Dum Aloo

Baby Potatoes, a complete delight to look at. I have been thinking of making Dum Aloo for quite a while now. But almost always have just roasted them or made it into a dry subzi to cut down the cooking time.

I finally decided to get the ingredients ready, oven roast the baby potatoes as a variation and then make the Dum Aloo.

You need:

• 15 baby potatoes
• 3 tomatoes puréed
• 3 tbsp yoghurt / dahi
• 3 cloves
• 3 peppercorns
• 1 brown cardamom
• I" stick cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cumin powder / jeera powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder / dhaniya powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder / haldi
• 1 tsp red chillie powder
• 2 tbsp cashew nuts
• 3 tbsp full cream
• 3 tbsp oil
• Salt

To grind to a paste:

• 2 onions large diced
• 2 garlic pods
• 1" piece ginger

Steps:

• Wash the baby potatoes well and pressure cook to 1 whistle. Cool and peel and prick well with a fork.
• Preheat the oven to 200degrees C.
• Toss the pricked baby potatoes in 1 tbsp of oil and little salt and spread it in a lined baking tray.
• Bake for about 20 mins or more till slightly browned.
• Take 1 tbsp oil in a pan and sauté onions, garlic and ginger till brown. Cool and grind to a paste with the cashew nuts.

• In the same pan heat 1 tbsp oil and add cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves for a few seconds. Then add the ground paste and sauté for 2 mins.
• To this add the puréed tomatoes and the dry spice powders. Stir around for about 2-3 mins.
• Beat yogurt well and add along with salt. Add water to make it a gravy consistency. On a low flame let it come to a boil.

• Add the roasted baby potatoes and cream. Check seasonings and adjust. Let it come to a boil again. Then take off the heat and keep covered for 5-8 minutes for baby potatoes to absorb the spices and flavors.
• Garish well with chopped coriander leaves and little cream.

Enjoy with hot rotis or rice.

Notes:

• You can either deep fry the pricked baby potatoes or stir fry in a pan with 1 tbsp oil as per your taste.
• Add 1 tbsp tomato paste for a redder curry. You can then reduce the yoghurt to 2 tbsp.
• Grind green chillies while making the onion paste if you would like the Dum Aloo to be spicier.