Name: sweet
Subject:
Dum Aloo
12 even-sized small boiling potatoes, such as red wax potatoes (about 2 lbs
altogether (or substitute larger potatoes, cut into smaller pieces and
then round off the sharp edges with a potato peeler or paring knife)
7 T light vegetable oil
1 1/2 c finely chopped onions (if chopping in a food processor, make sure they
don´ t get soupy)
1 T finely chopped ginger root
2 t ground cumin
4 t ground coriander
1 t tumeric
1/2 to 1 t red pepper
1 t Mughal garam masala (see recipe which follows)
2 c chopped or pureed fresh tomatoes, or 1 c canned tomato sauce
2/3 c plain yoghurt
4 t Kosher salt
2/3 c heavy cream (since my husband can´ t eat cholesterol-laden things, we
either leave this out, with excellent results, or substitute 1/2 c low-
fat milk, or canned evaporated skimmed milk)
1. Peel potatoes and prick them in 4 or 5 places. Put them in a bowl
of cold water until you are ready to cook them.
2. Heat 5 T of the vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan that can
hold all the potatoes in one layer (such as a 5-quart casserole cast
iron dutch oven is great) over medium-high heat. When the oil is very
hot, drain the potatoes, pat them dry on paper towels, and add to pan
with oil. Fry them until they acquire several tiny browned spots and a
crust (about 8-10 minutes), turning and tossing them to ensure even
browning. (This is an essential step, as the browning prevents the
potatoes´ falling apart during prolonged cooking.) With a slotted
spoon, transfer them to a bowl.
3. Add the rest of the oil to the pan along with the onions. Fry
until the onions turn caramel brown (the onions will become kind of
sticky and the oil will separate from them -- about 15 minutes),
stirring constantly so that they do not burn. Add ginger, and fry for
an additional 30 seconds. Add cumin, coriander, tumeric, red pepper,
and Mughal garam masala all at once, and stir rapidly for 15 seconds.
Add tomatoes, yoghurt, salt, and the fried potatoes (in one layer), and
bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer very gently, covered (we also
crimp some aluminum foil around the lid edges to ensure a good seal),
for 35 minutes or until the potatoes are fully cooked. Check during
cooking to make sure the gravy is not sticking and burning (one of
those heat diffusers is great to use if you have one to put under your
pot). The gravy should be thick enough to coat the potatoes. If it
looks thin and runny, increase heat and boil rapidly, uncovered, until
it reduces to the desired consistency. If, on the other hand, the
gravy is too thick, add a few tablespoons of water.
4. Add cream, stir, and simmer until heated through. If you want the
dish to taste milder and subtler, stir in a little more oil (about 2 T).
Check for salt, and serve.
Note: This dish improves with keeping. for best results make it at
least a few hours before you are going to serve it. It can be
refrigerated for up to 4 days without loss of flavor.
Short-cut notes: If you don´ t want to make your own garam masala, pick
up a prepared one in an Indian market. Also, you might use a prepared
curry paste as a substitute for the spice combination called for in the
recipe. Just be creative. I have done a version of this using a Thai
curry paste that I buy in a big tub, with excellent, though different,
results. I then added unsweetened coconut milk instead of cream at the
end.
Variation: Add a bunch of chopped cilantro (fresh green coriander or
chinese parsley) toward the end of the cooking time if you like