Masala Fries Animal Style (baked, vegetarian, gluten-free)

Name: Baked Masala Fries Animal Style
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 4 russet potatoes (thinly sliced); 1 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp paprika; 1/4 tsp cumin powder; 1/2 tsp chat masala; 1/2 tsp amchur powder (mango powder); 1 tbsp avocado oil; 1 cup white onion (finely chopped); Salt to taste; 1/8 tsp black pepper; 1/4 cup water; 1/4 cup ketchup; 2 tbsp sour cream; 2 tbsp cilantro; 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1/8 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp water (another tbsp if need be)

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Masala Fries with a twist! Presenting Baked Masala Fries Animal Style inspired by the famous In-N-Out chain!

My Special Sauce

I first tried In-N-Out in 2000 on my very first visit to California. Since then, I've been OBSESSED. My favorites are the Veggie Burger (yes, it exists but with no patty), Strawberry Milkshake, and of course, the famous Animal Style French Fries.

The secret is in the sauce. Back in the day, I tried to decipher the ingredients of their "special sauce" and made my own "Desi" version. The flavors are pretty close so today I'm sharing my version of In-N-Out's special sauce.

What are Masala Fries?

Masala Fries are essentially regular French Fries, in this case, baked, that is seasoned with Indian spices. For this recipe, I used chat masala, cumin powder, amchur (mango) powder, and paprika. You can also add red chili powder and garam masala, but since these are animal-style fries I didn't want to take away from the main flavors.

Can I make this recipe vegan?

This recipe is vegetarian, however for a vegan option, you can replace the sour cream in the "special sauce" with vegan sour cream or even vegan mayo.

Tips on making Crispy Masala Fries:

thinly slice the potatoes so they resemble thin French Fries.
soak the sliced potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes - this helps remove the excess starch in the potatoes.
drain the water and pat the potatoes dry using a kitchen towel. Make sure you really get the moisturize out.
season potatoes with olive oil and Indian spices (see below), and toss.
preheat oven to 450 degrees and bake for 25-35 minutes until nice and crispy. And that's it!

Masala Fries Animal Style are:

Heavenly
Chatpata
In-N-Out Copycat
DesiFIED
Gluten-Free
Vegetarian
Vegan option (replace sour cream with vegan sour cream/mayo)

How to make Baked Masala Fries Animal Style recipe step by step?

Prep the potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Peel the Potatoes.
2. Slice potato lengthwise.
3. Slice each slice of potato into 4 to 5 potato slices that resemble fries.
4. Soak in cold water for 30 minutes.

Make the Grilled Onions

1. Chop 1 cup of onions.
2. Heat up a castiron skillet on medium heat, once hot, add oil and chopped onions.
3. Saute for a couple of minutes and add black pepper and salt to taste.
4. Two minutes later you should have this.
5. To carmelize the onions, add ¼ cup of water.
6. Cook down for two minutes until the water evaporates. Turn off the stove. Set aside.

Make the Special Sauce

1. In a small bowl combine the ketchup, sour cream, cilantro, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, black pepper, and water.
2. Mix well. Set aside.

Bake Potatoes at 450 degrees

1. After 30 minutes, drain and completely dry the sliced potato slices.
2. Season with olive oil, salt, paprika, cumin powder, chat masala, and amchur.
3. Transfer to a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
4. Make sure the potato slices are not sticking to each other - this will ensure each fry is crispy. Bake at 450 degrees for 25-35 minutes.
5. The fries should be golden brown.

Enjoy!

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