Looking for the best homemade Masala Chips recipe?
Our spicy Masala French Fries are quick and easy to make at home, best enjoyed as a snack with a cold craft beer.
Our simple recipe takes only a few minutes to make because it uses frozen store bought chips / french fries by McCain. The crispy chips are then tossed in a sweet, tangy and spicy masala sauce and garnished with cilantro, sweet chutney, crunchy puffed rice and creamy lime yogurt sauce.
Learn about the unique British and Indian history of Masala Chips, traditional ingredients used when preparing the dish and suggestions on how to serve the spicy snack by reading our step-by-step recipe.
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What Are Chips?
Chips are the British term for French Fries. They’re most famously served with battered fish at Fish & Chip Shops across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Visit England, Scotland or Wales and you’ll likely notice that fried chips are a bit thicker and shorter than the American French Fry.
Chips are prepared by cutting potatoes into even strips, drying them, and frying them, usually in a deep fryer. Pre-cut, blanched, and frozen russet potatoes are widely used, and sometimes baked in a convection oven or air fryer.
British Chips are served hot, either soft or crispy, and are generally eaten as part of lunch or dinner or by themselves as a snack, and they commonly appear on the menus of diners, fast food restaurants, pubs, and bars.
They are often salted and may be served with ketchup, vinegar, mayonnaise, tomato sauce, or other local specialities. Chips can be topped more heavily, as in the dishes of poutine or chili cheese fries.
Important to note that British chips are not the same thing as American potato chips as they are called “crisps” in Britain.
What Is Masala?
The Hindi word for spice mixture, masala can be found on the menus of South Asian restaurants serving recipes from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Masala is defined as a blend of fragrant Indian spices in dry or paste form, it is used to flavour many traditional foods and beverages throughout the Indian subcontinent.
There are several famous masala mixtures such as masala chai, chaat masala, and garam masala.
Masala Chips, also known as Masala French Fries or Masala Fries, is a popular dish served in British Fish & Chip Shops as well as Indian Curry Houses. The addictive snack is the perfect fusion cuisine, combining Britain’s love for crispy chips and spicy curries.
Today Masala Chips can be found on menus across the United Kingdom as well as in India and Kenya, another former British colony.
Our Masala French Fries recipe features crispy chips that are tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce featuring flavourings like cumin, coriander, chili powder, ginger, garlic, sweet Ketchup and British-style tomato hamburger relish.
Travel to Britain by Making Masala Chips at Home
I love traveling to Europe!
What I love most about traveling to the United Kingdom is the opportunity to sample unique dishes in each region and city. The dishes in London are unique to what you’d find in Belfast, Hampshire, Brighton, Southampton, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Skye or Islay.
If you’re visiting Britain on holiday you absolutely must dine out at a curry house. Some of the best Indian food on the planet can be found in the United Kingdom, a direct result of their colonial roots.
In a recent survey by a popular British food magazine, the majority of Brits voted that Chicken Tikka Masala should be listed as a national dish.
You can usually find Masala Chips sold in Fish & Chips Shops or on Indian take out menus. They’re a popular “late night drunk food,” served into the wee hours of the night after drinking and dancing. The carb heavy snack enjoyed on an empty stomach perfectly hits the spot at 3am.
Once back home from a British holiday you’ll have a newfound appreciation for the flavours of the UK and can impress friends and family by making our spicy homemade Masala Chips recipe at home.
Where To Eat Vegetarian Masala French Fries
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local British Pub, Fish & Chip Shop or Indian Restaurant that serves delicious Masala Fries.
In Toronto you may find Masala Chips on menus at The Queen and Beaver, Caledonian, House on Parliament, The Oxley, and Little Bit of Britain.
Ordering a dish you’ve never tasted before at a restaurant is helpful before trying to cook it at home. Masala Chips have lots of variability based on the cooks taste preferences. You can find the Indian french fries served mild to spicy, simply tossed in the sauce or topped with plenty of gorgeous garnishes.
My Family Loves Homemade Masala Chips
My family loves eating Fish & Chips!
Both sides of my family trace their heritage back to England, Scotland and Ireland, so we grew up with British culinary traditions like Flapjacks, Shortbread, Welsh Rarebit, Leeks in Cheese Sauce, Old School Cheese and Onion Pie, Sticky Toffee Pudding and perfectly crunchy chips served with moist battered fish.
Growing up in Canada I was always a big fan of poutine, a famous French Fry dish from Quebec topped with gravy and cheese curds. Masala Chips remind me of this guilty pleasure. Crispy French Fries on their own are divine but toss them in a flavour-packed masala sauce and the experience is absolutely elevated.
I love making this Masala Chips recipe at home for my family when we have frozen French Fries loitering in the freezer that need to get used up. Most of the ingredients are common pantry items so it’s always easy to make the recipe last minute when a craving hits.
Masala Chips can be enjoyed all on their own as a snack, ideally paired with a cold beer, or as a side dish served with your favourite curries.
Easy Masala Chips Recipe Tips
Masala French Fries are quick & easy to make at home. We’ve included a few cooking tips:
- To make an easy Masala Chips recipe we suggest using frozen store bought French Fries like McCain. If you call yourself gourmet, feel free to make your own homemade chips using Yukon Gold Potatoes.
- You can cook frozen fries using a deep fryer, air fryer or bake them in your oven. Follow the package instructions on the bag for the best results.
- The masala sauce is prepared with a British condiment called Tomato Hamburger Relish, which Bick’s produces in the UK. If you can’t find the condiment at your local grocery store visit a British food shop as they will likely import it. After traveling to Ireland I picked up a jar of Ballymaloe Original Relish at the famous luxury hotels cooking school, which I used in this recipe.
- You can serve Masala Chips simply tossed in the sauce but we like to finesse the dish with garnishes. Popular garnishes include cilantro leaves, puffed rice like Rice Krispies, drizzle of cilantro or tamarind chutney sauce, and tangy yogurt with freshly squeezed lime.
- For a small group serve Masala French Fries in individual bowls with a fork. If you’re hosting a large dinner party or potluck scoop the masala chips into a large casserole dish and top with your favourite garnishes. Provide tongs so guests can serve themselves.
What To Serve with Masala French Fries
Masala Chips are most often enjoyed at a cheap and cheerful chippy shop or Indian takeaway in the UK. They’re a wildly popular late night snack for the clubbing and bar hopping crowd.
I like to pair spicy Indian flavours with craft beer like a bitter IPA or citrus-forward hefeweizen. If you’re hosting a party serve Masala Chips with a selection of your favourite ice cold beer.
Masala French Fries are a popular vegetarian snack to serve while watching sports, especially if your guests have a penchant for spicy foods.
You can also serve the dish at Indian-themed dinner parties, either as a pre-dinner snack, appetizer or side dish for a buffet.
Here are some of our favourite Indian recipes you might also enjoy…
- Indian Chicken Boti Kabab
- Tamarind & Coconut Prawn Goan Curry
- Indian Chicken Keema Masala Curry
- Kitchri Indian Moong Dal Basmati Rice
- Vegan Indian Fruit Chaat Masala Salad
- Kerala Style Ularthiyathu Beef Fry
- Creamy Coconut Nadan Kerala Beef Curry
- Indian Grilled BBQ Paneer Kebabs
- Indian Vegetarian Creamy Corn Black Bean Curry
- Chilli Paneer Gravy Restaurant Style Masala
- Tofu Meatballs in Creamy Vegan Korma Curry Sauce
- Indian Vegetarian Paneer Frankie Kathi Roll
- Oven Baked Tandoori Gobi Cauliflower
You May Also Enjoy These Potato Recipes…
- McCain Frozen Chips In Air Fryer
- McCain Frozen Air Fryer Home Fries
- Easy Frozen Air Fried Potato Wedges
- French Mashed Potato Fritters
- Easy Baked McCain Tater Tot Poutine
- Hovezi Gulas Traditional Czech Beef Goulash Stew
- Vegetarian Aloo Bharta Indian Style Mashed Potatoes
- Vegan Crispy Oven Roasted Cypriot Cyprus Potatoes
- Erdapfelsalat Viennese Warm Austrian Potato Salad
- Korean Breakfast Recipe Gochujang Baked Eggs & Potato
- Aloo Fry Vegetarian Indian Turmeric Potatoes
- Vegan Spicy Crispy Roasted Harissa Potatoes
- Kartoffelknödel German Potato Dumplings
How To Make Spicy Masala Chips
Masala Chips / French Fries
Equipment
- saucepan
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- French Onion
- baking sheet
- Small Bowl
Ingredients
- 450 g Frozen Chips / French Fries
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- Kosher Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp Cilantro Leaves
- 2 tbsp Puffed Rice Krispies
- 1 tbsp Cilantro Chutney
Masala Sauce
- 2 tbsp Canola Oil
- 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
- 5 tbsp Tomato Hamburger Relish
- 5 tbsp Ketchup
- 1 tbsp White Sugar
- 1/2 Onion finely chopped
- 0.5 tbsp Garlic minced
- 0.5 tbsp Ginger minced
Yogurt Sauce
- 2 tbsp Plain Yogurt
- 2 tbsp Lime Juice
Instructions
- First prepare the masala sauce. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, stir in the cumin seeds and saute in the oil for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the hamburger relish followed by the ketchup and bring to a simmer. Stir in the white sugar and continue to cook for 1 minute, then add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger and stir to combine. Season with salt. Set aside.
- Cook the frozen chips/french fries according to package directions in your oven. While chips are baking, add chili powder, cumin, coriander and a pinch of salt to a large mixing bowl and combine.
- Once chips/french fries are crispy remove from the oven and toss in the spice mix so they are evenly coated.
- Immediately add the spiced chips to the pan with the sauce, stirring so every french fry is evenly covered in sauce. This should take just 1 or 2 minutes. Don't let them sit too long as they will get soggy.
- Mix yogurt sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Divide masala chips onto 4 plates.
- Drizzle with yogurt sauce and garnish with cilantro leaves and crispy puffed rice.
Nutrition
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