What the hell is an aloo and why would I want to eat its balls?
That was sort of my running joke with this list item. Aloo actually translates to potato and I was more than relieved to discover there were not animal parts involved. You never know with these little spots out in Queens.
Brown Betty is a hole-in-the-wall in the far off neighborhood of Ozone Park. They serve traditional Guyanese cuisine mainly for take out (there may have been one table in the place). I saw many of the usual Caribbean suspects: rotis, currys, and fried chicken. I didn’t see the aloo balls on the menu, which concerned me. But when I asked, the cashier fired up as many as I wanted. I was glad to hear they would be made fresh.
So what are these mysterious aloo balls? They’re basically a ball of spicy mashed potatoes that are lightly breaded and fried. And at only 75 cents a pop, they’re a great little snack. They’re dotted with red pepper flakes so they have just a touch of heat. The balls are a bit greasy, but not as heavy or rich as they might have been. The only thing they were missing were a sweet or spicy dipping sauce to really bring out a Caribbean flavor.
Next to french fries, I don’t know why I’ve never tried fried mashed potatoes before. But I’m glad I got to try these and while they might not be worth the far trip out to Ozone Park again, these were something different and satisfying. And no aloos were harmed in the making of this dish.
Would Brown Betty’s Aloo Balls make my Top 100 of the year? A 7 out of 10 for a tasty, unique, and affordable snack that’s almost worth the trip to the ends of the borough.
