DUM ALOO

Kashmiri Dum aloo is a very famous Kashmiri recipe made by using baby potatoes simmered in a yogurt based gravy flavoured with dry ginger and saunf /fennel seeds powder. This recipe uses favourite Kashmiri spices like fennel and ginger powder. This is prepared with the small sized aloos / potatoes in unique and spicy-tasty flavour are really scrumptious to eat. This can be prepared with or without gravy. I love the subtle spices and the balance of flavors in the dish. This one really treats the potato as a king. There is rarely a grocery shopping trip when I am not looking out for potatoes and sometimes I specially buy this small sized potatoes for making Dum Aloo. Actually this is very easy and quick recipe with baby potatoes in a spicy vibrant curd based gravy. I have made this duma loo recipe with few varieties of red chilli powder. I suggest to use Kashmiri Red chilli Powder as they are not very hot and give a nice colour to the final dish. Punjabi dum aloo recipe is the mild version of recipe whereas Bengali style dum aloo is lightly spiced and slightly sweet. Today I made the Punjabi style dum aloo recipe here which is not spicy-hot like Kashmiri duma loo. It has a tang from tangy tomatoes and sweet hint from onions and cahsews and in combination with the usual Indian spices, what you get is a creamy and delicately spiced and flavoured dum aloo. 

INGREDIENTS:

10-12 Baby Potatoes

1 Large Onions

1 Large Tomato

½ inch Ginger/adrak

2-3 Garlic/lahsun

2 tablespoon Broken Cashews or 10-12 king sized cashews soaked in water for 30 minutes

1 Black Cardamom/Badi Elaichi

1 inch Cinnamon Stick/ Dal Chini

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder/Haldi

½ teaspoon Chilli Powder/Lal Mirch Powder

1 teaspoon Coriander Powder/Dhania Powder

1 teaspoon Fennel Powder/Saunf Powder

½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder

½ teaspoon Lemon Juice or 1 tablespoon Yogurt

1 to 1½ Cups Water

1 or 2 tablespoon Coriander Leaves for garnishing

METHOD:

STEP 1 – The baby potatoes are rinsed, wiped dry, halved

and shallow fried in oil till they get cooked completely.

STEP 2 – In hot oil, black cardamom and cinnamon are added and fried till the oil becomes fragrant.

Then add the onion-ginger-garlic paste.

STEP 3 – Now brown this paste, the paste has to be browned before you proceed to the next step. This is an important part. If the onion paste is not browned well, the curry won’t taste good.

STEP 4 – Add the tomato puree and stir.

STEP 5 – After 3-4 minutes, add the spice powders.

STEP 6 – Fry this whole masala paste till the oil starts to leave the sides. Another important step.

STEP 7 – Now add the cashew paste.

STEP 8 – Stir fry again till the oil leaves the sides of the masala paste.

STEP 9 – Add water and stir.

STEP 10 – Bring the whole curry to a boil.

STEP 11 – Add the shallow fried baby potatoes.

STEP 12 – Simmer till the gravy thickness a bit and lastly add lemon juice and salt.

Serve Punjabi dum aloo  with rotis, naan or phulkas. The duma loo is also great with steamed basmati rice.

NOTE: Blanch the tomatoes and make a puree.

Soak the cashews in warm water for 15 minutes and then make a paste with little water.