Kashmiri Dum Aloo for ICC

Srivalli announced 'Kashmiri Dum Aloo' as this month's theme for the Indian Cooking Challenge and I am glad to try it at the last moment. For the past one week, my schedule was hectic and in fact, I started cooking this after I saw Srivalli's post today in my mail. :) She chose this recipe that happens to be 'satvik' - garlic and onion free.
'Dum pukth' or simply 'dum' is a slow cooking method, a concept borrowed from Mughlai cuisine. The basic idea is to slowly simmer the contents in a sealed pot so that the food is cooked in it's own juices and the flavors are not allowed to escape through steam. The pot is sealed with dough, made with flour and water. To get an idea about dum cooking, check here. I used my saucepan since I don't have access to an authentic dum style cooking pot.

Ingredients for 2 servings:
Baby potatoes or tiny sized potatoes - I used about 7
Fresh yogurt / curds - 1 & 1/2 cups (must not be sour)
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Powder them together: 4 Kashmiri red chillies, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds, 3-4 cloves, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds. (Toast chillies and cumin before grinding.)
For tadka: 1 - 2 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, a little asafoetida
1 cup vegetable / canola oil to deep fry potatoes
A cup of firm dough made from flour and water

Take another look at the dum aloo.

Method:
* Peel the potatoes and prick them all over with a fork. Place them in a bowl of cold water and leave it aside for 10 - 15 minutes. 1/2 tsp salt can be added to that water.
* In the mean while, whisk the yogurt. Add the ground spices & salt to it and mix well.
* Mix the flour and water in a bowl and make firm dough. Keep it covered.
* Heat the oil in a deep sauté pan or a kadai and fry the whole potatoes on medium flame till they turn golden brown through out. Drain them on absorbent towels. Add these potatoes to the yogurt - spice mixture.
* Heat 1 tsp of oil in a saute pan and add the grated ginger and cumin seeds. When the ginger turns golden brown, add the asafoetida. Then add about 1/4 cup of hot water and the yogurt - potato mixture to the pan.

* Cover with a lid and seal the edges with the dough.

* Cook it on low flame for 15 minutes and then remove the flour seal. Add the garam masala and mix well. Again cover the lid and let it simmer for 5 minutes more.

Mine was served with rotis.

Verdict: This version does not contain onion and tomatoes as mentioned earlier and so the spices over power this dish to an extent, I think. I don't favor spices that much in a dish and so my opinion may be prejudiced.

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