Cook your own Divine Dum Aloo or Dum Alu
Dum Aloo or Dum Alu is an Indian dish. It is amazingly fragrant and vibrant. With the abundance of spices, the flavours blend deliciously to extract the best of them and to combine with the comforting taste of potatoes.
Dum Aloo might seem like a lengthy and multi-stage recipe. However, it does not have to be so. If you follow the 5 Element recipe you will be likely to make it more than once in your life.
Preparation
Wash thoroughly and rinse 750g baby potatoes or pick the smallest potatoes from the packet. Do not peel them. Add them to a medium-sized, heavy-based pan and boil until cooked through but not falling apart. When the potatoes are ready drain them and set aside in a colander. Keep 1 cup of the cooking water.
The procedure to make the gravy
Heat up a large, steel or cast iron skillet and add the following ingredients:
- Sweet 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds,
- Pungent 1 bay leaf, a pinch of chilli flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala, a pinch of black pepper, 1 roughly chopped onion, stir the onion in the spices and fry for 1-2 minutes until translucent and add 1 grated garlic clove, 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger, a pinch of chilli cayenne (optional), sauté the spices stirring them continuously and continue:
- Salty 1 teaspoon of sea salt,
- Sour 1 chopped medium-sized tomato (or 5-6 sliced plum tomatoes), 2 tablespoons of tomato puree (optional), 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice
- Bitter 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, a few leaves of fresh thyme (optional),
- Sweet 1 cup water from the potatoes, 1 teaspoon of (brown) sugar.
Stir the gravy well and simmer covered at low heat for about 5-10 minutes until the tomatoes fall apart.
In the heavy-based pan which you used to cook your potatoes add 1 tablespoon of oil and cooked potatoes in 2-3 batches. Add only as many potatoes to cover the bottom, not more. Sprinkle them with a pinch of turmeric and black pepper and fry turning several times to get crispy skin.
When your potatoes are done add them to the gravy and simmer on low heat for about 5-10 minutes. If you feel there is not enough flavour go around the cycle again and add a little bit of each until you get to the one which is missing.
Serve with rice or flatbreads, garnished with cilantro or parsley. If you like your Dum Aloo spicy-hot it will go well with refreshing green tea.
For other potato recipes see potatoes with salmoriglio sauce or potato and sorrel salad.
