Dum Aloo (No Nuts,No Heavy Cream)

Dum aloo or aloo dum is a classic north indian dish of baby potatoes cooked in a rich, spicy gravy. This slow cooked potato curry is one of the most delicious way to enjoy potatoes! Numerous variations of dum aloo exist in North India with each recipe showcasing regional preferences.

In this post I am teaching my one-pot aloo dum recipe with bold flavors and a subtle tanginess from yogurt. Nut free & heavy cream free! Treasured family recipe!

Potatoes are love and dum aloo has always been a special dish from my childhood. It was a must on festivals like Diwali & Holi and on special occasions as its vibrant colors and robust flavors make it a crowd-pleaser. During winter time, mom used to make it often for weekend brunch when new potatoes hit the market. 

Whenever someone mentions dum aloo, it immediately reminds me of the birthday menus that mom used to put together year after year for us. It used to be a comforting meal of poori, chana masala, dum aloo and gulab jamun for the perfect sweet ending.

What is Dum Aloo

In hindi 'dum' refers to slow cooking in a sealed pot. In dum aloo, whole potatoes leisurely slow cook in a spiced yogurt base, resulting in a delectable curry. Dum cooking is most commonly employed while cooking dishes such as paneer biryani or mutton biryani. The sealed container ensures that the potatoes absorb the essence of the spices & yogurt and are infused with deep flavors.

The thick gravy or masala of aloo dum is a delightful blend of yogurt, tomato puree, onions, and ginger along with aromatic spices.It takes about 40-45 minutes to make dum aloo and it is a wonderful comforting vegetarian main dish.

Across India, you'll find various dum aloo recipes, each distinct in different regions. In my family, every aunt's version varies from my mom's, yet they all share the common trait of being incredibly delicious and comforting- after all potatoes are synonymous with comfort!

While kashmiri aloo dum is no onion- garlic and leans towards being quite sour and spicy, there are dhaba (Indian diner) or restaurant-style dum aloo preparations that tend to be quite decadent and loaded with nuts, heavy cream, and having a rich consistency.

About My Recipe

I am sharing with you my family recipe of aloo dum which is delicious, mildly sour, flavorful and rich. I have always loved dum aloo cooked this way. Here are a few things about my recipe that I would like to highlight.

• One pot - One of my favorite things about this recipe is its simplicity! We'll parboil the potatoes, dry roast the spices, and cook the masala all in the same pot – saving on dishes and reducing the hassle.
• Chunky, Nut & Heavy Cream Free- The gravy of dum aloo from my recipe is chunky, nut free & without heavy cream. This is how I have grown up eating dum aloo and love it this way. It is not sweetish or nutty like restaurant style dum aloo or smoother curry bases such as the one I prepare when making malai aloo.
• No Overcooking - For a long time, I used to end up with mushy aloo dum because I used to pressure cook the potatoes. Shifting from pressure cooking to parboiling the potatoes has proven to be a game-changer since it prevents the dreaded mushy aloo dum. Slow-cooking them with the masala ensures perfectly cooked spuds.
• Flavorful - Finally, adding whole spices to the water while parboiling the potatoes kicks off an immediate infusion of flavor – a total game-changer trick in elevating the overall taste of your aloo dum.

Ingredients

Hero Ingredients

• Baby Potatoes - Potatoes are the main ingredient in aloo dum. Aloo dum is usually made with baby potatoes. I like use dutch yellow baby potatoes. These potatoes have a beautiful round shape(contributing to pleasing finished look of the curry) and they have a delicious creamy flesh. That said, on multiple occasions, I have used regular potatoes cut in halves or quaters when a trip to the store wasn't convenient. Gold or yellow potatoes work beautifully and if you have someone at home who isn't too keen on baby potatoes, just substitute. I haven't used red, purple or fingerling potatoes for aloo dum and cannot really tell about the taste.
• Yogurt - Yogurt adds a creaminess and a tangy flavor to the curry base. Always, whole milk yogurt for curries, please! I use plain whole greek yogurt that isn't too tangy (else your masala will become sour). You could use regular yogurt as well as long as it is thickish. If you can use dahi(indian curd) from indian grocery stores, that's a great choice too.

Other Ingredients

Since they are quite bland on their own,when it comes to cooking potatoes dishes, you need to choose strong flavors to bump the final taste of the dish. Many of the ingredients that I am noting below are selected keeping this in mind.

• Fresh Ground Spices -Instead of using powdered spices, I grind whole spices like cumin & coriander seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns and kashmiri dried red chilli etc. This fresh spice blend is one of the highlight of my dum aloo recipe. It imparts an unparalleled intense aroma and smokiness to the finished potato curry. The spice blend takes barely 5 minutes to make and I highly recommed it.
• Whole Spices - bay leaves, black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom
• Onions - In general, I prefer using red onions for indian curries. While yellow or sweet onions are not commonly used in Indian cuisine, they can still be used if that's what you have available. When slicing the onions, aim for a thickness that is neither too thick nor too thin. Once softened and cooked with yogurt, the browned onions take on a texture resembling thin strings and that enhances the overall texture of masala.
• Ginger - Julinned ginger is best to use and it contributes to the texture of masala. I usually refrain from grinding ginger becasue it can get quite overpowering. But, if you have ginger paste at hand, use about ½ teaspoon in this recipe.
• Mustard Oil - For the authentic taste, use mustard oil. The distinctive pungency of mustard oil adds a unique & traditional flavor dimension to the dish. However, if its piquant aroma and taste can be strong for you, use avocado or any cooking oil that you commonly use at home.
• Kasuri Methi (Kasoori methi) - I like to finish aloo dum with kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves. My mom didn't use it though but we love the aroma and the unique flavor it adds.

Instructions

Par Boil The Potatoes

• Using a peeler, peel off the skins of the washed baby potatoes. You may half the potatoes if you wish.
• Using a fork, prick each potato in a few places. Until you are ready to cook, soak the peeled potatoes in a large pot of water to prevent oxidation.
• In a large cooking pot (I use 3 qt cast iron kadai, similar sized dutch oven or stainless steel cookware will work too), bring 3-4 cups of water to a rolling boil on high heat.
• Once the water starts to boil,reduce the heat slightly to keep it from boiling over and add cloves, green cardamom pods, salt and ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder to it. Adding turmeric lends beautiful color to the potatoes and the whole spices when added at this step start the flavor infusion rightaway.

• Continue boiling for about 6-8 minutes-shorter if you halved the potatoes and longer if the potatoes are larger in size.
• To check for doneness, pick a potato and try to insert a fork, tip of a sharp knife or a metal skewer. If it goes in with slight resistance, the potatoes are par boiled.
• Drain and set the potatoes aside in a bowl. Discard the whole spices. Once cooled and dried, if you wish, for a richer flavor, you can lightly deep fry or pan fry the parboiled potatoes separately in oil until they develop a golden crust before adding them to the masala.

Dry Roast The Spices

• Discard all the water from the pot and heat up again on low medium heat. Add cumin seeds, corinader seeds, dried chilies, cloves and black peppercorns.
• On low-medium heat, dry roast the spices until they are nicely browned and you see little bit of smoke coming out. You will have to stir continously so that spices dont burn.
• Transfer to a plate, let cool down a bit and then grind into a powder.

Make Aloo Dum

• Place the cooking pot back on medium heat and add oil. Let warm up. If you are using mustard oil, warm up for a little longer so that the raw smell of oil goes away.
• Temper the warm oil with bay leaf, cinnamom stick, hing and black cardamon. Also add the ginger. Fry everything on low heat for 5-6 seconds taking care not to burn the spices.
• Add the sliced onions next. On medium flame,fry the onions for about 8-10 minutes or until they are golden brown. Don't rush the onions, the right amount of browning contributes to the color and taste of curry.

• Reduce the heat to low, and sprinkle 1.5 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder along with 1-2 tablespoon of water (to avoid the chili powder from burning). Stir and fry for a minute or so taking care not to burn the chili powder. If needed, take the cooking pot off the stove.

• Next, add the par boiled potatoes and sprinkle salt on them. Toss around and fry the potatoes with onions for about 3-4 minutes on low medium heat. In this way, introducing potatoes a bit early starts the flavor absoprtion rightaway.

• Then, add the tomato puree & sugar. Continue to fry the potatoes with masala for 3-4 minutes.
• Once you see that the moisture of tomatoes has evaporated a little bit, reduce the heat and add the beaten yogurt. As soon as you add the yogurt, start stirring and continoue for at least 2 minutes or until the yogurt has warmed through. This prevents the yogurt from curdling.
• Once yogurt is part of the masala, add the spice mix that we made earlier. Mix everything and fry for another 1-2 minutes.

• When you see oil starting to seperate, add about  ¾ cup water (warm water). Don't add too much water since aloo dum has a thickish gravy.
• Mix and then cover the cooking pot and let dum cook (slow cook) on low flame for about 12-14 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Check 2-3 times while slowcooking and make sure that the masala is not getting too dry. Add water as needed. Make sure that the potatoes dont over cook, please adjust slow cooking time accordingly.
• Once the potatoes are fully cooked, open the lid.You will see a thin layer of oil on the sides of pot and the potatoes will have a beautiful color.
• Finish aloo dum with crushed kasuri methi. Let rest for 10-15 minutes if possible.

• Serve warm. Garnish with fresh herbs like chopped coriander leaves or fresh mint just before serving to add a burst of freshness.You could also finish the dum aloo with a drizzle of ghee just before serving to adds a rich and buttery flavor.

Serving Ideas

• Weekend brunch - Dum aloo pairs best with deep fried indian flatbreads such as kachoris or poori. Serve aloo dum with plain poori, bedmi poori, methi poori or plain parathas and a bowl of boondi raita for a comforting weekend meal.
• Party Menu - Start off with tandoor paneer tikka, achari paneer tikka or hara bhara kabab for appetizers. For the main course, make aloo dum, punjabi dal makhani, dal maharani or dal bukhara and bhindi do pyaza. Serve homemade instant naan, basmati rice or jeera rice as sides. Kachumber, green chutney and raita would be awesome condiments to serve alongside this party menu. Don't forget jaljeera or mango shikanji for cooling drinks.

Recipe Tips

• Make sure to choose similar sized potatoes so that they finish cooking in about the same time. Usually I choose baby potatoes that weigh between 30g -40 g.
• Don't skimp on oil. Certain vegetable like potatoes, eggplant etc need optimum quanity of oil to cook and taste good. Aloo dum is a rich curry and reducing the quantity of oil will take away the ideal taste.
• Here, in this recipe, the heat comes from black pepeprcorns and dried kashmiri chilies that we grind. Adjust the amount of to your spice preference. If you prefer it milder, reduce the quantity.