Kashmiri Dum Aaloo

Kashmiri Dum Aaloo

Ingredients:

• 1 kg baby potatoes (or any small potatoes)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds roasted gently and ground into a powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 3-4 Kashmiri red chillies roasted and powdered
• 2 1/2 cups fresh yoghurt (must not be sour)
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tbsp fennel/aniseed powder
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 4 tbsps mustard oil
• 6 cloves roasted and powdered
• A pinch of asafetida
• Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil to deep fry potatoes
• Salt to taste
• A cup of firm dough made from flour and water

Preparation:

• Mix a teaspoon of salt in a bowl of water (about 3 cups). Poke the potatoes with a fork and then soak in this water for 20 minutes.
• Heat the oil for deep frying, on a medium flame. Fry all the potatoes till golden brown. Drain on paper towels and keep aside.
• Mix the yoghurt, Kashmiri chilli, ginger, cardamom and fennel powders. Add the potatoes to this mix and keep aside.
• Heat mustard oil in another pan on a medium flame.
• Add the clove powder and asafetida and mix well. Add a half cup of hot water and salt to taste and bring to a boil.
• Add this to the potato-yoghurt mix, stir thoroughly and cover.
• Seal the edges of the pan's cover with the dough to ensure no steam can escape. Put on the stove, cook on a low flame for 10-15 minutes.
• Turn off the flame, remove the cover and add the cumin and garam masala powders, and cover again quickly. Leave for 5 minutes.
• Serve hot with Chapatis (Indian flatbread) or Naan (Tandoor-roasted Indian flatbread).
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