Dum Aloo

5 from 5 votes

Steamed and Deep Fried Potatoes in a rich and creamy yogurt gravy, Dum Aloo is simply irresistible. This recipe is slow-cooked, which brings out a delicious flavor in the recipe. Here is how to make it.

You can also try some of my other favorite Indian Potato recipes, that can be prepared for your everyday or special meals – Bengali Aloo Dum, Punjabi Achari Aloo, Bhandare Wale Aloo, Shahi Aloo Pyaz, Dahi Wale Aloo, and Punjabi Dahi Aloo.

Dum Aloo served in a bowl.
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About This Recipe

Whenever I crave for a rich and creamy potato curry, this Dum Aloo instantly comes to my mind. Steamed and fried baby potatoes dipped into a spicy tomato onion yogurt based curry, every bite of this curry is heaven.

To make it rich and add to its flavor, cashew nut paste and fresh cream are also added. It not only gives the gravy a shahi touch but also adds a slightly sweet taste to it.

It is quite popular all over North India in dry curry form and each state has a different variation of this dish.

You can also make Kashmiri Dum Aloo, a different version of this delicious curry where crispy fried potatoes are coated with a thick yogurt-based gravy which is infused with spices such as fennel powder, ginger powder, garam masala powder, cardamom, and cinnamon. It doesn’t use cashew paste and cream, making it a little lighter than the Punjabi Dum Aloo recipe.

Aloo Dum tastes great with almost all the Indian pieces of bread and is one of my favorites to make for special and festive meals. So if you are craving for Restaurant Style Dum Aloo, then do give this recipe a try and serve it with Indian bread of your choice.

This Dum Aloo Curry is,

  • Rich & Creamy
  • Slightly Sweet
  • Royal
  • Lip Smacking
  • Apt for festive meals
  • Better than the restaurant ones

Ingredients

Baby Potatoes – Dum Aloo always uses Baby Potatoes. These baby Potatoes are pricked, boiled, and then deep-fried until crispy before adding to a rich and creamy curry.

It is traditionally made using baby potatoes, but in case you cannot find them, cut the regular potatoes in big pieces to make this curry.

Onions and Tomato Puree – These two forms the base of this delicious curry. Onions are cooked until browned before adding the tomato puree. You can also add canned tomato puree in this curry for a better taste.

Yogurt – Along with onion and tomatoes, we will also add yogurt that will make this curry creamy and give it a nice texture.

Fresh Cream and Cashew Paste – To enhance the creamy texture even more and make it Shahi, we will further add fresh cream and cashew paste.

Making cashew paste is an easy process. Just soak some cashews in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes. Discard the water and grind it into a fine paste.

Whole Spices – The first step in making the curry is adding whole spices which not only gives it a nice flavor but adds to the aroma too. When added in the hot oil, these spices release a delicious flavor and aroma.

I have added cloves, cinnamon, black cardamom, and black peppercorn. Crushing them a bit before adding in the oil is best to release all their flavor.

Spice Powders – For everyday spice powders, we will use coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, and salt. These spice powders combined to add a great taste in the curry.

All-Purpose Flour – We will also add 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour to make the curry thick. This is optional but it adds to the texture.

Honey – To add a little hint of sweetness in this rich curry, I have also added a little honey. You can add sugar too.

Other Ingredients – Other than these, we will need green chilies, ginger garlic paste, and lemon juice. You can adjust the amount of green chilies, as per your taste and spice level you prefer.

You can even add a little Kasuri Methi, to enhance the taste of the gravy.

Step By Step Recipe

Soak cashew nuts in a little water for 10 minutes.

Cashew nuts soaked in water.

Grind the cashew nuts with a little water to make a paste. Keep aside.

Soaked cashew nuts added in a grinder.
Smooth paste made.

Wash the potatoes and prick them with a toothpick. Boil them in salted water, just until soft. Do not overcook otherwise they will become mushy.

Potatoes boiling in water.

Peel the potatoes.

Peeled potatoes.

Fry them in hot oil till golden brown. Drain and keep aside.

Potatoes frying in oil.
Fried potatoes.

Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot add cloves, cinnamon, black cardamom, and black peppercorn and fry for a few seconds.

Cloves, cinnamon, black cardamom and black peppercorn added in hot oil.

Add onion and fry till translucent.

Onion added in the pan.

Add ginger garlic paste and green chilies and fry till golden brown.

Ginger garlic paste and green chilies added in the pan.

Now add tomato puree and cook for a minute.

Tomato puree added in the pan.

Add yogurt, all-purpose flour, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder and salt in the pan.

Yogurt, all purpose flour, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt added in the pan.

Add the cashew nut paste.

Cashew nut paste added in the pan.

Now add a cup of water and fried potatoes and bring to a boil.

Fried potatoes and water added in the pan.

Simmer the heat and cook till oil separates on the sides of the pan. Add honey, lemon juice, fresh cream, and little more water and cook for another minute.

Honey, lemon juice, fresh cream and little more water added in the pan.

Serve hot with Naan or Laccha Paratha.

Ready Dum Aloo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we use Boiled Potatoes instead of Deep Fried Potatoes?

Yes, if you don’t want to deep fry the potatoes, you can add boiled potatoes instead.

If you are making it for festive meals, I would recommend you to deep fry the potatoes and then add to the curry.

How to make a mild and healthier version of the same?

If you are looking for something tasty yet simple, that can be prepared for your everyday meals, then you can skip fresh cream and cashew paste altogether.

These two ingredients make it extra rich and creamy, which is apt to serve for your festive and special meals.

Which oil to be used to make Dum Aloo?

I have used the regular vegetable oil, but even mustard oil gives this curry a fantastic flavor. You can also go for olive oil or you want it to be more royal, prepare this Dum Aloo in ghee/clarified butter.

Storage Suggestions

This Dum Aloo lasts for about a day or 2 in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Heat it in a pan or microwave, before serving. If you feel the gravy has become a little dry, add in a little water and mix while heating.

This Gravy cannot be frozen, as the yogurt and cream will split while reheating.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Dum Aloo along with Indian Bread such as Phulka, Poori, Plain Tawa Paratha, Naan, Tandoori Roti, or Lachha Paratha or make it as a side dish along with other Indian delicacies.

It also tastes great with Jeera Rice or any other lightly Spiced Pulao.

Make Dum Aloo as a side dish with your festive meals along with Dal Makhani, Jeera Rice, Roti and Boondi Raita. Yum!

Variations

Vegan – To make this Dum Aloo vegan, just use any plant-based yogurt or dairy-free yogurt instead of dairy yogurt. To make it extra creamy, use cashew paste and avoid adding fresh cream.

Also use sugar instead of honey, as honey is not vegan friendly.

No Onion No Garlic – In this version, you can skip adding Garlic, Onions, and Tomato Puree and just make the gravy using Yogurt.

Pro Tips By Neha

For the best taste, do deep fry the baby potatoes, as the crispy potatoes taste great along with rich and creamy taste.

If you are making it for everyday meals and want to give it a healthy twist, then add in boiled potatoes instead of deep fried ones.

Do not overcook the boiled potatoes, otherwise they will become mushy and wont taste good.

Cashew Paste and Cream are a must in this recipe, if you like it to be rich and creamy.

Taste the yogurt before preparing and make sure that it is not sour. If the yogurt is sour, the curry won’t taste good.

You might also like

Steamed and Deep Fried Potatoes in a rich and creamy yogurt gravy, this Dum Aloo Recipe is simply irresistible. This recipe is slow-cooked, which brings out a delicious flavor in the recipe. Here is how to make it.
5 from 5 votes

Dum Aloo Recipe

Dum Aloo is a delicious creamy gravy where fried potatoes are dunked in a rich onion tomato based curry. This shahi recipe is easy to make at home and use basic ingredients. Here is how to make it in restaurant or dhaba style.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 6 people

Ingredients 

  • 4 tablespoon Cashew Nut
  • ½ kg Baby Potato (If baby potatoes are not available, use regular potatoes cut into small pieces)
  • 4 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
  • 3-4 Cloves
  • 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
  • 2 Black Cardamom
  • 5-6 Black Peppercorns
  • 1-½ cup Onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
  • 2 Green Chillies (slit into half)
  • ¼ cup Tomato Puree
  • ½ cup Yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon All Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
  • 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
  • Salt (to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon Honey
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
  • 2 tablespoon Fresh Cream
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Instructions 

  • Soak cashew nuts in a little water for 10 minutes. Grind the cashew nuts with a little water to make a paste. Keep aside.
  • Wash the potatoes and prick them with a toothpick.
  • Boil them in salted water, just until soft. Do not over cook otherwise they will become mushy.
  • Peel the potatoes and fry them in hot oil till golden brown. Drain and keep aside.
  • Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot add cloves, cinnamon, black cardamom and black peppercorn and fry for a few seconds.
  • Add onion and fry till translucent.
  • Add ginger garlic paste and green chilies and fry till golden brown.
  • Now add tomato puree and cook for a minute.
  • Add yogurt, all purpose flour, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the cashew nut paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Now add two cups of water and fried potatoes and bring to a boil.
  • Simmer the heat and cook till oil separate on the sides of the pan.
  • Add honey, lemon juice, fresh cream and little more water and cook for another minute. Garnish with fresh coriander.
  • Serve hot with Naan or Laccha Paratha.

Notes

You can increase the liquid if you want a thinner gravy.
For the best taste, do deep fry the baby potatoes, as the crispy potatoes taste great along with rich and creamy taste.
If you are making it for everyday meals and want to give it a healthy twist, then add in boiled potatoes instead of deep-fried ones.
Cashew Paste and Cream are a must in this recipe if you like it to be rich and creamy.
Taste the yogurt before preparing and make sure that it is not sour. If the yogurt is sour, the curry won’t taste good.

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 83mg, Potassium: 523mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 359IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 2mg
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Recipe Rating




11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I tried out the recipe today, and the results were just wow. Replaced almonds with cashews though

  2. Wow awesome clicks and mouthwatering recipe…make me hungry dear…. first tym on your blog its really too gud….

  3. Wonderful Neha. Looks scrumptious. U r a magnificent chef.
    Just wanna tell you that I am eagerly waiting for restaurant style malai kofta.

  4. Wonderful Neha. Looks scrumptious. U r a magnificent chef.
    Just wanna tell you that I am eagerly waiting for restaurant style malai kofta.