Shakarkandi ki chaat (Indian sweet potato street food)

In the heart of most Indian produce markets, your senses become drawn to the sizzle, aroma, and fiery heat of sweet potatoes cooking on hot embers. Shakarkandi ki chaat is sometimes served with starfruit slices, and is adorned with sev (fried chickpea flour noodles), chaat masala, and occasionally pomegranate seeds.

Sweet potatoes can be boring, but not here. Not now. This is the peak of sweet potato flavor, and yet, it's so simple that most novice cooks will not struggle to make it at home. With each bite, the flavors will explode on your tongue, taking you on a journey through India's rich culinary heritage. The smoky sweetness of the charred sweet potatoes dance with the tanginess of fresh lime juice and amchur (dried mango powder), while the heat of green chilies mingles with the cooling touch of cilantro leaves. 

This chaat goes great with other vegan Indian street food classics like my medhu vadai, aviyal and saag aloo.

So, grab some sweet potatoes, and let’s make Shakarkandi ki Chaat, a dish that transcends time and place, and immerses you in the vibrant tapestry of India's market culture.

🥰Why you are going to adore the ever-loving heck outta this recipe

Here’s why this Shakarkandi ki Chaat is going to be your new fave sweet potato dish: 

1. Ease and Practicality: Unlike the traditional hawker method of cooking sweet potatoes over embers, this recipe offers an easy and healthy way to make them at home. Steaming or boiling sweet potatoes simplifies the preparation process, making it accessible and achievable for home cooks. They also cook quicker this way and end up juicy and good for you!
2. Sattvic: This preparation is made without onions and garlic, making it suitable for those following a sattvic diet, or who would like to offer the dish as bhoga.  I try to honor sattvic prasadam as much as possible, and I have some other great dishes on this site made in that fashion. 
3. Fully Vegan: Like all of my recipes, this one is made without any animal-based ingredients, this dish is made according to the principle of nonviolence. Food made without harming animals is the only food suitable for human consumption!
4. Ekadasi Friendly: For those who are gluten-free or who are abstaining from grains and legumes as part of ekadasi vrata, observance of caturmasya, or other holidays where fasting is auspicious, this dish is suitable as long as you do not use the small amount of sev as a garnish, since it is made with chickpea flour. 

🍠Notable ingredients and substitutions

Sweet Potato

If you can get it, use white sweet potato known as Safed Shakarkandi in Hindi. Since it may not be available in your area, you can make this dish with regular orange-fleshed sweet potatoes or garnet yams. 

Chaat Masala

This flavorful tangy, salty spice blend is great on fruits and simple chaat preparations. I like the MDH brand of Chunky Chaat Masala. If you can’t get it, you can substitute it with a mixture of ground cumin, coriander, amchur (dried mango powder), and a pinch of black salt to achieve a similar tangy and savory taste.

Fine Sev

Sev, also called Ompudi in Kannada and Nylon Sev in Gujarati, is a crispy fried noodle snack that adds a delightful crunch to dishes. If unavailable, use crushed papdi. If you are gluten-free or are observing Ekadasi Vrate, use crushed potato chips as a substitute.

Kala Namak

Kala Namak, also known as black salt, enhances the flavor of dishes with its distinctive sulfurous aroma. It can be substituted with regular table salt, but keep in mind that the unique taste of kala namak will not be replicated by basic boring ol’ salt.

Kashmiri Chili Powder

This vibrant red chili powder, originally from Kashmir, adds mild heat and rich color to dishes from mango pickle to kala chana. It can be substituted with a combination of paprika and cayenne pepper to achieve a similar effect, with a slightly less intense color.

🔪The easiest, least messy way to remove seeds from a pomegranate.

With a sharp knife, score the pomegranate skin vertically from the crown down to the base, making four equally spaced incisions. The cuts should be just deep enough to penetrate the skin, but not deep enough to cut into the seeds.

Hold the pomegranate firmly with both hands, and gently pull the fruit apart along the scored lines. It should split into several sections, revealing the vibrant red seeds inside.

Fill a large bowl with water. Submerge the pomegranate sections in the water, one at a time, and use your fingers to gently separate the seeds from the white pith. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl while the pith will float on the surface.

Once you have separated the seeds from all the pomegranate sections, carefully skim off the floating pith from the surface of the water using the slotted spoon. Discard the pith.

Now, using the slotted spoon, scoop out the pomegranate seeds from the bowl of water, allowing any excess water to drain through the slots. Transfer the seeds to a separate bowl.

📖How to make shakarkandi ki chaat

Follow along with this photo guide for making this nourishing chaat, or check out the easy-to-print recipe card towards the bottom of this page.

Step 1

Begin by peeling and cutting two medium sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Aim for approximately three cups of diced sweet potatoes once they're cut. To prevent the sweet potatoes from becoming mushy, steam or boil them until they are just tender. Be mindful not to overcook them, since they will cook a little further in the next steps. You can also use roasted sweet potatoes if you prefer baking instead of boiling.

Step 2

Drain the par-cooked sweet potatoes in a wire mesh strainer or colander.

Step 3

Take a pan and heat oil over medium heat. After 60 seconds, when the oil is heated, add the cooked sweet potato pieces to the pan. Sauté them for a few minutes until they are lightly golden.

Step 4

Sprinkle the chaat masala, red chili powder, and kala namak (black salt) over the sautéed sweet potatoes. Give the potatoes a gentle toss to ensure an even coating of the spices.

Step 5

Let them cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, allowing the spices to become toasted, creating a burst of aromatic goodness on the outside of the sweet potatoes.

Step 6

Transfer the seasoned sweet potatoes to a serving dish and garnish with pomegranate seeds, freshly chopped cilantro, sev, and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice from the lemon wedges. 

🍽️Serving Ideas

This sweet potato chaat recipe finds great companionship with an array of dishes. It pairs wonderfully with Kanda Bhaji or Ulundu Vadai, a crispy South Indian lentil fritter, as the sweet and tangy chaat complements the savory and crunchy vadai, resulting in a delightful contrast of textures. Additionally, the chaat harmonizes beautifully with Peerkangai Kootu, a South Indian dish made with ridge gourd and lentils, as the sweet potato chaat balances the earthy and comforting notes of the kootu. Another BANGIN’ subji item you could serve with this is creamy, dreamy Udupi-style Aviyal.

For a protein-rich combination, Shakarkandi ki Chaat goes well with chana dal, or Toor Dal with a tadka of roasted cumin seeds, over veg. Biryani, fragrant aged basmati, or coconut rice. If you're craving something meaty, but follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, my seitan-based Vegan Butter Chicken is going to blow yer' gosh-darned mind. Look, if you are cooking up a whole meal with rice, dals, subjis, and chaats, you for sure are going to want to serve them with some classic flat breads. Kerala Parotta, or Msemen, are going to be the perfect delivery system for the process of curry-to-face!

🤷‍♀️FAQ

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Shakarkandi ki chaat (Indian sweet potato street food)

This fast Indian chaat actually invented the telephone. That’s why we call it Alexander Gre-YAM Bell… 

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Chaat

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Shakarkandi

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 148kcal

Cost: $4.50

Equipment

• strainer
• saucepan
• large frying pan

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 4 teaspoons sunflower oil canola oil, or vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons chaat masala
• ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon kala namak black salt

To garnish:

• ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
• 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
• lemon wedges
• 4 teaspoons fine sev

Instructions

• Peel and cut two medium sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces. It should be about three cups of diced sweet potatoes once cut. Steam or boil the sweet potato pieces until they are just tender, but not overcooked and mushy. Once cooked, set them aside.
• Heat sunflower, canola, or vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the cooked sweet potato pieces to the pan and sauté them for a few minutes until they develop a slight crispiness on the edges.
• Sprinkle the chaat masala, red chili powder, and kala namak over the sautéed sweet potatoes. Gently toss the potatoes to ensure they are evenly coated with the spices. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to allow the spices to become toasted all over the outsides of the sweet potato.
• Transfer the seasoned sweet potatoes to a serving dish. Garnish them with pomegranate seeds, chopped cilantro, and fresh lemon juice from the lemon wedges.
• Finally, sprinkle fine sev (crispy fried noodles) on top of the chaat to add a contrasting salty crunch. 

Notes

• If you are following Ekadasi Vrata, or fasting for Caturmasya, use crushed potato chips instead of the sev.
• It is crucial not to overcook the sweet potatoes when initially steaming or boiling. That way, they will not fall apart on you when sautéing them with the spices.

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 354mg | Potassium: 414mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 16045IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg