Mahanandi

Living in Consciousness ~ Indi(r)a’s Food and Garden Weblog

Aloo Dum (Baby Potatoes in Masala Sauce)

Thanks to the weird, spring like weather we have in this part of the world, the baby potatoes, which usually appear in market during spring and early summer, are on the market for sale in February. Rulli Brothers, the local Italian grocery shop had a sale going on baby potatoes last weekend. A pound of potatoes for one and half dollars and we could hand pick them from the pile. That’s a change from the usual prepackaged stuff. I picked out two pounds of tiny, key-lime sized baby reds, thinking they would be perfect for ‘Aloo dum’. Every home cook/chef of experience has few dishes in their repertoire, which they are certain about the outcome and happy to prepare and serve. Mine, among other things is, Indian restaurant style Aloo Dum. Baby potatoes cooked in an unforgettable flavorful sauce – the kind of dish that makes you swoon with its rich and satisfying goodness.

Recipe:

The preparation is three step. First boil the baby potatoes until they are just tender. Roast and grind the spices, the vegetables and the nuts for masala sauce. Combine and cook them together. The whole preparation takes about 30 to 45 minutes, if you have everything at hand.:) And the main chunk of it is of course to wait for the potatoes to boil.

Ingredients:

12 tiny baby potatoes
For Sauce- veggies
4 medium sized ripe tomatoes, each cut into four quarters
1 medium sized red onion or 4 shallots cut into big chunks
¼ cup finely chopped coriander
1×1 inch piece of fresh ginger
2 big garlic cloves
Nuts
½ cup cashews
¼ cup fresh grated coconut
Dry masala
6 dried red chillies
1 teaspoon coriander seeds & cumin
½ teaspoon peppercorns
3 small cinnamon sticks and cloves
1 star anise
for popu/tadka
2 teaspoons of peanut oil
1 teaspoon of mustard seeds, cumin and some curry leaves

½ tsp of turmeric
Salt to taste

The list is long, but checkout the photo of ingredients together. It’s not much, is it?

Preparation:

Preparation is as I mentioned above, boil, roast-sauté-grind and cook.

Boil the potatoes until they are just fork-tender. When they are cool enough to handle, peel the skin. Prick them with a fork in multiple sites and keep them aside.

Gather the listed ingredients for masala sauce, ready on hand on a big plate. Heat an iron skillet and proceed like this.

1. Roast dry masala ingredients, for few minutes, until they release their smell. Remove them from the skillet and keep aside.
2. Roast cashews, then fresh grated coconut for few minutes. Remove them from the skillet and keep aside.
3. Roast ginger and garlic for few minutes. Remove them from the skillet and keep aside.
4. Finally heat one teaspoon of oil and roast onion and tomatoes for few minutes.

Let them cool down little bit. When they are cool enough to touch, put them in a blender. Add half glass of water and half teaspoon of salt. Grind them into smooth paste.

Cook: Heat one teaspoon of peanut oil in a big wide pan or kadai. Toast the popu ingredients (mustard seeds, cumin and curry leaves) until they start to splutter. Add the grinded masala paste and another half to one glass of water. Stir in turmeric. Taste and add salt if needed. Add baby potatoes. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. Finally stir in finely chopped cilantro and serve.

My Kitchen Notes:
Don’t forget to prick the potatoes, so that they can absorb the sauce.
Onions – avoid yellow onion and go with shallots or red onions
If you want, you can also stir in cream/yogurt at the end.


Aloo Dum and Chapatis

Check out another version of Aloo dum from Lera of Myriad Tastes.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Baby Potatoes,Cashews,Coconut (Fresh),Potato (Monday February 27, 2006 at 9:45 am- permalink)
Comments (50)

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50 comments for Aloo Dum (Baby Potatoes in Masala Sauce) »

  1. Oh WOW! As usual just amazing on the photography!!

    This may sound stupid but how do you get that white background on your pics, Indira?

    Sam

    Comment by Sam — February 27, 2006 @ 10:13 am

  2. Thanks!
    White board and white wall, Sam.

    Comment by Indira — February 27, 2006 @ 10:19 am

  3. Hi Indra, looks very delicious.

    Just a little tip, if u happen to have a microwave. Wash the potatoes, put them in a microwave safe container. Add minimum water, cover and pop it into the microwave on high for 3-5 mins, depending on the size of the potatoes. Safes lots of your time.

    Indira replies…
    that’s a neat tip, thanks for sharing, Pushpa.

    Comment by Puspha — February 27, 2006 @ 10:25 am

  4. Hi Indira..I almost made dum aloo yesterday but was too tired to look up a recipe. So now that I have one at my fingertips I can make this for dinner tonight.
    Thanks

    Comment by Gini — February 27, 2006 @ 10:49 am

  5. Wow, this looks YUMMY! will have to try…. my husband hates trying new foods – but potatoes are his fave! so may get away with it! (“,)

    Comment by Aisha — February 27, 2006 @ 11:09 am

  6. Hey Indira..
    U wont beleive ..my husband said the same thing to me when he saw ur photographs….”Whiteboard and whitewall”…

    I love kadais..especially antique copper finished ones…..I wish I can get hold of them one day…

    Comment by BDSN — February 27, 2006 @ 11:45 am

  7. OOOhhhh…one of my favorites! I’ve never tried it with baby potatoes, but that could also be because we have the *hardest* time finding them around here. All the farmers markets are disappearing, which is depressing.

    If we find them, though…I am definitely making this!

    Comment by Stephanie — February 27, 2006 @ 12:16 pm

  8. Aloo Dum – simply yum, yum, yum. Stunning pictures as usual. I have to wipe off the drool from my keyboard or I will short-circuit it!

    Comment by holyjalapeno — February 27, 2006 @ 12:29 pm

  9. Hi Indira,
    I am a regular visitor to ur blog and have got laods of tips from u..but this the first time I have ventured to comment. I made Dum Aloo a couple of weeks back..there is a little variation in the way I did it.. After the boiled potatoes are peeled, I prick them with a fork and then roast them in a wide pan with some oil..so a crunchy crust forms ..and then add them to the gravy….this gives them a nice crunchy feel even after they take in the gravy..!!

    Comment by Priya — February 27, 2006 @ 12:42 pm

  10. Indira:
    One more feather to add in your cap. I hope this is going to be added in my “must do’s”. Hats off to your photograph!
    –Karthi

    Comment by Karthi Kannan — February 27, 2006 @ 1:13 pm

  11. Your photos are always GREAT. I love your little kadai. I love aloo dum and will have to try it esp since your recipe does not involve frying the potatoes:-}

    Comment by mika — February 27, 2006 @ 2:04 pm

  12. Hi Indira…
    My mom handed down a perfect tip for aloo dum left overs….thought will share it with you as I have been gaining from your contributions 😉
    My mom makes a chat of leftover dum by mixing it with mixture / sev sprinked with onions and yogurt. A perfect way to finish up your leftovers yet lip smacking 🙂
    Btw, its a great blog! Love it!

    Comment by Apsy — February 27, 2006 @ 4:13 pm

  13. Can someone hand me a tissue please…I am drooling over here…

    Comment by Supriya — February 28, 2006 @ 2:25 am

  14. Oh, dum aloo! Ine of the best dishes in the universe, ever.

    You are making me want to go into the kitchen right now and make some! (Maybe for lunch…)

    😉

    Indira replies…
    I agree Barbara.
    And the sauce is great even for meat like chicken or lamb curries. You know that already, don’t you?:)

    Comment by Barbara — February 28, 2006 @ 7:23 am

  15. Your version is very different from what I usually make (learn it from my kashimiri aunt). Photos look really good.

    Indira replies..
    An authentic kashmiri recipe…. please share with us, Krithika.
    Thanks!

    Comment by Krithika Ramachandran — February 28, 2006 @ 9:36 am

  16. Here, Supriya, take one… I always come with a stack of tissues, when I come to Mahanandi. She makes me drool, with her cooking skills and photography skills!

    The first I visited Mahanandi, She made me fall in love with cooking, all over again!

    Indira replies…
    aahh…Kay, Now you are making me bloat with your generous compliments. 🙂
    Thanks!

    Comment by Kay — February 28, 2006 @ 11:07 am

  17. Indira,
    Just made your aloo dum, oh mine! It’s soooo delicious! I never ate so much potato before! Wonderful recipe!!!

    Comment by gattina — March 3, 2006 @ 8:11 pm

  18. Indira, I made dum aloo for dinner yesterday and have to say that it came out delicious. Thanks for sharing this receipe.

    Indira replies…
    I’m glad it turned out delicious, Jaya and thanks for the feedback.

    Comment by Jaya — March 5, 2006 @ 10:38 am

  19. I stumbled upon your site the other day looking for a good basic recipe that used coconut (I had a coconut waiting for usage). Made this masala but with chicken! Delicious! It was my first real attempt at an Indian dish (as in outside throwing some curry and tumeric together for an improv curry). First Indian dish I actuallu followed a recipe. Easy to follow. Mine came out orange– not red. hmmm… Anyway, it was great and I’ll be posting my own results to my blog Just Braise shortly! Thanks for the recipe!

    Indira replies…
    Kudos to you for actually following an Indian recipe and am glad it turned out great.
    hmm.. where did I mention the color of this dish? yellow, orange or red, who cares about the color anyway, what matters is the taste.. don’t you agree?

    Comment by Stacey — March 5, 2006 @ 3:33 pm

  20. Hi Indira! I think I could live on potatoes alone… So I save every recipes that offers a little variation on how to prepare them. Thanks for the recipe – I will have to look out for baby potatoes now 😉

    Indira replies…
    I’m also like that, Nicky. Potatoes are a staple in my kitchen and I love all things potatoes. This particular recipe is my very favorite one. Do try and let me know how you like it. Thanks!

    Comment by Nicky — March 7, 2006 @ 2:15 am

  21. Hi Indira,
    This looks like an awesome recipe. Can’t wait to try it, especially since my DH will devour anything with potatoes.
    Also just wanted to compliment you on this excellent space – you have a charmingly unique way of putting things together, be they words or recipes. I am going to keep visiting!

    Nee

    Indira replies…
    Thanks Nee!

    Comment by Anonymous — March 7, 2006 @ 12:11 pm

  22. hi! indira thanx for such a nice receipes. keep post

    Comment by bharagv — March 7, 2006 @ 10:10 pm

  23. Hi Indira,
    I tried your recipe.It came out very well, I added a few cardomoms and some yoghurt(reduced the no.of tomatoes). Your website is very interesting and I am a frequent visitor now..infact daily…:-)
    Thank you

    Indira replies:
    You are welcome, Raji. I’m glad it turned out well. Addition of yogurt and cadamoms sounds good – more flavor.
    Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it.

    Comment by Raji — March 16, 2006 @ 1:21 pm

  24. Hi Indira: Finally got around to making this. Used a mix of fingerling, red and white baby potatoes. I religiously stuck to your recipe and did find that the sauce while very delicious , was also extremely potent .I could only eat a 1-2 tablespoons of it . So had this pile of aloo dumm that I knew would languish in the fridge forever if I didn’t bring its life to a swift resolution:) So I used it as a stuffing for baked samosas. I took them to work all the while a bit concerned about the heat as a lot of my colleagues are Canadian born and bred. But they could just not get enough of it. and just lapped it up! Overall its a sure-fire crowd pleaser and should definitely be made only for a party-size crowd- to justify the potency and the richness:)

    Indira replies:
    Hi Janani, you mean I went overboard with spices or with cashews/coconut? 🙂
    I agree, this is more like a party dish for special occasions and also I prepare it for chapatis. Vijay and I, we both love sauces, that’s why I make sure that there is lots of it for atleast two to three meals. It is not a common dish for us, very rarely I prepare it, that too on weekends or for a get together with freinds.
    Thanks for letting me know, I appreciate it. Please feel free to review and share. You know I love this kind of feedback.

    Comment by Janani — April 11, 2006 @ 11:19 am

  25. I don’t know if I would characterize it as going overboard…In fact while making it, I thought the spice quantities were just right so was somewhat unprepared for the knockout punch:)Probably the cloves did it I think.The cashew and coconut were necessary to withstand that kind of heat. Its still a great recipe..surprising simple if you can prep beforehand.

    Comment by Janani — April 11, 2006 @ 4:31 pm

  26. I tried this recipe but used peanuts instead of cashews. The sauce is uniform and nice tasting. Inspite of the spices the dish is lacking the punch. Maybe increasing the quantity of anise would help.

    Comment by Archana — April 30, 2006 @ 4:30 pm

  27. I LOVE your website!!! I tried this with tamarind rice last night. My husband loved it because it had potatoes and masala came out so goooooood! The only thing is that the cinammon stick got stuck in the food processor blade and I had to stop pureeing before the paste got really smooth. But chunky sauce was not that bad/

    Comment by Rika — May 17, 2006 @ 9:11 am

  28. Do you know a variation on this recipe is almost a staple food in the UK?

    All Indian restaurants/take-aways offer a variation and call it “Bombay Aloo” or “Bombay Potato” as do most supermarkets at their “deli” counters. It is also available ready-to-eat in cans too.

    I think they probably follow a North Indian recipe as I am quite sure they do not mention coconut in their recipe.

    My home-made version has more garlic, green chilis and fenugreek leaves when available. (But no nuts or coconut.)

    P.S. I think your website is gorgeous – I have written to many people letting them know that when they need a reliable guide to preparing Indian food or to identifying an ingredient this is the site to try first!

    Comment by Shahryar — June 2, 2006 @ 3:58 am

  29. Hi Indira,

    I made this recipe for some guests yesterday… it was an instant hit… they liked it so much they even packed some & took home with them 🙂 thank you for all your wonderful recipes…

    Comment by Meera — June 3, 2006 @ 11:18 am

  30. Hi, Indira,

    We made this for our guests last night and they were maha impressed. I referred them to your Web site. This one’s a sure keeper. Thanks!

    Indira replies:
    Aha, now I know why my blog reached to no 1 spot. 🙂
    Thanks for trying out and letting me know, Terri. I am glad to hear that your guests are impressed with this recipe.

    Comment by Terri — July 12, 2006 @ 2:23 pm

  31. Can you modify this recipe for microwave cooking?- or would that not taste as good.. yummy, nevertheless.

    Comment by Ramakrishnan — September 16, 2006 @ 7:25 am

  32. Hi Indira,

    I made Dum Aloo your style. Thank you for wonderful collection of recipes.
    Found Seattle name under Category section and couldnt help clicking on it, well ‘Welcome to Seattle’. Its a beautiful place. Hope you enjoy your stay here and maybe we may bump into each other.

    Comment by Your neighbour? — November 6, 2006 @ 6:05 pm

  33. Hi Indira,

    It is me again in a short break.

    For our tonight’s dinner, guess what?? Yes, tried out aloo dum and the taste was simply amazing!! The tips particularly pricking the potato was really a good one.

    Overall, it is a worth trying dish for everyone.

    Thanks a bunch and Bye.

    Indira replies,
    Hi Rama, glad to hear that you tried and liked this recipe. Thanks for letting me know.

    Comment by Rama — November 15, 2006 @ 1:44 pm

  34. this looks fantafabulous! I am gonna make it tonight.

    You are like my dictionary for recipes now!

    All i wouldnt add is coconut and curryleaves and mustard seeds to this …lets see how it turns out.

    Comment by lavannya — November 25, 2006 @ 5:07 am

  35. […] Indira’s […]

    Pingback by Dum Aloo and Assorted Weekend Variouses « Out Of The Garden — July 8, 2007 @ 10:39 pm

  36. Hi Indira,

    I tried this recipe for a pot luck from your site. I can’t tell you how many compliments i got. Even after a month, people still are talking about this dish. But I tried it with fingerling potatoes. It was little spicier for me, but finger licking good for our other andhra guys and girls. Thank you so much. I have to check your site for updates every day.
    I am kind of addicted to your site. 🙂

    Hi Avany,
    I am happy to hear that you had success with this recipe. Thanks for taking time to share your happy experience.
    – Indira

    Comment by Avany — July 19, 2007 @ 8:21 am

  37. Hello Indira,
    Your blog is proving to be a Godsend for me as my husband enjoys everything I make – your recipes of course.
    I didn’t know that there are so many vegetarian dishes out there let alone how to cook them. Now I visit your site to plan what I should cook and how – a blessing for a beginner like me.
    Nini

    Comment by Nini — August 1, 2007 @ 3:48 pm

  38. Hi Indira, eventhough i don’t seem to enjoy cooking so much , i still like to make people happy with my dishes,any thing i make it should be tasty or i will not be satisfied, with my cooking,but when i come to your blog i see there are some very tasty recipes and i was waiting to try one of the recipes, finally i did try aloo-dum and it came out really good.thank you for sharing.

    Comment by Yashwini — August 12, 2007 @ 12:04 pm

  39. I made Kashmiri Dum Aloo yesterday following this recipe and they turned out fabulous. Everyone loved it.

    Will try yours soon!

    Comment by Manu Sharma — August 19, 2007 @ 12:53 pm

  40. Hello, I went like wow!!!!! on tasting this recipe..

    Comment by Magnolia — November 12, 2007 @ 4:02 am

  41. Hi,

    I cooked the same way and it turned out well.

    thanx.

    Comment by serious1 — January 23, 2008 @ 5:01 pm

  42. Hi,

    I tried your dum aloo… amazingly tasty….. thanx for such wonderful recipe…

    Comment by Jitha — February 14, 2008 @ 2:45 am

  43. Hi Indira,
    I am new to your blog. I live in UK Portsmouth. I tried your aloo dum recipe and it tasted yummy. My husband also liked it very much. I also tried some of your recipes and they all are good. Thanks for the nice recipes Indira.

    Comment by neelima — May 11, 2008 @ 12:35 pm

  44. Dear Indira,

    Fantastic recipe!! enjoyed it. Thank you for posting it. Will recommend to my sister too.

    Comment by savitha — September 15, 2009 @ 2:14 pm

  45. so yummy . thanks 4 posting this recipe.

    Comment by shanti — January 24, 2012 @ 12:22 am

  46. You know this dum aloo looks amazing. Thanks for the recipe, will try it out.

    Comment by Shalu Sharma — June 25, 2012 @ 4:23 pm

  47. I recently made this recipe. It was a huge hit!!

    Comment by Amulya — February 7, 2017 @ 3:47 pm

  48. Wow, incredible blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your site is excellent, let alone the content!

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  49. Thanks for sharing this amazing post. Keep it up!!

    Comment by Husband wife problem solution — May 4, 2019 @ 3:07 am

  50. Thanks for sharing this useful post.

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