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Indian spices lighten up stuffed potatoes

To create a healthier but gratifying version of a normally calorie-ridden stuffed baked potato, Chuck Hatfield took a few cues from Indian cuisine.

Patricia Cobe, Senior Editor

January 15, 2016

1 Min Read
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In developing recipes for Sodexo, Director of Culinary Services Chuck Hatfield wanted to keep a variety of craveable comfort foods in the mix. But under the company’s Mindful Enjoy Health wellness program, recipes must have less than 550 calories per serving, with 35 percent or less calories from fat. That’s a challenge with classics that rely on rich dairy products or bacon, such as loaded stuffed baked potatoes. To create a healthier but gratifying version, Hatfield took a few cues from Indian cuisine. 

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  1. “Indian samosas have a flavorful potato filling enclosed in a crisp dough. I reverse-engineered the samosa, piling the filling into the potato skin,” says Hatfield. For a vegetarian entree portion, he bakes an 80-count-size potato until soft and scoops out the flesh, breaking it into chunks for a rustic look. The potato chunks are lightly sauteed with onions and garlic, and peas and chickpeas are added for a boost of protein without the fat of bacon.
     

  2. Hatfield replaced the large quantity of butter and cheese typically found in this recipe with toasted Indian spices, including ginger, cumin, turmeric and coriander; jalapeno slices add a pop of heat. The spice blend also eliminates the need for additional salt, reducing the recipe’s sodium.
     

  3. Instead of the traditional sour-cream topping, Hatfield developed an Indian chutney made with fresh cilantro, mint, jalapeno and a little sugar. He purees the mixture to give it an almost creamy consistency. “The condiment replaces the sour cream with a similar saucy mouthfeel,” he says. Total calories per serving: 320. 

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Sodexo

About the Author

Patricia Cobe

Senior Editor

Pat plans and executes the menu sections of Restaurant Business and FoodService Director, covering food and beverage trends, Menu R&D, profiles of chefs and restaurateurs and Technomic research. She also contributes to the digital content of both RB and FSD and is editor of two weekly e-newsletters, Recipe Report and On the Menu. Pat’s weekly podcast, MenuFeed, covers a wide range of menu topics through interviews with chefs and operators.

Pat came to Winsight from Hearst, where she was an executive editor. She is the co-author of the Mompreneurs series of books as well as two cookbooks. She graduated from Cornell University and earned a Masters in Journalism from Boston University. She is active in several professional organizations, including Les Dames d’Escoffier and the International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC), and serves as a judge for the James Beard Media Awards.

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