Aloor Dom/ Bengali Dum Aloo...one in a million!!

Aloor Dom/ Bengali Dum Aloo...the quintessential Bengali vegetarian recipe that everyone is aware of and has a version of…besides the million Dum Aloo recipes pan-India (you have seen one of mine here), there are a million recipes/variations that are done in Bengal alone for this dish – the one below, with only tomato, with only curd, with only dry spices etc etc (you have seen one of mine here)…served for breakfast or lunch or snacks or dinner…you can’t go wrong with this one...ever.J

Aloor Dom/ Bengali Dum Aloo (Potatoes cooked in spicy tomato gravy)

Ingredients:

• Baby Potatoes, 500gms, about 18-20
• Fresh Onion Paste, Blend an onion with a little water in a blender, 1 medium size onion, about 3 tbsp paste
• Fresh Tomato Puree, Blend a tomato in a blender with skin and seeds, 1 large tomato, about 7 tbsp paste
• Fresh Ginger Paste, 1 tbsp
• Green Chilies, slit, 2-3
• Hing/Asafoetida, ¼ tsp
• Green Cardamom, 2-3
• Cloves, 4-5
• Cinnamon stick, 1” long
• Bay leaves, 1-2
• Coriander powder, 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder, 1 tsp
• Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, ¼ tsp + ½ tsp to 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder, ¼ tsp + ¼ tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Sugar, ½ tsp – 1 tsp (according to taste)
• Plain Yogurt/Curd, 1 tbsp (optional)
• Water, ½ cup if making dry, ¾ to 1 cup with gravy (or as needed)
• Oil, 1 tsp if using oven or air fryer or 1 tbsp if sautéing on the stove + 2-3 tbsp ( for the right to call it Bengali Aloor Dom, use mustard oil or else use oil of your choice J)
• Ghee, 1 tsp (optional)
• Bengali Bhaja Moshla, ½ tsp + ¼ tsp (recipe here)
• Fresh Coriander leaves, chopped, a handful

Instructions:

Wash and scrub clean the potatoes. Par boil with skin on in with well salted water – the potatoes should still be firm.

Peel and prick each potato a few times using a toothpick.

Coat the peeled potatoes with a little salt, ¼ tsp turmeric and ¼ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder.

For air fryer – add 1 tsp oil while coating with spices. Preheat the fryer at 200C for 10 minutes and then bake for 10-12 minutes till the outer layer crisps ups. Toss once or twice in between.

For oven – add 1 tsp oil while coating with spices. Preheat the oven at 220C for 15 minutes and then bake for 20-25 minutes till the outer layer crisps ups. Toss once or twice in between

For stove top method – Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy bottom pan (with lid).Once the oil is hot, add in the potatoes and toss around till the outer layer goes crispy and bits of gold appear. Remove the potatoes from the pan using a slotted spoon and keep aside.

Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in the same pan.

Once the oil is hot, lower the heat. Add in the asafoetida followed by bay leaves, green cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon.

Add in the onion paste and cook till it changes colour to pinkish brown.

Increase the heat to medium high; add in the tomato puree and sauté for a couple of minutes.

Add in the ginger paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, ½ tsp bhaja moshla, remaining ¼ tsp turmeric powder and 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder. Mix well and sauté for about 10 minutes.

Add the yogurt, if using and cook till oil separates.

Add the slit green chilies and potatoes. Mix well so that the masala coats the potatoes well and sauté for a couple of minutes.

Add in the water, sugar and salt (take into account that potatoes have already been boiled in salted water)

Once the water comes to a boil, cover the pan and simmer till the potatoes are done – about 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove cover and switch off the heat (Increase the heat to high to dry out almost all the water from the masala paste if you want the drier version like mine)

Add in coriander leaves, ghee and remaining ¼ tsp bhaja moshla (and more green chilies if you want). Stir, cover and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Goes best with Luchis but great with Paranthas as well.