I made this version of Easy Dum Aloo Curry almost a year back on my Instagram as a quick video recipe. While I have posted a couple of versions of Dum Aloo on the blog – Restaurant Style Dum Aloo and No Onion No Garlic Dum Aloo, this recipe here remains the recent favorite. For me, any gravy or curry that gets done in a single pot in less than 40 mins is a huge winner. And this Easy Dum Aloo is just that. Depending on the region, Dum Aloo takes on different forms. The authentic Kashmiri Dum Aloo uses mustard oil and deep-fried potatoes. There are no tomatoes in it and the onions are caramelized to the extent that you can’t even see them. The Punjabi Dum Aloo is mostly the restaurant style recipe and easy for anyone to adapt.
This Easy Dum Aloo is very quick and easy to make. That said, I will have to give a disclaimer that this is neither authentic nor traditional. What makes it brilliant is that it uses the best flavor combinations from most of the Aloo Dum recipes and combines it into one curry that is really delicious. For one, I used mustard oil to make this curry and if you have never cooked with mustard oil before, you don’t even know what you are missing. It has an amazing flavor and it imparts a great taste to the gravy of Aloo Dum. As the base of the gravy is made with thick curd/yogurt, I also used gram flour/besan as the thickening agent. It helps the gravy from splitting and at the same time, adds volume to it.
How to make Easy Dum Aloo | Aloo Dum Curry
Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Easy Dum Aloo | Aloo Dum Curry
As they splutter, add 1 finely chopped green chilli and 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste. Fry for a couple of minutes.
Now add 1.5 tablespoon gram flour and 2 teaspoon kasoor methi. Fry on low flame until the gram flour is nutty and fragrant.
Next add 1 large onion finely chopped.
Fry on low flame until the onions are golden brown. Stir them constantly in the meanwhile. Now add 1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon garam masala powder.
Cook the spice powders for 2-3 mins on low flame. Add ½ cup thick fresh curd and mix well. Cook it until the oil is oozing from the sides.
Now add ½ cup tomato puree. Cook on low flame until the oil is oozing from the sides and there is no raw taste of tomatoes.
Add boiled potatoes and add salt as needed.
Now add about ½ to ¾ cup of water and let it cook on low flame for 10-12 mins with a lid on.
As the gravy thickens and oil floats on top, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and remove from heat.
Serve hot with any Indian flat bread.
