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The heart of potato
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Dum cooking was intended for labourers but landed at the Nawab’s table
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Full of flavour Dum aloo Photo: S.Subramanium
The word dum is an important term in the art of cooking. While dum means steam, dum pukht literally means to choke off the steam. The food is placed in a pot, usually made of clay, and dough is used to create a tight seal to prevent the steam from e
scaping. So the food is slowly cooked in its own juices, allowing the herbs and spices to fully infuse the meat or rice, while preserving the nutritional elements at the same time.
Dum Aloo
Ingredients
8 medium potatoes 100 ml oil
1 tsp caraway seeds (shahi zeera)
2 chopped onions
1 tsp black cardamom, pounded5 tbsp raisins
5 tbsp cashewnuts
Salt to taste
For the curry
60 gms chopped onions 1 and 1/4 cup dahi
1 cup tomato puree
4 tsp ginger-garlic paste
3 tsp almond paste
1 tsp aniseed (saunf)
4 green cardamom
6 cloves
1/2 tsp mace powder (javitri)
4 tsp red chilli paste
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
Salt to taste; Oil for frying
Method
Peel the potatoes, slice off the tops and scoop out the centres. Fry the shells and the centres to a golden brown. Allow the centres to cool, then mash. Heat the oil in a wok, sauté the caraway seeds and the aniseed.
Add onions and sauté till transparent. Add the fried potato centres, cardamom powder, raisins, and the cashew nuts. Stir-fry for a few minutes. Season with salt and keep aside. Stuff the potato shells with the prepared mixture and keep aside. For the curry — heat the oil in a thick bottomed pan and sauté onions till transparent. Add dahi, tomato puree, ginger -garlic paste, almond paste, aniseed, mace, caraway seeds, green cardamoms, cloves, red chilli paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, and salt. Stir fry for 10 minutes.
Place the stuffed potatoes in the curry. Cover the lid and seal with dough. Cook on slow fire for about 10 minutes. Then place the potatoes in a serving dish, strain the curry and pour on the top of the potatoes.
Serve hot with rice.
(The author is the MD, Moti Mahal Tandoori Trail chain of restaurants, New Delhi)
MONISH GUJRAL
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