Dum Aloo is a rich and creamy Indian potato curry. Here is a restaurant-style dum aloo recipe which works for both – instant pot and stovetop.
The Story of Dum Aloo
Potato is one of the most commonly used ingredients in an Indian kitchen. In Hindi, we call it aloo. In Indian Cuisine, a potato is used in a million creative ways. From snacks to sweets and curries, we make a lot of potatoes.
Dum Aloo is one of the most popular Indian curries. Today, many versions of the curry are prepared and served in restaurants worldwide.
First is the Kashmir dum aloo recipe, bright red, cooked without onion and garlic, and loaded with spices to help locals stay warm. Then there’s the Bengali-style aloo dum or alur dum cooked in mustard oil with loads of whole spices.
My dum aloo recipe is a restaurant-style variant of the dish which you can easily make in an instant pot without spending hours in the kitchen. You can find this dum aloo recipe in my cookbook, The 100 Best Curries for your Instant Pot, under the first chapter Restaurant Style Favourites.
Prep Work For Dum Aloo
1) Peel and core the potatoes. If they are big, cut them into halves or quarters. If you choose not to peel the baby potatoes, wash and scrub them nicely with coarse salt. Soak them in salted hot water for 10 – 15 minutes to remove all the dirt particles.
2) Coat cleaned potatoes with salt, turmeric powder, coriander, and chilli powder. Mix nicely. Set aside.
3) Soak cashews, ginger, and garlic in hot water for 30 minutes. Blend to a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
4) Whisk curd with turmeric, chilli powder, coriander, and water to a smooth, lump-free consistency. Use a wire whisk for the purpose.
How To Make Dum Aloo
Dum aloo can be easily made in an instant pot, pressure cooker, or on a traditional Indian kadhai over a stovetop.
Step-By-Step Instant Pot Method
- Set the SAUTE MODE of an instant pot for 10 minutes at a normal heat setting.
- Heat cooking oil in the inner pot of an IP. Fry masala-coated potatoes (check prep work steps above) until they turn crisp and golden from the outside. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add bay leaf, dried red chillies, and cumin seeds to the inner pot. Fry for 10 – 20 seconds to release the aroma of the whole spices.
- Add chopped onion. Fry for 2 – 3 minutes or till the onion turns light golden.
- Add cashew paste and whisked curd. Fry for 1 – 2 minutes. Next, add fried potato, salt to taste, and water. Stir to combine.
- Close the lid of the IP. PRESSURE Cook dum aloo curry for 6 minutes at a normal heat setting.
- Release the steam manually. Open the lid. Stir and check the potato for doneness. Taste and add more seasoning if required.
- Set the SAUTE MODE for 5 minutes. Add dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), garam masala, and chopped coriander. Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.
- Instant Pot Aloo Dum is ready. Similarly, you can cook it in an electric pressure cooker as well.
Step-By-Step Stovetop Kadhai Method
- Heat two tablespoons of cooking oil in the kadhai. Fry masala-coated potatoes (check prep work steps above) until they turn crisp and golden from the outside. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add bay leaf, dried red chillies, and cumin seeds to the kadhai. Fry for 10 – 20 seconds to release the aroma of the whole spices.
- Add chopped onion. Fry for 2 – 3 minutes or till the onion turns light golden.
- Add cashew nut paste, whisked curd, and fry over low heat for 2 – 3 minutes or till oil separates from the masala.
- Next, add the fried potato, salt to taste, and water. Stir to combine.
- Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the curry over low heat till it thickens and the potato are cooked.
- Stir and check the potato for doneness. Add crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), garam masala, and chopped coriander.
Restaurant Style Dum Aloo is ready to serve.
Serving Suggestion
Dum Aloo is an Indian main course gravy dish. Serve it with flatbread like naan, paratha, poori, or chapati. It tastes delicious with rice dishes like matar pulao or jeera rice also.
For a wholesome Indian thali meal, serve it with dal tadka, jeera rice, mint raita, and a kachumber salad.
More Indian Potato Recipes
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Dum Aloo Recipe
- Heavy Bottom Kadhai
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
Ingredients For Fried Potato:
- 250 gram baby potato, peeled
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
Ingredients For Cashew Paste:
- 8 cashews (kaju)
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- ⅛ Cup hot water
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Ingredients For Gravy:
- 4 tablespoon cooking oil/mustard oil/ghee
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 dried red chilies (sabut lal mirch)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ½ Cup finely chopped onion
- 1 Cup curd or yogurt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 Cup water
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder (see recipe here)
- chopped coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
Prep Work For Dum Aloo:
- Peel and core approximately baby potatoes. Coat potatoes with ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon turmeric, and ½ teaspoon red chili powder. Mix nicely.
- Soak the cashews in warm water for 10 minutes and keep aside. Blend together to a smooth paste.
- Whisk one cup of curd/yogurt along with a teaspoon each of turmeric and red chili powder. Make sure no lumps remain. Use a wire whisk for the purpose.
Instant Pot Dum Aloo:
- Turn on the saute mode of an instant pot and set it for 10 minutes at normal heat setting. Heat two tablespoons of cooking oil/ghee/mustard oil in the inner pot of an IP. Fry masala coated potatoes (check prep work steps above) till they turn bit crisp and golden from outside. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining cooking oil to the instant pot along with bay leaf, dry red chilies, and cumin seeds. Stir fry for 10 – 20 seconds to release the aroma of the whole spices. Add chopped onion along with the ginger and garlic paste. Fry the masala for 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add cashew paste and fry for 1 – 2 minutes. Next, add fried potato, salt, garam masala, whisked curd (check prep work steps above), and approximately 1 cup water. Stir nicely to combine. Close the lid of IP. Cook curry for 10 minutes at a normal heat setting.
- Open the lid of the IP. Stir and check potato for doneness. Set the SAUTE Mode for 5 minutes. Add crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) and freshly chopped coriander. Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce. Instant Pot Aloo Dum is ready.
Stovetop Kadhai Dum Aloo:
- Heat two tablespoons of cooking oil/ghee/mustard oil in the kadhai. Fry masala coated potatoes (check prep work steps above) till they turn bit crisp and golden from outside. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add 2 – 3 tablespoon of cooking oil in the same kadhai along with one bay leaf, two whole dry red chilies, and a teaspoon of cumin seeds. Stir fry for a few seconds to release the aroma of spices. Add one cup chopped onion along with a tablespoon of ginger and garlic paste. Fry the masala till onion turn light golden in color.
- Add cashew nut paste and fry over low heat 2 – 3 minute or till oil separates from the masala. Next, add the fried potato, salt to taste, a teaspoon of garam masala, whisked curd (check prep work steps above), and approximately one cup of water. Stir to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the curry over low heat till it thickens and potato are cooked.
- Stir and check potato for doneness. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required. Add a teaspoon of crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) and freshly chopped coriander. Aloo Dum is ready to serve.
Recipe Notes:
- Peel and core approximately 250-gram baby potatoes. If you don’t have baby potatoes, use regular potatoes and cut them into halves or quarters.
- If you choose not to peel the potatoes, wash and scrub them nicely. Also, soak them in salted hot water for 10 – 15 minutes to remove all the dirt particles.
- While whisking the curd, make sure no lumps remain.
- While pouring the curd into the masala, using the other hand, continuously stir the masala to avoid any lump formation.
- If you want vegan potato curry, try my vegan baby potato curry.
Ashwini says
TASTY GRAVY!
Hina Gujral says
thank you so much!
Nalini Srinivasan says
Can you refer me to the brand of masala grinder you use? I have seen a stainless grinder, small and compact, made in India, I believe and would like th o get that.
Thank you
Nalini