If you venture down to the very south of China, to its shared border with Laos, you will find the proud Dai ethnic group. A vibrant band of people who lend much of their culture from South East Asia, including taste for a fresh and spicy cuisine that differs significantly from the general fare of their gigantic homeland. These wily folks tend to cast aside the use of chopsticks in favour of nimble hands, and like to present their fare on vast banana leaf plates filled with innumerable fragrances and flavours. Among these exotic aromas comes the tactful use of chili and lemon, and one stand out dish sees it used to season the good old potato. Here, I will take this excellent idea in a fusion of east meets west, and apply it to a batch of homestyle fried potatoes in the production of Dai Style Chili and Lemon Chips.
Dai Style Chili and Lemon Chips
Equipment
- 1 Lemon Squeezer
- 1 Large Bowl
Ingredients
- 500g (1lb) Fried Potatoes
- 30g (1oz) Light Soy Sauce
- 30g (1oz) Fresh Lemon Juice
- 6g (3) Birds Eye Chilies
- 8g (2 Cloves) Garlic, chopped and Crushed
- 3g (½tsp) Salt
Instructions
- Right, we will start off with 500g of your favourite freshly fried potato, my spud of choice being British style chips. On this website, you can find both the classic deep-fried version, as well as a new-fangled ‘Air fryer’ option.
- While the spuds are cooking, dee-seed, and finely chop 3 Birds Eye Chilies (or something similar), finely chop and crush 8g of garlic, and squeeze the juice from your lemon
- Once the lovely fried potatoes have cooked, transfer them to a large bowl, then pour in 30g of Lemon Juice and 30g of Light Soy Sauce, and toss around until thoroughly covered
- Afterwards, add 8g of chopped garlic, 3 chopped Chilies, and 3g of Salt, then mix around until well distributed
- When satisfyingly seasoned, transfer to your preferred means of serving, and consume
Nutrition
Key Components and Other Information Relating to Dai Style Chips
Soy Sauce
What you need is a nice light soy sauce that won’t overpower the lemon juice. I’ve apparently reached that age where I have a favourite Soy Sauce, and I always use Hai Tian Golden. However, its availability worldwide remains uncertain.
Chilies
This comes as a matter of personal taste, however, the recipe does call for spiciness. So, feel free to adjust things slightly in order to match your own tolerance. For those looking for authenticity, the recipe uses ‘xiaomila’ peppers that are available throughout China. However, a good bird’s eye chili will make a worthy substitute for those located at other parts of the globe.
Potatoes
Honestly, I have no idea what breed of potato the local spud vendors peddle in this part of the world. I generally just go for the big ones that are white the whole way through. For those spoilt for choice, King Edwards, or Maris Pipers will do the trick.
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