An interesting appetizer, a fun and sophisticated party food and a finger licking spicy movie companion, this dish is simple to create and just so tough to let go. I bet no one could eat just one !!

Potato fries have been a favorite for so many of us, won’t u agree. They are simple, fuss free and an ultimate comfort food. Whether its a cold & droopy morning or a flowery breezy summer evening, fries somehow sneakingly find a way in to our kitchen and end up making us heavier with guilt.

Last year me and husband were pretty much hooked onto potato fries for our food outings as not many vegetarian snack options were available around and the ones which were, usually consisted of typical meal options like burritos, falafel wraps or Thai curries. We would usually go on our daily long strolls and would sometimes stop at a food court for a little snack bite. Then i discovered the bags of potato fries in the freezer section of the grocery stores and decided to make those at home at a fraction of a price and much convenience.

It started with frying up rounds of fries at a time to curb hunger pangs, usually once a month and over the months we switched to the baked version it being a much healthier option. With baking, i also got the power to experiment with fries and figure out how those can be made more interesting. I tried the za’atar (middle eastern spice mix), Italian herbs and even combinations like chipotle-cheddar fries (these were just awesome ). In fact Montreal taught me another interesting treat for fries – Poutine !

Poutine – A common Canadian dish, originally from Quebec, made with french fries, topped with a light brown gravy-like sauce & cheese curds…so exotic !!

Hot ‘n’ honey Potato sticks takes its inspiration from Indo-chinese delights available in India. These tickling treats are purely sensational !! The saying “Sugar and spice and everything nice” completely goes with this dish. The combination of tomatoes, chilli flakes and honey makes this dish a very interesting concept.

Hot ‘n’ honey Potato Sticks

Hot 'n' honey potato sticks Recipe For seasoning:

500 gms frozen french fries or 3 potatoes, peeled and cut into fingers like for french fries

3 crushed garlic cloves

1 tsp red chilli pwd

2 tsps tomato sauce/ tomato paste

salt to taste

1 tablespoon oil For sauce: 1 tbsp tomato sauce

1 tsp red chilli sauce

2 tsps white vinegar

2 crushed garlic cloves

1 tsp chilli flakes or as per taste

1 1/2 tbsps honey

1 tsp spring onion greens, chopped

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1/2 tablespoon oil Method 1. Preparing the potatoes. In a bowl, add all the seasonings and combine well. Depending on potatoes, baking times are different. Pre-heat the oven to 350F and keep ready. Alternatively, you can also deep fry the fries. For that, add 1 tsp cornflour instead of oil in the seasoning. Coat and then deep fry.

Using Frozen French Fries : Thaw the fries and mix with the baked potato seasoning mixture. Put these on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or till the fries are crunchy and golden brown.

Using fresh cut potato sticks: Combine potato fingers with the seasoning and bake for about 35-40 minutes or till potato sticks are cooked and crunchy golden brown. 2. After the potato sticks are crunchy and done. Remove from the oven and keep aside. Now, in a heavy bottom pan / non stick pan, add the oil and to it add the crushed garlic and roast till golden brown. Add in the tomato sauce, red chilli sauce and white vinegar. Add in the baked potato sticks and combine with the sauces. Let it saute on medium heat for about 2 minutes. Shut the flame and Keep aside and let it cool down for about 10 minutes. Now, add in the crushed chilli flakes, honey and toss well. Make sure that honey is added right at the end so that honey does not get cooked. 3. The hot ‘n’ honey potato sticks are ready. To serve, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and garnish with spring onion greens on top. Serve hot.

This took our experience of having a great time with french fries to a complete new level. This hot ‘n’ honey version became an instant hit with the husband. We ended up making some hot tomato soup along and had a fun, guilt free lunch. The next time, i omit the stir fry step and added the honey, chilli flakes and garnishing on top of the seasoned baked french fries straight and it was delicious too 🙂 This dish is decadent, mouthwatering and such a classic fusion… i think i am having another craving now 😛

Try these fries as it is or go for the kill and try them as hash brown replacement topping for my Hash brown pizza (recipe here). ENJOY !!

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