recipe! :)
Claudia Lamascolo
Wow everything in these sound off the charts flavorful a must try this week!
Jacqueline Meldrum
Oh yes please. Those look rather lush.Yum!
Kate
I love chips A LOT, but these extra flavours and toppings take them to absolutely the next level - just incredible! Absolutely delicious.
Kris
Okay, this recipe married my favorite things in one (potatoes +spices?!) - and it did not fall short! Total winner with my family. :) Thank you!
Mairead
What an amazing recipe, taking plain old oven chips over the top to the next level of deliciousness.
jess
These flavorful potatoes were just amazing! A complete hit with my kids, and I couldn't stop eating them either!
kushigalu
Totally in love with this masala chips. I would love to try this soon.