Cajun Potatoes (Restaurant-Style with Creamy Cajun Sauce)
Boiled baby potatoes, gently flattened, dipped in a thin cornflour batter, fried until crisp, then topped with a creamy spiced Cajun-style mayonnaise sauce. Vegetarian Indian buffet-style starter.
Equipment
- Pressure cooker or Instant Pot
- Deep frying pan or kadai
- Slotted spoon
- Mixing bowls
- Kitchen paper
Ingredients
For the potatoes
- About 500–600 g baby potatoes (18–22 pieces), scrubbed, skin on
- Water for boiling
- 1½–2 tsp fine salt for boiling water
- Neutral oil for deep frying (4–6 cm depth in pan)
For the thin batter
- 4 tbsp cornflour corn starch
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour maida
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ½ cup cold water plus more as needed
For the creamy Cajun sauce
- ½ cup eggless mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
- ¼ cup whole milk or 2 tbsp heavy cream plus 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder or sweet paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp fine salt adjust; mayo is salty
- ½ tsp mixed dried herbs thyme, oregano, parsley
- ¼ –½ tsp red chilli flakes optional
- ¼ tsp roasted cumin powder optional
To garnish
- 2 tbsp finely chopped spring onion greens or red onion
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- Extra red chilli flakes (optional)
Instructions
Boil the baby potatoes
- Place potatoes in a pressure cooker with water to cover by about 2 cm; add salt. Pressure cook on medium for 1 whistle, then turn off heat and let pressure release naturally, about 10 minutes. (Instant Pot: high pressure 1 minute with ¼ cup water and salt, natural release 10 minutes, then release remaining pressure.) Drain, cool until handleable, and pat very dry.
Flatten
- Gently press each potato with a flat spatula, masher, or small bowl until slightly cracked and about 1–1.5 cm thick. Do not mash completely.
Mix the batter
- Whisk cornflour, maida, salt, and water until smooth and thin enough to coat a spoon and drip in a thin stream; thin with water as needed.
Deep fry
- Heat oil over medium-high until a drop of batter sizzles (about 175–180°C). Dip each potato, let excess drip off, fry in batches 2–3 minutes per side until deep gold and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
Make the sauce
- Whisk mayonnaise, milk or cream, Kashmiri chilli or paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, herbs, optional chilli flakes, and optional roasted cumin until smooth and pourable. Adjust with milk or mayo.
Assemble
- Arrange hot potatoes on a rimmed platter. Spoon sauce generously over the top. Scatter spring onion and coriander. Serve immediately.
Notes
Technique inspiration: Cook with Kushi (batter-fried) and Whisk Affair (double-fry and sauce); see post for links.
For vegan sauce: vegan mayonnaise plus cashew cream or thick coconut cream, thinned with oat or soy milk.
Best eaten fresh; reheat potatoes in air fryer or oven until crisp, then add fresh or rewarmed sauce.
Skip batter and use double-fry smashed potatoes if you prefer (see post Variations).
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!