Gunpowder tater tots

Name: Gunpowder tater tots
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Contemporary,Indian
Ingredients: 1 packet (about 900g-1kg) frozen potato gems

Spark up the party by adding this feisty Indian spice mix to a packet of potato gems.

Katrina Meynink

December 8, 2025

Gunpowder tater tots get their firepower from a fragrant Indian spice mix.Katrina Meynink

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4-6

These spicy carb bombs are one of my favourite snacks. I’ve been known to make batches of gunpowder seasoning so that I can scatter this feisty Indian spice mix over all manner of proteins or roasted veg.

Ingredients

1 packet (about 900g-1kg) frozen potato gems

GUNPOWDER SEASONING

1 tbsp garam masala, plus extra to season
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
pinch fenugreek seeds
2 tsp ground ginger
pinch Kashmiri chilli powder

TO SERVE

½ cup chopped coriander leaves
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 green chilli or jalapeno, finely sliced (keep the seeds if you love the heat)
squeeze of lime juice

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional).
Step 2
Spread the potato gems over a large baking tray and season with a pinch or two of garam masala and salt flakes. Bake until golden and crisp (20-30 minutes), turning halfway through.
Step 3
While the gems are cooking, add the cumin, coriander, fennel and fenugreek seeds to a dry frying pan and place over low heat. Cook, shaking the pan often, until fragrant. Transfer the seeds to a mortar and pestle and crush them to a powder. Add the ground seeds to a large bowl with the ginger, chilli powder, and the remaining tablespoon of garam masala, and stir to combine well. Remove 1 tablespoon of the gunpowder seasoning and set it aside.
Step 4
Add the cooked gems to the bowl of spices and toss a few times to ensure the spice blend coats them evenly.
Step 5
In a separate small bowl, combine the reserved tablespoon of gunpowder spice with the coriander leaves, spring onion and chilli. Add a little lime juice and toss to mix.
Step 6
Scoop the potato gems onto a serving platter and sprinkle over the spiced herb mixture. Serve immediately.