Dum Aloo

Dum aloo in Marathi

Time: around 1 hour
Serves: 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients:
15 to 18 small potatoes (Tip)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped Tomato
1/2 inch piece of Ginger, finely chopped
4 to 6 big garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp cashew powder
4 tbsp plain yogurt, well beaten
1/2 tsp dry ginger powder, 1 tsp fennel seeds powder, 2 pinches clove powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder (tip)
1 tsp red chili powder
salt to taste
3 tbsp oil
Oil for deep frying
Method:
1) Wash the potatoes. Boil 1 liter water. Add 1 tsp salt. Put the potatoes in, cover the pan and cook for around 7-8 minutes over high heat. Add some water if required. Don't cook potatoes fully. Cook enough, so that the skin is easily peelable. Once potatoes reach that point, drain the hot water and add cold water. Peel all the potatoes.
2) Heat oil in a kadai. Once oil is hot, turn the heat to medium. Deep fry potatoes till they turn golden brown. Do not fry over high heat. Potatoes will become brown quickly, but they will stay uncooked inside. Place the fried potatoes over a absorbent paper. Poke each fried potato 2-3 times with a fork.[This allows potatoes to soak the gravy.]
3) Heat 2 tbsp oil into a pan. Saute ginger-garlic for 10 seconds. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add red chili powder, cashew powder salt and tomato. Cook till tomato becomes mushy. Turn the heat off and let this mixture cool down. Grind it to a fine paste. Add little water if needed.
4) Heat 1 tbsp oil in that same kadai. Add turmeric powder and Kashmiri red chili powder. Add onion-tomato paste. Let the gravy boil. Then add dry ginger powder, fennel seeds powder, clove powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala. Mix well.
5) Turn the heat to very low, 5 minutes before adding yogurt. Add yogurt and whisk quickly so that yogurt won't get spoil and become grainy. Therefore use egg beater to stir the gravy.
6) Once yogurt is well blended, add fried potatoes. Cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Adjust the consistency to your own preference. Serve hot with white rice or chapati.

Tips:
1) In case, if baby potatoes are unavailable, cut the normal potatoes in big chunks and they are good to use.
2) Kashmiri red chili powder is used for bright red color. It's not much spicy, therefore normal red chili powder (cayenne) is also required.