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Back in 17th century, when potatoes were introduced to India by the Portuguese, the Indians took such a penchant for the tuber, that it became an instant hit. Royal Khansamas of Emperor Shah Jahan’s kitchen doled out one dish after another with the new exotic ingredient. They’d found new raw material and its versatility quickly became the talk of the town. In Bengal, the frenzy reached a whole new height, with potatoes entering every curry and rice dish. Even the sides were not spared, aloo bhaja (potato fritters) became a lunchtime staple. The Bengalis even came up with their own version of mashed potatoes, ‘aloo sheddho’. Made with mashed potatoes, mustard oil, chillies and chopped onions, the buttery treat paired with rice, becomes soul food for countless Bengalis on days they are not in a mood to cook an elaborate fare. On the days they are, they do not leave any stone unturned to give this tuber the royal treatment it deserves. Take the Aloo’r Dom, or the Bengali Dum Aloo for instance. In this hot and tangy recipe, potatoes are cooked in a pool of spices and tomatoes. The Aloo’r Dom is both a breakfast and lunch favourite and it is best served with hot luchis (Bengali maida puris) or rice.
Bengali Dum Aloo v/s Kashmiri Dum Aloo
The Bengali Dum Aloo is a little different from the Kashmiri Dum aloo. The Bengali spice-blend paanch phoron is one of the key ingredients in the Bengali version, whereas, bay leaves are notably absent from Kashmiri dum aloo. The Kashmiri dum aloo makes use of fennel seed, for flavour and aroma, which is absent in the Bengali counterpart.
How To Make Aloo'r Dom
To make this, you need to boil the potatoes with salt. You can do this in pressure cooker or pan. Let the potatoes cool and then peel. If you are using medium-sized potatoes, you have to cut them in half, if you are using baby potatoes, you can proceed.
Heat oil or ghee in a heavy-bottom pan on low flame, add potatoes and shallow fry them and then keep aside. Add a bay leaf to oil, onion paste sautee everything well, proceed to add ginger garlic paste, and cook for 2 minutes. Then add chopped tomatoes, and cook until the oil separates. Add the powdered masalas, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. Mix well, and sprinkle some water. Add potatoes, and cook with the masala. Add water and cook till 3/4th of the water has evaporated. Add garam masala, garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves, and you are done.
Serve the Bengali-style dum aloo hot with luchi or rice as we mentioned. Here is the complete recipe with steps and ingredients for you. Try this recipe soon and let us know how you liked it. Do not forget to share the pictures or videos with us.
