Friday, July 1, 2011

"Dum Aloo"-Small baby potatoes in a creamy Almond-Cashew paste



Being an avid NonVeg eater I was not aware of a lot of vegetarian dishes which were served in Indian restaurants,as whenever we went to restaurants we used order either Chicken or mutton and if by chance we ever ordered any veg dish it used to be a Paneer dish.I remember when going through the menu in the veg section the name "Dum Aloo" used to there and I used to wonder who would want to go to a restaurant and order a potato dish. So I had never tasted Dum aloo till a few years back when I happened to have this dish at a party.I liked the dish instantaneously but still never made any effort to make it or even order it at restaurants.So last week  when I happened to see some small baby potatoes at our local grocery store "Coles"  I remembered this dish and thought about making it over the weekend.Luckily I had some cream in the fridge so I could add it to the dish to give a rich creamy flavor. But incase u don't have cream or looking for a healthier substitute u can use milk instead. So here is the recipe

Ingredients
8  baby potatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 mid-size onion finely chopped
1 tbsp yogurt (plain, not sour)
1/2 tsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
3 tbsps almond-cashewnut paste - soak the nuts in warm water, and blend to a paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp Shan tandoori  masala (in case u dnt have this u can use any tandoori masala)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp dhania –jeera powder (dry cumin -coriander powder)
1/4 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1inch cinnamon stick
salt and lemon juice - to taste
2 tbsp oil
1/4 cup cream (u can use milk incase u want healthier option)
1 tbsp raisins
fresh coriander - chopped for garnish

Method
1.Boil the potatoes in a  pressure-cooker or on stove top ,taking care not to over-cook them. Boil it till just tender. Peel of the skin and using a fork prick some holes.
2.Take 1 tbsp yogurt in a bowl, to this add 1/2 of the ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp shaan tandoori masala. ¼ th of the almond cashew paste ,pinch of turmeric powder and pinch of salt. Mix it well to form a smooth blend. 
3.Now rub this paste to the boiled potatoes till well coated and keep aside.
4.Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan, add the bay leaf ,fennel seeds,cinnamon stick and cloves and saute for a minute, then add the chopped onion and saute till light-brown.
5.Add ginger-garlic paste & saute for 2 mins till the raw smell goes away.
6.Now add the tomato paste and sauté for 3-4 mins or till oil starts leaving the sides.
7.Now add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, dhania –jeera powder and mix well
8.Now add the tomato ketchup and milk/cream and mix well and let it simmer on medium flame for 5mins till everything blends well to form a smooth texture.
9.Finally add the marinated potatoes and the remaining almond cashew paste and salt and mix well. Keep in mind not to break the potatoes when mixing so do this gently
10.Cover with a lid  & let it cook on low flame for 5-8 mins till the curry becomes semi thick consistency, add water if it becomes very thick. Once done garnish with raisins and coriander leaves.You can serve this with chappati or rice.



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