Kashmiri Dum Alooदम आलू
Video: HomeCookingShow (YouTube)
Kashmiri Dum Aloo is a slow-cooked potato dish from the Kashmir Valley, beloved for its deeply aromatic yogurt-based gravy perfumed with whole spices and the distinctive warmth of Kashmiri red chillies. Unlike most North Indian potato preparations, this version uses no onion or garlic — the flavour comes entirely from spices, making it a proud Kashmiri Pandit signature. The potatoes turn silky and sauce-soaked after their long, gentle simmer, pairing beautifully with steamed rice or Kashmiri roti.
📍 Make it in Plano
This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.
Finding Desi spots near Plano…
Ingredients
- ▪baby potatoes500g
- ▪mustard oil — सरसों का तेल4 tbsp
- ▪Kashmiri red chilli powder — कश्मीरी लाल मिर्च2 tsp
- ▪fennel powder (saunf) — सौंफ पाउडर1.5 tsp
- ▪dry ginger powder (sonth) — सोंठ1 tsp
- ▪black cardamom — बड़ी इलायची2 pods
- ▪green cardamom — छोटी इलायची3 pods
- ▪cloves — लौंग4
- ▪asafoetida (hing) — हींगa pinch
- ▪yogurt, whisked smooth — दही200g
- ▪oil for deep fryingas needed
- ▪salt — नमकto taste
- Kashmiri red chilli powder has vivid colour with moderate heat. Outside India, blend 1.5 tsp sweet paprika with 0.5 tsp cayenne as a near-accurate stand-in — same deep red without scorching the dish.
- Mustard oil is key to authentic flavour. Cold-pressed or kachi ghani mustard oil is available at South Asian grocery stores; alternatively use a neutral oil with a tiny drop of dark sesame oil for a faint pungency.
- Dry ginger powder (sonth or saunth) is sold at Indian grocery stores. Never substitute fresh ginger — the dried form has a completely different warm, powdery quality essential to Kashmiri cooking.
Method
- 1Prick the baby potatoes all over with a fork or skewer so the spiced oil can penetrate during frying.
- 2Boil the potatoes in salted water until just cooked through but not falling apart, about 12 minutes. Drain and pat completely dry.
- 3Heat oil for deep frying to 180 C. Fry the boiled potatoes until golden and the skins are lightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- 4In a heavy kadhai or saucepan, heat mustard oil until it just begins to smoke. Remove from heat for 30 seconds to tame the raw pungency, then return to medium heat.
- 5Add the black cardamom, green cardamom, and cloves. Let them splutter for 30 seconds, then add the asafoetida.
- 6Add the Kashmiri red chilli powder, fennel powder, and dry ginger powder directly to the oil. Stir briskly for 10 seconds — the spices bloom and deepen to a vivid red. Do not let them scorch.
- 7Add the whisked yogurt in a slow, steady stream, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring often, until the oil begins to separate at the edges, about 8 minutes.
- 8Add the fried potatoes and salt, stirring gently to coat every potato. Add 100 ml warm water, cover, and cook on the lowest heat for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once halfway. The gravy should cling thickly.
- 9Taste for seasoning and serve hot with steamed rice or Kashmiri roti.
A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.