Dum Aloo

I was longing to put up this recipe since a long time. Actually, the recipe is so familiar that it needs no introduction. There are a few variations in how you can prepare Dum Aloo. Some people cook the potatos whereas others deep fry them. I borrowed this recipe from one of my Gujrathi friends. For this dish I would recommend you use the baby/small potatos. In my most recent attempt, since I could not find the small potatos, I used the regular ones but only the one end of it.

What you need to have:

1. Potatoes (Medium) – 6

2. Onions (Big) – 2

3. Tomatoes – 2

4. Ginger – 1/2″piece

5. Garlic cloves – 5-6

6. Coriander leaves a handful

7. Cashews – 10-15

8. Chilli powder – 1 Teaspoon

9. Turmeric powder – 1 Teaspoon

10. Chilli p[owder – 1 Teaspoon

11. Dhania jeera powder – 1 Teaspoon

12. Garam masala powder – 3/4 Teaspoon

13. Masala patha(leaf) – 2

14. Cooking oil – 2 Tablespoons

Ingredients of Dum Alu

What you do with what you have

1. Wash, peal and cut the potatos into 3 pieces and prick them with the knife and and keep it aside so that it is properly cooked before frying.

2. Peal garlic cloves, ginger, and grind it with tomatoes and cashews in the mixer to a smooth consistency without adding water and keep it aside.

3. Peal and cut onions and also chop coriander leaves to a fine consistency.

4. Place a wide bottomed bowl on the flame with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in it. On heating deep fry the pricked alu from Step 1 till it turns light brown and it would be as shown in the image below.

Deep fried pieces of Alu

5. In the same oil that is left over on frying the potatos, fry the Masala leaf and then the finely chopped onions from step 3 till it turns transparent.

6. Add chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder, Dhania/jeera (corriander/cumin seeds) powder and finally Garam masala powder to it and stir well.

7. Now add the purried tomato mixture from step 2 to it and cook it till the water evaporates from it and layer of oil is seen. The dish should be cooked on medium flame to avoid it from burning and sticking to the bottom.

8. Finally add fried potatoes to it and bring it to boil till it leaves a layer of oil on the side of the dish as shown in the image below.   Decorate it with corriander leaves and serve it hot with either chapathis or even with rice as a side dish.

Ready to serve Dum Alu

How long it takes: 45 minutes

Number of servings: 4