Dum Aloo

Yesterday was forecasted to be the last day of the year with favourable temperature, the coming days promising to be of freezing cold. From today onwards, it's drizzling continuously dropping down the temperature further below. I dread the winter here when your movement outside home becomes limited due to the icy cold wind slapping your face every time you step out and you run for a shelter, into the warm cocoon of your car with the heating full on or any place else that gives you warmth. Last year while coming back from Detroit upon a weekly grocery shopping, we encountered a sudden burst of snowfall which blurred our vision outside completely, the blinking lights of cars merely indicating of their presence ahead and behind our vehicle. It was utterly chaotic and highly dangerous.

 

For the first time in life I witnessed a snowplow removing heaps of snow from the roads making our ways clear for driving. It was looking beautiful though when the snowfall ended draping the neighborhood in snow white sheath. But driving into the spirals of snowfall with no view of outside is not an experience, I would like, to be repeated.

 

The name Dum Aloo brings saliva into my mouth, it crazily tasting awesome paired with a plate of puri or luchis. Just blissful! Nothing else can surpass the goodness of the meal a combo of dum aloo and luchi recreates. It transports you into heavenly world of sheer goodness. 

Ingredients:                                              Cooking time: 45 minutes approx.. ü  18-20 small potatoes (peeled) ü  2 medium size onions (chopped) ü  2 tomatoes (chopped) ü  3-4 green chillies (chopped) ü  5 cloves of garlic (chopped) ü  1 inch stick ginger (chopped) ü  1 tsp turmeric powder ü  1 1/2 tsp kashmiri red mirch ü  2 tsp sugar ü  Salt to taste ü  1 tsp cumin powder ü  1 tsp coriander powder ü  1/2 Chinese ginger powder or dry ginger powder ü  1 tsp garam masala powder ü  3 heaped tbsp plain yogurt, beaten ü  White oil for cooking For Ground Spice Mixture: ü  3 tbsp cashew nuts ü  1 tsp cloves ü  1 tsp black peppercorn ü  1 tsp fennel seeds Method: 1) Boil the potatoes in microwave for 8 minutes. Drain the water and pat them dry. 2) Dry roast the ingredients for Ground Spice Mixture and then grind them into fine powder. 3) Heat oil in a wok. Add the potatoes and shallow fry them till potatoes are golden brown in color. Take them off the flame and using a fork, poke each potato 2-3 times to allow room for absorbing the spices. 4) Into the same oil, add onion, green chillies, chopped ginger-garlic and fry them till onion changes color. Add tomatoes. Fry till tomatoes soften. Add kashmiri red mirch, turmeric powder and the roasted ground spice mixture. Add 1/4 cup of water and sauté or bhunao for 2 minutes. Turn off the flame and bring the mixture down to room temperature. Grind the mixture in a blender into fine paste. 5) Put the mixture paste back into the flame. Add cumin powder, coriander powder, Chinese ginger powder, salt, garam masala powder and sugar. Mix well. Add yogurt and sauté the mixture for 2-3 minutes. 6) Throw the fried potatoes back into the wok and cook covered for few minutes till potatoes are tender. 7) Garnish with green chillies or coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti, chapati or rice.