Last updated on May 27th, 2025 at 05:28 pm
Crispy Potato Fry recipe is an easy-to-make potato side dish that comes together in under 30 minutes and is make-ahead friendly. It is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, and requires very few ingredients - perfect for those quick lunches you have to put together!
Be sure to check my Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe!
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We are fond of pototoes, like most people out there. And we like it sweet and we like it spicy and mashed; basically in all possible ways. This recipe is so easy that I make it mostly on Monday mornings for my daughter's lunch. Even with the boiling and frying, it takes only under 30 minutes. If you like more simple yet flavorful recipes, check my Egg Pepper Fry and Cauliflower 65 recipes!
Why I like this recipe:
- Make-ahead friendly - Meaning, that you can parboil the potatoes and store them in the refrigerator for the next day. On the day that you make this potato fry, you simply have to toss it in the skillet with the spices.
- Versatile - You can make this recipe more Western or you can make it more Indian as per your liking. It is only a matter of tweaking a bit of the ingredients, which I've mentioned below.
- Crisp on the outside - And soft on the inside. Perfect for lunch as a side dish for curd rice or lemon rice.
- Can be made as Breakfast Potatoes - to go with savory breakfasts with eggs.
Crispy Potato Fry Recipe:
What goes into this:
Potatoes: I usually go with golden or brown skin potatoes; because that's what is available here. Any medium starch potatoes would be perfect here. Ensure that you pick the freshest produce, that means no green-ish skin at all.
Spices: I use pepper powder, chilli powder and cumin powder for this recipe. It is so mellow yet spicy making it very kid-friendly. You can alter the amount of chilli powder to suit your palate.
How to serve this crispy potato fry:
- Serve it with curd rice or lemon rice. It pairs so well with those two rice varieties.
- You can also serve it alongside any South Indian lunch dish.
- This crispy potato fry can be easily made as breakfast potatoes alongside eggs.
- You can use this up as a dry filling for samosas.
Variations and Substitutions:
Chilli Powder - Use regular chilli powder for a milder color but hot and spicy flavor. For a deep color and less spicy version, use Kashmiri Chilli Powder.
Cumin - No cumin? skip it. Or add whole cumin seeds before adding potatoes.
More Indian - Add mustard seeds before adding potatoes and add curry leaves half way into the frying.
Onions & Garlic - You can add some finely minced onions to the skillet for some sweetness or you can even add bits of garlic for flavor.
Herbs - As with herbs, use any herb of your choice; my favorite is thyme or coriander leaves (finely chopped of course)
Lighten it up - Replace with half and half sweet potatoes if you prefer a lighter version. Boil them separtely and prep it before adding to the skillet.
How to store this crispy potato fry:
This crispy potato fry is best when eaten on the same day. The crispness holds when you eat it immediately. But the crsipness imparts a wonderful flavor and texture even when you pack this for lunch. But this flavor goes away when you store it in the refrigerator and when the potatoes absorb moisture.
Tips to get this right:
- Cube the potatoes about the same size throughout for even cooking.
- Wash the cubed potatoes until the water runs clear. This removed extra starch.
- Boil the potatoes until just right and remember to cool the drained potatoes.
Got more questions?
Yes, it is. The cooked and cooked exterior of the potatoes crisps up on the skillet and forms a protective layer on the insides. This gives us soft on the inside style crispy potato fry instead of dried out inside.
Medium-starch potatoes work great for this style of potato fry/potato poriyal. High-starch potatoes would be more suitable for mashed potatoes.
If you try adding the potatoes directly from the boiling water then the moisture in them will not let the potatoes crisp up. The key is to drain the potatoes, pat them dry and let them cool down a bit. Like, until you can touch it without any discomfort.
No, this potato fry recipe requires oil; but only minimal. If you're not using a skillet, then any heavy-bottomed pan or kadai would work. However, heavy-bottomed is a must. This would require much lesser cooking oil.
Not required. Just washing them would do.
More recipes you might like:
- Cauliflower 65 / Crispy fried Cauliflower
- Breakfast-friendly Paneer Bhurji recipe
- Pearl Onion Chutney for dosa and idlis
- Instant Pot Vegetable Stock Recipe
Crispy Potato Fry Recipe | Potato Fry | Potato Varuval
Equipment
- S๏ปฟaucepan
- Cast Iron Skillet or non-stick skillet
Ingredients
- 3 large Potatoes
- 1 teaspoon Chilli Powder , or Kashmiri Chilli Powder or Smoked Paprika
- ยผ teaspoon Black Pepper Powder
- โ teaspoon Cumin Powder , approx. a pinch
- ยฝ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ยฝ teaspoon Salt
- 4 tablespoon Sesame Oil , or Olive oil or coconut oil
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and chop them up into even ยฝ inch pieces. Add it to a saucepan and fill it with water. Add the rock salt and place the saucepan on heat. Cook it for 5 minutes and immediately drain the water.3 large Potatoes, ยฝ teaspoon Sea Salt
- Place the cast iron pan on the stove. Add oil and heat it up. Once it is hot, add all the potatoes followed by the chilli powder, pepper powder, cumin powder and salt.1 teaspoon Chilli Powder, ยผ teaspoon Black Pepper Powder, โ teaspoon Cumin Powder, 4 tablespoon Sesame Oil, ยฝ teaspoon Salt
- Mix it once thoroughly and then evenly spread the potatoes in one layer across the skillet.
- On medium heat, let the potatoes cook for 5 minutes until the bottom is nice and roasted and crisp.
- Then, mix the potatoes again and cook until the the pieces are roasted on all sides. In the end, add some parsley leaves or cilantro leaves and stir it up once before you serve.
Notes
- You can add some onions to this for some sweetness or you can even add bits of garlic for flavor.
- As with herbs, use any herb of your choice, it tastes good.
- Replace with half and half sweet potatoes if you prefer a lighter version.
- Cube the potatoes about the same size throughout for even cooking.
- Boil the potatoes until just right and remember to cool the drained potatoes.
- Wash the cubed potatoes until the water runs clear. This removed extra starch.
Made this? Got doubts? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
nive says
simple and very easy potato fry