Dum Aloo Recipe (2 Ways) | Kashmiri Dum Aloo & Restaurant Style

Dum Aloo is a delicious recipe of baby potatoes cooked in a gravy or sauce. This dish is made in various ways in Indian Cuisine. In this post I am sharing 2 such popular variations of dum aloo.

1. Kashmiri Dum Aloo – Authentic Spicy Version
2. Dum Aloo Restaurant Style – Rich creamy version with North Indian Flavors

Both the recipes taste good and you can make any one of them.

About Kashmiri Dum Aloo

Spicy and delish is this Kashmiri Dum Aloo where baby potatoes are simmered (dum cooked) in a spicy curd (yogurt) based gravy or sauce. This is a delicious recipe from the Kashmiri cuisine.

Out of all the recipes I make with baby potatoes, Kashmiri dum aloo is the most repeated one. The reason being it is easy and I just need to prepare rice and a side veggie dish or salad by the side.

This recipe was first adapted by me from a small palm sized cookbook having many Kashmiri recipes. After that, I have made this recipe many times and it is always a winner. Some key points below.

1. Flavors: This recipe of Kashmiri dum aloo is more like the way the actual Kashmiri dum aloo is – sour and spicy. The gravy or sauce does not taste like the ones you get in the restaurants – which is a creamy, sweet gravy made with onion & tomatoes.
2. No onion no garlic: the recipe does not have any onion or garlic in it. So this is a satvik recipe.
3. Baby potatoes: baby potatoes are parboiled and then fried. Later these fried baby potatoes are added in the gravy or sauce and slow simmered. The baby potatoes absorb the flavors of the spices and curd while cooking.
4. Saving time: when I am short of time, I fry the potatoes directly in oil or steam them completely till done. When I have time, I parboil the potatoes and then saute or pan fry till golden. You can choose any option you want.
5. Red chilli powder:  In the recipe I highly recommend to add Kashmiri red chilli powder or deghi mirch as they are not very hot or pungent and give a nice red color to the final dish. I have also made this Kashmiri dum aloo with a few varieties of red chilli powder and they made the dish too spicy. If you cannot handle the heat, then reduce the amount of the Kashmiri red chilli powder.
6. Other spices: This traditional recipe has spices like Kashmiri red chilli powder, ginger powder, fennel powder which are aromatic and combine to give a lovely warm flavor to the whole dish.

I always serve Kashmiri aloo dum with steamed basmati rice. Though you can also serve with roti or naan or paratha or tandoori roti or khasta rotis or poori. But I feel it goes best with steamed basmati rice.

Trivia

Have you ever wondered why Kashmiris use dry ginger powder and not fresh ginger. Whereas in the rest of the Indian cuisine, fresh ginger is added. Any guesses? well I have heard that since Kashmir is far away tucked in the mountains, it used to be very difficult to procure fresh ginger, hence the use of dry ginger powder.

How to make Kashmiri Dum Aloo

Preparation

1: Rinse 500 grams baby potatoes (20 to 22 nos) well. Remove the mud etc from them by scrubbing or brushing. You can also soak them in some warm water for 15 to 20 minutes and then rinse them.

2. Take 3.5 cups water + ¼ tsp salt in a pan.

3. Add the potatoes.

4. On a medium to high flame boil the water, so that the potatoes are half cooked. About 9 to 10 minutes. You can even pressure cook the baby potatoes with 3 cups water for 1 whistle.

5. Drain them and allow to become warm or cool down at room temperature.

6. Peel the potatoes. This task takes a lot of time, so do it while listening to music or watching your favorite tv show. if you want you can keep the peels too.

7. With a fork, toothpick or skewer, poke holes in the potatoes all over. This is done so that when cooking on dum, the potatoes absorb the flavors of the masala in which they are getting cooked. Halve them if they are big or you can keep them whole if they are small and then poke them.

8. Whisk 6 tablespoons fresh full fat curd or yogurt till smooth. Keep aside.

9. In a small bowl, take 3 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder and 2 tablespoons water.

10. Mix and stir well to get a smooth mixture.

Frying potatoes

11: in a pan heat ¾ cup mustard oil till it begins to smoke. Add the parboiled peeled baby potatoes and begin to fry them on a low to medium flame.

12. With a slotted spoon, turn them over while frying, when one side is golden.

13. Remove the baby potatoes which are golden and crisp with a slotted spoon. Fry them well or else they remain uncooked from the center.

14. Place them on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil. Fry all the baby potatoes till golden and crisp.

15. If you want you can again poke holes in the fried baby potatoes. This is an optional step.

Making Kashmiri dum aloo

16. Lower the flame. Remove the extra oil and keep 2 tablespoons oil in the same pan. Let the oil temperature come down. In the same oil, add asafoetida powder. Stir well. You can also use 2 tablespoons of fresh mustard oil for the gravy.

17. Then add the red chilli + water solution and stir well. Be careful as the mixture splutters.

18. Now add the beaten curd.

19. As soon as you add the curd, with a spoon or wired whisk, stir continuously, so that the curd does not split. Add the curd on a low flame.

20. After adding curd, add water and continue to stir. Mix very well.

21. Then add 1 tablespoon fennel powder.

If you do not have ready fennel powder than you have to make it.

Roast ¾ tablespoon fennel lightly in a small pan or tava. When cooled, then in a mortar & pestle pound the roasted fennel seed to a medium fine to fine powder.

You can also grind in a small spice grinder or coffee grinder.

22. Add the whole spices – 1 teaspoon shah jeera, 1 inch cinnamon, 3 cloves, 1 black cardamom, 4 to 5 black peppers & 1 green cardamom (optional).

23. Add ½ tablespoon dry ginger powder. Stir well.

24. Now add the fried baby potatoes. Stir again. Season with salt. Mix well.

25. Cover the pan tightly with a lid. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes on a low to medium flame. Here we are cooking the baby potato gravy on dum.

26. The gravy should become thick. You can always add less or more water depending on how thick or thin you want the gravy. If you cook more, the gravy will reduce more. So depending on what you prefer, you can cook for less or more time.

27. Sprinkle some caraway seeds from top (optional) and Serve Kashmiri dum aloo hot with steamed basmati rice. The second-best option is to serve with Indian flatbreads like naan, roti or plain paratha.

About Restaurant Style Dum Aloo

This Dum Aloo Recipe makes for a truly rich, creamy, restaurant-style version that you can make for special occasions or when you want to have a rich baby potato curry.

The recipe uses a mix of onions, cashews, curd along with spices. No tomatoes are added in this recipe.

This dish is simply delicious and has North Indian flavors in it. It tastes damn good with Indian flatbreads like roti, paratha or naan.

In this dum aloo, the gravy as well as the baby potatoes are dum cooked. Sealing the pan tightly and slow cooking the gravy in it, does bring a different flavor in this dish.

Expert Tips

• Instead of cashews, you can use almonds.
• I have kept the recipe healthy as I have not fried the potatoes. If you want you can parboil and then fry the potatoes or fry the potatoes directly.
• Baby potatoes are used in preparing dum aloo. But if you do not get baby potatoes, then you can use regular potatoes. Just cook the potatoes in a pan with water till they are almost cooked.
• Spice powders can be added less or more as per your choice.
• If you want, you can even try the dhungar method once the dum aloo gravy is done, to infuse a smoky charcoal aroma in the dish.

Serve this rich baby potato gravy with roti, paratha and naan. You can also have it with steamed rice or jeera rice.

How to make Dum Aloo Restaurant Style

Preparation

1. Rinse and scrub 250 grams baby potatoes very well in water. then bring 2.5 cups water to a boil.

2. Add the baby potatoes. Cover with a lid and cook the potatoes for 12 to 15 minutes on a medium flame.

3. Simmer till the baby potatoes are almost cooked. Do not overcook them. In the below photo, the baby potatoes are almost done.

4. Drain all the water and let the potatoes become warm or cool at room temperature.

5. Once the baby potatoes become warm, then peel them. Prick them with a fork or toothpick. If you want, you can keep the peels on them.

For making ground paste

6. When you keep the baby potatoes for cooking, soak 10 cashews in ⅓ cup hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.

7. In a grinder jar, take 1 cup roughly chopped onions, soaked cashews, ½ inch ginger (chopped), 5 small to medium garlic cloves (chopped) and ½ teaspoon fennel seeds.

8. Add 2 tablespoons water and grind to a smooth paste.

9. Then add the ¼ cup fresh curd (yogurt).

10. Just blend for some seconds till the curd mixes very well with the onion paste. Do not overdo.

Making dum aloo

11. Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a pot or pan. Once the ghee becomes hot, then on a low to medium flame, add the following whole spices – 1 inch cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 small to medium tej patta (Indian bay leaf) and ½ teaspoon shah jeera (caraway seeds). Let the spices crackle.

12. Keep the flame to a low or you can switch the flame off. Then add the onion-curd paste.

13. Mix very well with a spoon.

14. Cover the pan with its lid and cook the masala paste. The pan needs to be covered with a lid as a lot of spluttering happens. In between do check after every 2 to 3 minutes so that the masala does not stick to the pan. Also stir very well

15. The paste needs to be cooked till the color changes and you see some specks of ghee floating on the top and the sides. Sautéing the masala takes about 7 to 8 minutes on a low to medium flame.

16. Then add the following spice powders – ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (or Kashmiri red chilli powder), ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander) and ½ teaspoon garam masala powder.

17. Mix the spice powders very well.

18. Add the baby potatoes. Mix them gently with the sautéed masala paste.

19. Pour 1 cup of water.

20. Season with salt as required. Mix very well.

21. Again mix very well.

Dum Cooking Baby Potatoes Curry

22. Seal the pan tightly with a foil.

23. Cover the pan with its lid.

24. On a low flame dum cook the gravy for 10 to 12 minutes. Switch off the flame and allow the gravy to rest for 3 to 4 minutes.

Then open the lid and the foil. The dum aloo is ready now and some last finishing touch is needed.

25. Add 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves. Mix very well.

26. Serve restaurant style dum aloo with chapatis or naan or pooris or cumin rice or pudina paratha or tandoori rotis.

More potato recipes

1. Aloo matar
2. Potato curry
3. Aloo palak
4. Banarasi Dum Aloo – No Onion No Garlic.
5. Bengali Alur Dom – Bengali Style Dum Aloo.

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

This Dum Aloo recipe from the archives first published in April 2012 and has been republished and updated on June 2020.