India, as we all know is a land of festivals, rich culture & heritage and of course spicy food. In fact, food forms an integral part of our existence and we tend to incorporate it in a million different ways in our festivals, rituals and celebrations. One such recipe that is common to almost all the Indian families is Dum Aloo. It is one of the finest Indian recipes and is prepared using a variety of Indian recipes that lend it the much needed flavor and heavenly taste. In essence, dum aloo is a combination of baby or small sized potatoes that are fried and prepared in smooth, rich and creamy gravy. Served hot with some rice or even roti, naan, puri and paratha, dum aloo is also known as aloo dum or potato curry.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the dum Dum Aloo recipe that can be easily prepared at home on all occasions, specifically when you are not in the mood to cook vegetables.
Let’s Start With Ingredients:
For frying the potatoes
- Baby or small sized potatoes (You can take any number of potatoes. Here we have used as many as 15 potatoes).
- Salt to taste or 1 teaspoon
- Red Chilli powder 1 teaspoon
- Haldi or turmeric powder half teaspoon
- Water- 2 cups
- Oil-3 tablespoon
For preparing the potato curry or gravy
- Tomatoes-2
- Onion- 1
- Ginger-1 piece
- Garlic Cloves 2-3
- Curd-1 Tablespoon
- Green Chillies 1-2
- Cumin Seeds or Jeera 1 Teaspoon
- Cloves or laung 2-3
- Bay leaf or tej patta 1
- Green Cardamom or hari elaichi 2-3
- Cinnamon or Dalhchini-1 stick
- Javitri or mace -1 strand
- Saunf powder or fennel powder 1 teaspoon
- Asafoetida or heeng 1/8th
- Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon
- Coriander powder 1 teaspoon
- Turmeric Powder or Haldi 1/2 Teaspoon
- Garam Masala ½ teaspoon
- Salt as per taste
- Cumin powder or jeera powder 1/2 teaspoon ]
- Kasuri methi or fenugreek leaves crushed and dried 1 teaspoon
- Cooking oil
Instructions for Preparing Dum Aloo
- Wash the potatoes and pressure cook them in water (2 cups) and salt (1 teaspoon).
- Open the lid of your cooker after 1 whistle or around ten minutes later.
- Peel the skin of the potatoes after they have cooled down.
- Next, heat cooking oil (3 tablespoons) in a pan and add some red chilli and around half a teaspoon of turmeric powder to it.
- Add your boiled and peeled potatoes to this oil and fry them until they turn golden brown and crispy.
- Remove the potatoes and keep them separately in another pan/plate.
- Next, heat oil in another pan and put cumin seeds (1 teaspoon) in it. Once the cumin seeds start crackling, add tej patta or bay leaf, green cardamoms, dalchini, laung and javitri to this oil.
- Add some saunf powder, heeng, haldi as well as red chillies to your pan and sauté for a couple of seconds.
- Now add some garlic, ginger as well as green chilli paste to the pan.
- Fry the ingredients for a few more seconds and add chopped or pureed onions to your pan.
- Roast the onion paste for at least three to four minutes.
- Next, put the tomatoes (pureed) to the pan and continue cooking for another three to five minutes.
- Add some dhania or coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala as well as salt and fry your gravy until the oils starts to separate from the sides.
- Now add some curd (1 teaspoon) and water (1cup) and leave your gravy to simmer for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle kasuri methi (crushed) to your gravy and bring it to a boil.
- Now put the potatoes (fried ones) into the curry or gravy and cover your pan with the help of a lid.
- Lower the flame and let the potatoes simmer for around 15 minutes.
That’s it! Your Dum Aloo is all set to be served. Garnish the dish with coriander leaves (chopped) and serve them with your favorite chapattis, rotis, rice and naans.
-Puja Bhardwaj
