60 Min

GF

Dum Aloo Roast

Last month on a trip to India, I enjoyed a few days in Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. Until then, the cuisine of Kashmir had been a mystery to me.

A utopia for poets, dreamers and artists, Kashmir has also been the subject of much religious and territorial strife between India and Pakistan — and some of the differences extend to food. The Hindu Kashmiris do eat meat (excluding beef) but do not eat garlic and onion; Muslim Kashmiris eat beef, garlic, onions and so on.

Dum Aloo, a slow-cooked potato curry, is a traditional staple of the Kashmiri Hindu cuisine, and it would make a great side for your holiday dinner. Dum means cooked under steam; aloo means potato. My version can be made ahead of time and finished in the oven. I have sneaked some cheese into the recipe to round off the flavors. Feel free to leave it out.

Last month on a trip to India, I enjoyed a few days in Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. Until then, the cuisine of Kashmir had been a mystery to me.

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Cook Time

60 Minutes

Serves

6

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Step 2

Cut the potatoes in half, leaving the smaller one’s whole. In a large shallow baking dish, combine the potatoes, garlic cloves, shallots, salt, cardamom and ghee, and spread evenly. Cover tightly with foil and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

Step 3

Take the foil off, lower the temperature to 300°F and continue cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and, along with the shallots and garlic cloves, have turned a golden brown.

Step 4

In the meanwhile, puree the yogurt with cream, cheese, saffron, cashews, chili powder, ginger, salt and garam masala in a food processor until smooth. Pour this sauce over the potatoes and cover tightly with foil again.

Step 5

At this point, the dum aloo can be refrigerated for up to 2 days until ready to serve.

Step 6

To serve, place in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, taking the foil off for the last 10 minutes. The dum aloo should have turned an orange-red color and the sauce should be bubbling around the potatoes. Garnish with a drizzle of plain cream or yogurt.

Notes & Variations

For a plant-based version, replace the yogurt and cream with milk, and the ghee with olive or un-toasted sesame oil.
To keep it nut-free, replace the cashews with pumpkin seeds.
Kashmiri red chili powder is available at most Indian grocers; if you can’t find it, use a chili powder with the brightest red color you can find.

Ingredients

2 pounds baby red or white potatoes

15 to 20 cloves garlic

4 shallots, peeled and sliced

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 tablespoon ground black cardamom

1/4 cup ghee

SAUCE:

1 1/2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt

1 cup heavy cream, plus more for drizzling at the end

1/2 cup melting cheese, such as Gruyère or raclette (optional)

Generous pinch of saffron

1/2 cup toasted cashews

1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder

4-inch piece of ginger

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

At this point, the dum aloo can be refrigerated for up to 2 days until ready to serve.

Step 6

2 pounds baby red or white potatoes

15 to 20 cloves garlic

4 shallots, peeled and sliced

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 tablespoon ground black cardamom

1/4 cup ghee

SAUCE:

1 1/2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt

1 cup heavy cream, plus more for drizzling at the end

1/2 cup melting cheese, such as Gruyère or raclette (optional)

Generous pinch of saffron

1/2 cup toasted cashews

1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder

4-inch piece of ginger

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

Notes & Variations

For a plant-based version, replace the yogurt and cream with milk, and the ghee with olive or un-toasted sesame oil.
To keep it nut-free, replace the cashews with pumpkin seeds.
Kashmiri red chili powder is available at most Indian grocers; if you can’t find it, use a chili powder with the brightest red color you can find.

Tags:

60 Min

Stock Your Pantry

Aromatic Masala Dabba

$250

A handmade spice box containing chai masala, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole green cardamom pods with a few black cardamom pods, garam masala, mace pods and nutmeg.

Essential Masala Dabba

$235

A handmade spice box containing red chile, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, amchur and garam masala.

Garam Masala

$12

An aromatic blend of warm spices usually added at the end of cooking stews or curries.

Ghee

$10

Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India.

Saffron Box (with Saffron)

$50

Crafted brass box with saffron.

Saffron Box

$40

Crafted brass box to store saffron or anything you wish!

Tags:

60 Min

Stock Your Pantry

Aromatic Masala Dabba

$250

A handmade spice box containing chai masala, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole green cardamom pods with a few black cardamom pods, garam masala, mace pods and nutmeg.

Essential Masala Dabba

$235

A handmade spice box containing red chile, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, amchur and garam masala.

Garam Masala

$12

An aromatic blend of warm spices usually added at the end of cooking stews or curries.

Ghee

$10

Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India.

Saffron Box (with Saffron)

$50

Crafted brass box with saffron.