Dum Aloo Recipe

Dum aloo is the celebratory potato dish of Kashmir, baby potatoes fried golden and then slow-cooked, or dum, in a rich spiced gravy. The potatoes soak up the sauce until they are soft inside and full of flavour. It is a dish made for festivals, and for ordinary days that need cheering up.

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

55 mins

Servings

4 servings

Calories

420

Ingredients

• 500 g baby potatoes, peeled
• 200 g yoghurt, whisked
• 2 tomatoes, pureed
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon fennel powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry ginger powder
• 3 tablespoons oil
• Salt, to taste
• Chopped coriander, to serve

Instructions

1. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork and fry in the oil until golden; set aside.
2. In the same oil, fry the onion until soft, then add the ginger-garlic paste.
3. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for 5 minutes until the oil separates.
4. Whisk the yoghurt with the chilli, turmeric, garam masala, fennel and dry ginger, then add it slowly, stirring constantly.
5. Add the potatoes with 200 ml water, cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.
6. Rest for 5 minutes, garnish with coriander and serve with rice or naan.

Pro tips

• Pricking the potatoes helps the gravy soak right in.
• Add the yoghurt off the heat or very low, stirring constantly, so it does not split.
• Cook the gravy until the oil separates; that is the sign the spices are ready.
• A low, slow dum is what makes the potatoes melt.

Frequently asked questions