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This Easy Masala Fries Recipe is the ultimate fakeaway snack — crispy golden fries tossed in a bold Indian-style tomato masala that’s spicy, tangy and seriously addictive.
Made with frozen fries and a quick stovetop sauce, this recipe comes together in just 15 minutes and tastes like something you’d order from an Indian street-food stall. Perfect for snacking, sharing, or serving alongside your favourite curry.
What Are Masala Fries?
Masala fries are a popular Indian-inspired take on French fries. They’re crispy potatoes seasoned with aromatic spices like cumin, coriander, chilli powder, and garam masala — creating that addictive balance of heat, tang, and crunch.
You’ll find them across Indian street food stalls and restaurants, often served with mint chutney or ketchup. They’re also known as Indian spiced fries or masala chips — and once you’ve tried them, plain fries will never be the same again!
Why You’ll Love These Indian Style Masala Fries
- Ready in 15 minutes using frozen fries
- Crispy, spicy, tangy — just like Indian street food
- Easy fakeaway for curry nights or quick snacks
- Customisable heat level (mild to fiery)
- Perfect for air fryer, oven or deep-fried fries
What Is Masala
Masala just means spices and can include a combination of cumin powder, coriander powder, cardamon, chilli powder and is used to give great flavour to the sauce. That’s the great thing about these fries, you can really play around with the spices to get them just how you like them! It’s common to use just curry powder or chaat masala as the spices in masala fries, play around and see what you like best depending on your preferred level of spice.
What Do I Serve Masala Fries With?
- These fries are great for sharing, serve them up as a snack or party food
- Serve as a side to your favourite burger recipe
- As part of an homemade spicy curry fakeaway!
These fries are perfect alongside curries like my Ras el Hanout curry or Nasi Goreng Kampung for an easy fakeaway night.
Ingredients For Masala Fries
Frozen french fries – I have opted for these for their quick cooking in the air fryer but you can use any potato fries or frozen chips that you like, they will all work. If you are using homemade french fries, deep fry until crisp in your preferred oil then add to the sauce. I recommend using russet potatoes, king edward potatoes or maris piper potatoes as they are the best potatoes for chips. Don’t forget to rinse your fries in a bowl of cold water to remove the excess starch. You can also cook the oven chips in the oven, place in a single layer on a baking tray and follow the instructions from the packet for cooking time and temperature.
Spices – a curry inspired mix of garam masala, cumin, coriander and turmeric provide the gentle heat and indian flavours for these spicy chips. You could use your favourite spice mix such as tandoori masala or play around with it to customize this recipe. If you like extra heat in your masala chips, add a little red chilli powder
Passata – I always have passata in my kitchen so I have opted to use this but you could use chopped tomatoes or even fresh tomatoes. If you have tomato paste, mix it with a little water for a quick kitchen hack for homemade passata!. Tomato ketchup would even work here.
Yoghurt – natural yoghurt is used to top the fries and give that nice cooling element to compliment the spicy fries.
Coriander – what is an Indian inspired dish without coriander as a garnish?
Variations
This recipe is made with a rich tomato-based masala sauce that coats every fry for maximum flavour — but you can easily adapt it depending on your preference.
Classic Tomato Masala Fries
Fries are tossed through a thick, spiced tomato masala made with onion, garlic, chilli, cumin, and garam masala. It’s bold, saucy, and perfect for scooping straight from the pan.
Dry Masala Fries
If you prefer crisp fries with a lighter coating, skip the tomato sauce and toss the fries in the spice mix only. You’ll get the same smoky, spicy flavour with extra crunch.
Loaded Masala Fries
Turn them into a full meal by adding grated cheese, spring onions, or even a drizzle of yogurt or raita over the top for that loaded street-food vibe.
How To Make Masala Chips Recipe
Follow these steps on how to make my Masala Chips Recipe in no time!
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Start by cooking the french fries as they take the longest. Place in your air fryer basket at 190 for 10 minutes, checking halfway through and moving the chips around for even cooking. Alternatively cook any frozen chip/potato using your preferred method
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When the chips are 5 minutes from being done, get ready to cook the sauce.
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Start by adding chopped onion/red onion to a pan over medium high heat and cook until they start to turn golden at the edges, a few minutes.
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Add the garlic ginger paste and let that cook for about 60 seconds
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Add the spices and stir, cooking for around 60 seconds
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Add the passata and honey and stir to combine. Check for seasoning.
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Add the cooked chips to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce then top with the yoghurt and coriander leaves- voila, perfect comfort food! Serve up quickly to maintain crispiness!
Tips from My Kitchen
- Use cold fries or par-cooked chips — if your fries are freshly fried, let them cool slightly before tossing in the sauce to keep them from going soggy.
- Cook the masala sauce until thick and glossy. You want the tomato base to reduce so it clings beautifully to the fries instead of pooling at the bottom.
- Add a squeeze of lemon or lime at the end to brighten the spices and lift the flavour.
- Use chat masala or garam masala for depth. A pinch of both gives you that real Indian street-food aroma.
- Toss gently. Fold the fries through the sauce rather than stirring — it keeps them intact and evenly coated.
What Could Go Wrong
- Sauce too runny? Let it simmer for a few extra minutes or add a teaspoon of tomato paste to thicken.
- Fries going soggy? Add them to the pan just before serving and toss quickly over high heat.
- Too spicy? Add a spoon of ketchup or yogurt to balance the heat without dulling the flavour.
- Masala tastes flat? It probably needs a little salt and acid — try another squeeze of lemon or a sprinkle of chat masala.
- Not saucy enough? Double the masala base next time — it also freezes well for quick future batches.
FAQ’s
Slightly crispy fries topped with a tangy yet slightly spicy tomato sauce with lovely indian flavours.
If you have no garam masala try substituting it with your favourite curry powder. You can also change the chilli powder if you like it spicier/milder
Not at all. You can even make your own chips for this recipe. Simply sub your favourite chips/fries in the recipe.
Masala just means spices and can include a combination of cumin, coriander, cardamon, chilli powder and is used to give great flavour to the sauce.
Yes! You can use oven-baked or air-fried fries as your base before tossing them in the masala sauce. Just make sure they’re crispy before adding to the pan so they hold up to the tomato sauce.
The key spices are chilli powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala. You can also add chat masala for a tangy kick or smoked paprika for depth.
You can make the masala sauce ahead and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat and toss with freshly cooked fries just before serving for the best texture.
Yes — this recipe is naturally vegan and dairy-free. Just check that your fries are cooked in vegetable oil if using frozen ones.
They’re delicious on their own, but also make an amazing side for burgers, wraps, grilled chicken, or even curries. Try pairing with mint yogurt dip or ketchup.
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Easy Masala Fries Recipe
Equipment
- 1 non stick frying pan
- 1 set of measuring spoons
- 1 Air Fryer
- 1 chefs knife
- 1 wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 375 g Frozen French Fries
- 1 squeeze lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic ginger paste
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp kashmiri chili powder (use any chili powder you have if you don't have this one)
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ onion (diced)
- 100 ml passata
- 1 tbsp honey
- coriander
- natural yoghurt
Instructions
- Begin by cooking your fries. I cook frozen french fries in the air fryer at 190℃ for 10 minutes. Follow instructions for your particular frozen fry or chip
- 5 minutes before the fries are ready, make the sauce
- Add chopped onion to vegetable oil over medium heat and fry until just starting to turn golden at the edges – around 3 minutes
- Add the garlic ginger paste and cook for around 60 seconds
- Add the spices and cook for 60 seconds
- Add the passata, lemon juice and honey and stir to combine. Check for seasoning and simmer for a minute or two
- Toss the fries in the sauce then top with yoghurt and coriander
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Hi, I’m Paul! I’m a passionate home chef, recipe developer, and food lover who believes that cooking should be fun, rewarding, and stress-free! Through Scoffs & Feasts, I share my favorite tried-and-tested recipes, cooking tips, and troubleshooting advice to help home cooks gain confidence in the kitchen. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced foodie, I hope my recipes inspire you to try something new.