Kashmiri potatoes

Baby potatoes in a spicy yoghurt sauce, Kashmiri dum aloo is a wonderful recipe from Kashmiri cuisine.

prepare: 10

cook: 40

total time: 50

difficulty: moderate

yield: 4 servings

calories: 237 kcal

diet: gluten free, vegetarian

cuisine: Indian, kashmiri

equipment

large pot
skewer
wire rack
wide pan with lid
small frypan

ingredients

for the potatoes

400 g baby potatoes - halved
1 tbsp salt
125 ml mustard oil

for the masala

1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp asafoetida powder
3 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
½ tsp caraway seeds - (shah jeera)
10 black peppercorns
3 cloves
1 black cardamom pod - broken open
1 green cardamom pod - broken open
1 stick cassia
250 ml yoghurt
2 tsp ginger powder
1` tsp salt

for serving

½ tsp caraway seeds - (shah jeera)

instructions

to cook the potatoes

Place the potatoes in a large pot with enough cold water to cover them, then bring the pan to a boil. Once the pot is boiling, add the salt, then boil the potatoes until just cooked but still firm inside when tested with a skewer. This will take around ten minutes. Drain, then set the potatoes aside on a rack to dry and cool.
Take a pan that is just large enough to hold all the potatoes in a single layer. Place on medium heat and add the mustard oil.
When the oil starts to smoke add the potatoes, cut side down, and fry until golden and crisp. This will take around ten minutes. Stir occasionally.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes from the oil and place them on absorbent paper.
Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, poke holes in them using a toothpick or skewer. This helps the potatoes absorb the flavours of the masala in which they will be finished. Set aside.

to cook

Heat a small pan over medium heat. Add the fennel seeds and toast for two minutes, or until spices darken and become aromatic. Remove from heat and allow to cool a little. Transfer to a grinder and grind to a smooth powder. Set aside.
Make a paste with the asafoetida, Kashmiri chilli powder and a little water. Set aside.
Remove the extra oil from the wide pan, keeping about two tablespoons of the oil. Remove any small pieces of potato from the oil to prevent burning.
Return the pan to to the heat and add the caraway seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom pods, cassia stick and salt. Mix well.
When the spices sizzle, add the asafoetida and Kashmiri chilli paste and mix well.
Reduce the heat to very low, then add the yoghurt to the pan one tablespoon at a time, mixing well before adding the next spoonful. This helps prevent curdling.
Add the ground fennel seeds, ginger powder and salt to the pan, and mix well.
Add half a cup of water to the pan and mix well.
Add the potatoes and gently fold, covering each potato in the masala. Cover the pan and cook on low-medium heat until the masala thickens. This should take around ten minutes.
Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium. Cook for another two minutes until the masala thickens more. If the gravy is too thick, add a little water.

to serve

Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the caraway seeds.

notes

When selecting the potatoes, choose a consistent small size. This makes cooking them evenly much easier. If using larger potatoes they will need to be cut into suitably sized pieces.

Peeling the potatoes is optional.

The potatoes could be baked instead of frying them. If you happen to have leftover baked potatoes, this dish is ideal.

Allowing the potatoes to dry after boiling them helps make them crisper. Moisture interferes with the crisping process.

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