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VIAZI KARAI | VIAZI KARANGA

mayurisjikoni
Viazi Karai, Pack Potatoes or Viazi Karanga is a popular street food in Mombasa. Karai here refers to a basin or huge bowl or wok. Viazi in Kiswahili means potato. Boiled potato pieces are dipped in a batter of chickpea and plain flour, deep fried and enjoyed either with coconut chutney or tamarind chutney also known as ukwaju sauce/chutney.
5 from 9 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Snack, Starter, Street Food
Cuisine Kenyan
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 8 medium potatoes boiled and peeled

FOR THE RED CHILLI GARLIC FILLING

  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1-2 tsp red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp salt

FOR THE BATTER

  • ½ cup chickpea flour
  • ¼ cup plain flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tbsp hot oil
  • ½-⅓ cup water
  • oil for deep frying

FOR THE COCONUT CHUTNEY

  • 1 cup fresh coconut grated
  • ¼ cup raw mango peeled and chopped
  • 2-3 green chillis
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup water

FOR THE TAMARIND OR UKWAJU CHUTNEY

  • 250 g tamarind
  • 4-5 cups water
  • 2 tbsp jaggery powder or sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1-2 tsp red chilli powder

Instructions
 

PREPARATION OF COCONUT CHUTNEY

  • Add the grated coconut, mango pieces, salt and chopped chilis into a blender jug. Add 1 cup water and blend.
  • Remove the chutney into a serving bowl.

PREPARATION OF TAMARIND | UKWAJU CHUTNEY OR SAUCE

  • Heat 4-5 cups of water till it boils. Add the tamarind and take the pan off the heat.
  • Cover the pan and allow the tamarind to soak in the hot water for 30 minutes.
  • Gently rub the tamarind in the water to remove all the pulp.
  • Strain the mixture into a pan using a strainer or sieve. If required, add a cup of water.
  • You should be left with tamarind fibers and seeds in the sieve.
  • Add salt, cumin, coriander, red chilli powders and the jaggery or sugar.
  • Heat the tamarind chutney over medium heat.
  • Allow it to simmer gently till it becomes a little thick. You don't want it too thick.
  • Allow the chutney to cool down completely before serving.
  • Can store the remaining chutney in the freezer. It stays good in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

PREPARATION OF RED CHILLI GARLIC FILLING

  • Mix the garlic, red chili powder, salt and lemon juice together.
  • The filling should not be liquidy, should be a bit thick. If it becomes thin add a ½ tsp of chickpea flour.

PREPARATION OF THE BATTER

  • Mix all the ingredients for the batter. Make sure it is a smooth batter. It should not be too thick or too thin.

PREPARATION OF VIAZI KARAI | VIAZI KARANGA

  • Cut the potatoes into half or smaller pieces if they are too big.
  • Using a butter knife smear on half of the potato with the garlic red chilli filling.
  • Using the other half, sandwich the potato.
  • Fill all the potato pieces.
  • Heat oil for deep frying in a karai, wok or kadai over medium heat.
  • Drop a small drop of the batter in the oil. If it sizzles and comes up immediately then the oil is ready.
  • Coat the filled potato piece with the batter. Gently drop it into the hot oil.
  • Add 2-3 batter coated potatoes into the oil, depending on how big your kadai, karai is.
  • Fry the viazi till they becomes golden brown.
  • Repeat with the remaining potato pieces.
  • Serve hot viazi karai with the coconut chutney the red chili chutney if you have any left or with ukwaju chutney.

Notes

  • Make extra red chili chutney to serve with the potatoes.
  • Use small potatoes if you wish.
  • If you use baby potatoes, no need to cut them into halves.
  • Make a small slit and fill it with the red chutney.
  • Adjust the amount of chillis, both red and green according to your taste.
  • When you boil the potatoes, make sure they are cooked well and not raw.