Prepare the potatoes

• Peel the potatoes.
• Trim the bottoms so each potato sits on a flat surface.

Cut the pom pom pattern

• Place chopsticks on both sides of a potato and slice crosswise at 1/4 inch intervals, letting the chopsticks stop the knife.
• Rotate the potato 90 degrees and repeat the cuts.

Soak in salted water

• Add the water and salt to a bowl and stir.
• Soak the potatoes in the salted water.

Make the spiced flour

• In a separate bowl, add the flour, cumin, smoked paprika and chili powder.
• Whisk until evenly combined.

Coat the potatoes

• Drain the potatoes and pat them dry.
• Press the potatoes into the flour mixture, working the seasoned flour into all the crevices.

Deep fry until golden

• Heat the frying oil to about 175 °C.
• Fry the potatoes until golden brown and crisp, then drain on a rack or paper towels.