Aloo Dum or Dum Aloo Recipe is one of the favourite dishes among Bengali people. They love to prepare this dish on various occasions and during festivals. This recipe is easy, delicious and creamy and is widely cooked in India. In this recipe, the potatoes are simmered in a spicy yummy gravy and can be served with steamed basmati rice or plain rice or naan or parathas or rotis. Dum Aloo Recipe is basically cooked by covering the lid in order to trap the steam so that it becomes flavourful, delicious and creamy. It can be cooked with onion and garlic or with no onion and garlic as well. It is up to you whichever way you want to cook but the taste is equally delicious and remains the same. Without further ado, let us see the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. The ingredients required to make Dum Aloo Recipe are as follows:
Ingredients:
- 250-300 gm potatoes
- 1/2 tsp saffron
- 1/4 tsp salt (to boil potatoes)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cardamoms
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 1 cup onion paste
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1/2 tsp salt (to cook gravy)
- Half cup cashew nut paste
- Half cup curd (whisked)
- Kasuri methi (crushed) or coriander leaves
How to boil potatoes:
At first, rinse potatoes before peeling and cutting. You can either use baby potatoes or large regular potatoes, whichever is available for use. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. They should be of equal sizes so that the potatoes will cook evenly. Add 3 to 4 cups of water in a pot. Add the chopped potatoes to it. Bring it to a boil. Add ½ teaspoon saffron so that it will give nice colour to the potatoes and add ¼ tsp salt. Prick the potatoes with a fork so that they will absorb the flavours of the masala. Once they are boiled, remove them from water and cool them completely.
Frying potatoes:
After boiling the potatoes, fry them as well. Add 2 tbsp mustard oil in a pan and fry the boiled potatoes on a low to medium flame until golden and crispy. Frying the potatoes will enhance the taste and add a nice texture to the potatoes.
How to prepare pastes:
Take two tomatoes. Wash and cut them into small pieces. Next, take two onions and chop them into pieces. Take a blender jar. Add tomatoes and onions to the jar to make a smooth paste. Filter the puree if it is not smooth enough. For another paste, you need some cashew nuts (at least 12 to 14 pieces). Take a blender jar. Add a little water to the cashew nuts to make a smooth paste.
How to prepare the gravy:
Heat a non-stick pan with 2 tbsp mustard oil. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf and cardamoms. Saute. Once the seeds begin to splutter, add ginger-garlic paste and saute till the strong smell of the paste goes away. Next, add tomato-onion paste and cook until the raw smell of onions goes away and the paste thickens. Now add the spices one after another. Add Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, a pinch of sugar and salt to taste. Stir and taste the paste and adjust the spices and salt if required. When the spices and the paste start to separate from the oil, add cashew paste. Next, whisk the curd in a bowl nicely. Add the beaten curd on a low flame. Add some water and continue to stir. When the entire mixture begins to thicken and bubble, add the fried potatoes. Cover and cook for about ten minutes on a low to medium flame. Garnish with crushed kasuri methi or coriander leaves. Serve Dum Aloo with basmati rice or rotis or parathas.