Kashmiri Dum Aalo is a delicious side dish which is usually served with a main course. The basic ingredients of this dish are baby potatoes, yoghurt and Kashmiri chilli powder to name a few. It is basically very hot and spicy in taste. Kashmiri Dum Aalo is easy to make and can be prepared at home.

Ingredients of Kashmiri Dum Aalo:

•10 small boiled potatoes
•4 tablespoons oil
•3-4 tablespoon Kashmiri chilli powder
•2 tablespoons Saunf (Aniseed) powder
•1 tablespoon Soonth (Dry Ginger Powder)
•1/2 teaspoon garam masala
•2 tablespoons natural yoghurt
•1 cup water
•Salt to taste
•5 cloves
•5 green cardamoms
•2 black cardamoms

Method of Preparing Kashmiri Dum Aalo:

•Deep fry potatoes in hot oil until evenly brown.
•In a pan, heat 4-tbsp oil and add cloves and cardamoms. Add salt, saunf powder soonth powder and chilli powder and fry quickly and carefully in hot oil. Immediately add yoghurt (so that the dry spice does not get burnt), stirring constantly.
•Add water and let it come to boil. Now add potatoes and let it simmer on slow heat until most water evaporates and oil comes on top. Sprinkle with garam masala.
•Serve hot.

Another method of preparing Kashmiri Dum Aalo with little change in the ingredients:

Ingredients of Kashmiri Dum Aalo (Stuffed Potatoes):

•15 medium size potatoes
•Ghee for deep frying

To Be Mixed Into a Stuffing Mixture:

•115 gms mava
•4 chopped cashew nuts
•6 raisins, chopped
•1 chopped green chilly
•salt to taste

For the Gravy:

•4 tomatoes
•2 cloves
•25 cinnamon
•2 cardamoms
•3 tbsp fresh cream
•3 tbsp ghee
•Salt to taste

To Be Ground into a Paste (for the Gravy):

•2 onions
•2 green chillies
•25 ginger
•1/2 tsp turmeric powder
•2 tsp salt
•4 to 5 red chillies
•4 garlic (lehsun) cloves (lehsun)

Method of Preparing Kashmiri Dum Aalo(Stuffed Potatoes):

•Skin the potatoes and prick them.
•Deep fry in ghee until cooked.
•Scoop the potatoes.
•Mash the scooped portion and keep aside.
•Stuff the potatoes with the stuffing mixture.
•Apply the mashed potato on top to cover.

Preparing the Gravy

•Cut the tomatoes into big pieces, add 2 teacups of water and cook. When soft, take out a soup by passing through a sieve.
•Heat the ghee in a vessel and fry the paste for at least 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cloves, cinnamon and cardamoms and fry again.
•Add the tomato soup, cream and salt. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar if required.

How to proceed

•When want to serve, put the potatoes in the boiling gravy. Alternatively, bake with the gravy in a hot oven at 450 degree f for 10 minutes.
•Serve hot.

This mouth watering dish can be served by teaming up with steamed rice, rotis, naan or even pulao. Though, it can easily be prepared at home but still who are not comfortable cooking can pamper their tongue at restaurant. There are innumerable restaurants in various parts of India where this dish can be tasted.