Dhaba Style Dum Aloo Recipe

Dum Aloo is a delicious Indian veg potato curry recipe where these mini/little potatoes are simmered in a creamy, flavorful vegetarian gravy.

This meal comes together in 45 minutes, making it perfect for families craving for some restaurant-style food at home. 

How I got hold of this recipe

My bestie along with her family was visiting me all the way from India. I was super excited ever since that plan was made.

Although I knew that she was coming, she kept the exact arrival date as a surprise. Only she and KR knew!

Let's just say that it was one successful surprise and truly one of the best I have ever received. 

As soon as she arrived, she announced that she would like to eat all the exotic recipes that I shared on my blog. The

The first thing she wanted to have was Traditional Curd Rice along with Potato Curry and that is what she got.

One day she mentioned that her sister-in-law makes the world's best Dum Aloo and that got me interested.

I know that her SIL is a great cook and I have had the privilege of tasting her awesome food many times. So I immediately called her in India and took down the recipe. 

Trending now

This veg potato recipe was indeed very different from the one I had and that was one more reason for me to try it out. I made it the very same day for my visiting friends. 

That night, my dining table had all my favorite people, the naan was fresh out of the oven and my whole house was filled with aroma and laughter - the best combo one could have.

The Dum Aloo was savored by all within minutes. The pan was wiped clean and everyone had a big smile on my face. I

love it when I can feed my guests with some awesome food. I am just glad they all loved this meal and we had a wonderful family dinner reminiscing about the good old days.

Thanks to my friend's SIL for sharing this amazing recipe with me which now stays in my recipe file forever. 🙂

Why make this

Dum Aloo is a very popular Indian veg potato gravy recipe. It is also one of the popular menu items in Indian restaurants.

However, it is also very easy to make it at home and this potato curry recipe guarantees you restaurant-quality taste in the comfort of your home.

While there are many ways of making this restaurant-style Dum Aloo, I now prefer this Punjabi style recipe because:

• It's fiery, creamy, and appetizing
• The recipe is different making the flavors unique and delicious
• Vegetarian but can easily be modified to vegan
• Comes together in 45 minutes

Please note, this curry is a little different from the Kashmiri Dum Aloo recipe. 

Ingredients needed

It may look like a lot of ingredients are needed to make this veg potato recipe, but trust me, each one plays a crucial role in bringing out the real flavors! 

• Baby Potatoes - you can use gold or red mini potatoes for this recipe. You may also use frozen baby potatoes here. 
• Other veggies - Onions and tomatoes
• Dairy - Milk and buttermilk
• Whole spices - Bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, and Kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves
• Nuts - Cashews. This gives it a rich flavor.
• Spice mixes - Paprika and Garam masala
• Ginger paste, garlic, and green chilies or jalapenos
• Herbs - Cilantro

Here's how to make it

I am so glad that I tried this veg potato recipe. I got to learn a different way to prepare Dum Aloo and have been making it this way ever since!

I have divided the recipe into 3 parts to make it easy to follow.

The first step is to prep the mini potatoes.

You need to boil the potatoes al dente first just until they turn soft. Test by sticking in a fork and if it goes in smoothly, the potatoes are done.

I added them to a microwave-safe bowl and microwaved them for 10 minutes. You can boil them using any method convenient to you.

Just be careful to not overcook them, else they will break apart.

Once done, peel and prick them at a few places using a fork or toothpick. This is done so that they absorb the flavors of the masala well and helps potatoes to become spongy. 

1. Heat oil in the pan and shallow fry the mini potatoes till they turn light golden. Keep tossing and turning them so that they fry evenly. 
2. Add buttermilk, salt, and minced green chilies to a bowl. Give it a stir and keep it aside for now. 
3. Strain the fried little potatoes in paper towels and then immerse them in this buttermilk mixture.
   • Let it rest in there for 15-20 minutes at-least. You can prick them once more after frying if needed. 

The second step is to prepare the onion-tomato masala base. 

Here's what you need to do for that:

1. Heat oil in the same pan, saute whole spices like bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon stick along with kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) for 4-5 minutes.
   • Fry till the methi releases a nice aroma. 
2. Now add chopped onions along with cashews and saute till the onions turn translucent.
3. Next, you need to add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, and some kosher salt. Cook till the tomatoes turn soft. 
4. Add milk. Cover with lid and let it cook for 10 minutes or till it comes to a boil. Take it off the flame. 
5. Let this mixture cool down and then transfer it to a blender jar.
6. Grind it to a fine smooth paste. Keep it aside for now. 

The third step is to finally assemble this veg potato curry.

1. In the same pan, heat oil. Add and saute ginger paste, part of chopped cilantro, minced garlic, and green chilies for 2-3 minutes or till the smell of raw garlic goes away.
2. Then add the prepared onion-tomato masala paste to the pan along with kosher salt and continue to saute for another 2-3 minutes. 
3. Add water according to your desired consistency. Sprinkle paprika and garam masala on top. Give it a stir. 
4. Lastly, add the soaked mini potatoes minus the buttermilk. Don't add the buttermilk, you can serve it along with Dum Aloo, later.
   • Give the mini potatoes a light mix so that they don't break. Cover the pan and let it cook for another 5-7 minutes. 

Serving suggestions

Garnish with cilantro and some Kasuri methi, then take it off the flame. You can also squeeze lemon juice on top.

Serve this delicious Dum Aloo warm with some Indian bread like naan, roti, chapati, puri, or even bhakri.

This potato curry tastes great with steamed rice too. If you're looking for some low carb ideas, serve it with cooked quinoa or any other grains or even cauliflower rice.

Don't forget to serve the leftover buttermilk on the side. You can serve Dum Aloo for family brunches, holiday feasts, and/or weekend meals.

Top tips, recommendations, and suggestions

Cooking the potatoes in the first stage is a very important step. They need to cooked al dente and should not break or mash easily.

Once they are cooked, if they are slightly bigger in size, you can slice them in half and then fry them.

For a more authentic restaurant-style taste, deep fry the potatoes. Alternatively, to keep it low-fat, you can roast them in an Air Fryer.

Add some tandoori masala, paprika, and turmeric powder while frying for more flavor. 

While preparing the onion masala, you can also add cumin seeds, coriander powder, and fennel seeds to make it more aromatic. 

To make it nut-free, use yogurt or cream instead. Regular Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes can also be used in this recipe, you will need to cut in chunks and follow the recipe.

Potatoes can also be substituted with paneer, mushrooms, tofu, koftas, or vegan meatballs. 

Some people prefer to use tomato puree instead of regular tomatoes, to make the gravy more homogeneous.

Does this freeze well?

First, the prepared curry can be refrigerated for 3-4 days easily. You can also freeze it. The other way to do it would be to prepare the masala base and freeze it.

The day you want to make Dum Aloo, you can prep the potatoes, thaw, and heat the gravy, and then add the potatoes to it. 

Can this be made vegan?

Yes, it very well can be made vegan. Use vegan buttermilk to soak the fried potatoes.

You can also use any nut milk/water/stock when preparing the onion-tomato masala base. 

Some potato recipes for you to check out

• Instant Pot Chickpeas Potato Curry
• Potato Mint Pulao
• Instant Potato Dosa
• Chickpea Potato Squares
• Grilled Potato Cheese Sandwich

If you’ve tried this Dum Aloo Curry Recipe or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how it went by commenting below, I love hearing from you!

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious vegetarian and vegan recipes and what I’m getting up to.

Listen to this recipe on our Podcast Channel!

Cookilicious Kitchen Stories

Ease into Indian vegan/vegetarian cooking and work your way up from simple spice mixes to complex curries.

Instant Potato Dosa -- A South Indian Delicacy

My food blog Cookilicious features a collection of detailed, mouth-watering vegetarian and vegan recipes. 

This is our seventh episode, in which I have shared the recipe for Instant Potato Dosa. This is a delicious breakfast dish from Southern India. 

Dosa is an Indian crepe that is popularly paired with a condiment called a Chutney. The recipe Ithat I'm going to talk about in today's episode is:

• Potato Dosa

This is the Chutney I recommend pairing this Dosa with. I spoke about it in Episode 6:

• Andhra Style Chutney Recipe

You will find more chutney recipes on this page:

• Condiments

The traditional Dosa recipe is here:

• Uttapam/Dosa Batter

These are some more delicious Dosa recipes that you may find interesting:

• Instant Wheat Flour Dosa
• Quinoa Dosa
• Instant Carrot & Oats Dosa/Crepes 
• Masala Dosa with Sweet Potato Filling

If you try any of these dishes, then I would love to see photos of your dish - my Instagram handle is @cookilicious.
If you have any questions or feedback, please write to us at contactthechef@cookilicious.com. 
If you have been listening to our podcast regularly and like it, then please subscribe so you are aware of new episodes when they come online.

Search EpisodesClear Search

Instant Potato Dosa -- A South Indian Delicacy

December 30, 2020

Load More

Search Results placeholder

Previous Episode

Show Episodes List

Next Episode

Show Podcast Information

Dum Aloo Curry Recipe

Dum Aloo is a delicious Indian veg potato curry recipe cooked Dhaba style. Here, mini or little potatoes are simmered in a creamy, flavorful onion-tomato gravy making it perfect for families who are craving for some restaurant-style food at home. 

4.92 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: entree, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, Punjabi

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 293.05kcal

Author: Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

pan

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

For onion tomato paste

• ▢ 2 bay leaf
• ▢ 2-3 cloves
• ▢ 2-3 peppercorns
• ▢ 1 cinnamon stick
• ▢ 2 tablespoon kasoori methi
• ▢ 1 onion chopped
• ▢ 2 tomatoes chopped
• ▢ ⅓ cup cashews
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup milk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Prep for the potatoes

• ▢ 250 gms baby potatoes or 20 baby potatoes
• ▢ Oil for shallow frying
• ▢ 2 cups buttermilk
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 2-3 green chilies or jalapenos

To prepare the curry

• ▢ 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• ▢ 5 cloves garlic
• ▢ 2 green chillies minced
• ▢ ¼ cup Cilantro
• ▢ 2 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 2 teaspoon garam masala

Instructions

For onion tomato paste

• Heat oil in the pan, saute whole spices like bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon stick along with kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) for 4-5 minutes. Fry till the methi releases a nice aroma.
• Now add chopped onions along with cashews and saute till the onions turn translucent.
• Next, you need to add the chopped tomatoes and some kosher salt. Cook till the tomatoes turn soft.
• Pour milk. Cover with lid and let it cook for 10 minutes or till it comes to a boil. Take it off the flame.
• Let this mixture cool down and then transfer it to a blender jar.
• Grind it to a fine smooth paste. Keep it aside for now.

Prep for the potatoes

• You need to boil the potatoes al dente first just until they turn soft. Test by sticking in a fork and if it goes in smoothly, the potatoes are done.
• I added them to a microwave-safe bowl and microwaved them for 10 minutes. You can boil them using any method convenient to you. Just be careful to not overcook them, else they will break apart.
• Once done, peel and prick them at a few places using a fork or toothpick. This is done so that they absorb the flavors of the masala well and helps potatoes to become spongy. 
• Heat oil in the pan and shallow fry the mini potatoes till they turn light golden. Keep tossing and turning them so that they fry evenly. 
• Add buttermilk, salt, and minced green chilies to a bowl. Give it a stir and keep it aside for now. 
• Strain the fried little potatoes in paper towels and then immerse them in this buttermilk mixture.
• Let it rest in there for 15-20 minutes at-least. You can prick them once more after frying if needed. 

To prepare the curry

• In the same pan, heat oil. Add and saute ginger paste, part of chopped cilantro, minced garlic, and green chilies for 2-3 minutes or till the smell of raw garlic goes away.
• Then add the prepared onion-tomato masala paste to the pan along with kosher salt and continue to saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add water according to your desired consistency.
• Sprinkle paprika and garam masala on top. Give it a stir.
• Lastly, add the soaked mini potatoes minus the buttermilk. Don't add the buttermilk, you can serve it along with Dum Aloo, later. Give the mini potatoes a light mix so that they don't break. Cover the pan and let it cook for another 5-7 minutes.
• Garnish with cilantro and some Kasuri methi, then take it off the flame. You can also squeeze lemon juice on top. Serve this delicious Dum Aloo warm with some Indian bread like naan, roti, chapati, puri, or even bhakri.

Notes

Cooking the potatoes in the first stage is a very important step. They need to cooked al dente and should not break or mash easily. Once they are cooked, if they are slightly bigger in size, you can slice them in half and then fry them. For a more authentic restaurant-style taste, deep fry the potatoes. Alternatively, to keep it low-fat, you can roast them in an Air Fryer. 

Regular sized potatoes can also be used in this recipe, you will need to cut in chunks and follow the recipe. Potatoes can also be substituted with paneer, mushrooms, tofu, koftas, or vegan meatballs. 

Does this freeze well?

First, the prepared curry can be refrigerated for 3-4 days easily. You can also freeze it. The other way to do it would be to prepare the masala base and freeze it. The day you want to make Dum Aloo, you can prep the potatoes, thaw, and heat the gravy and then add the potatoes to it. 

Can this be made vegan?

Yes, it very well can be made vegan. Use vegan buttermilk to soak the fried potatoes. You can also use any nut milk/water/stock when preparing the onion-tomato masala base. 

Nutrition

Calories: 293.05kcal | Carbohydrates: 34.12g | Protein: 10.09g | Fat: 13.7g | Saturated Fat: 4.51g | Cholesterol: 17.77mg | Sodium: 1473.17mg | Potassium: 783.63mg | Fiber: 5.87g | Sugar: 13.76g | Vitamin A: 1418.31IU | Vitamin C: 29.61mg | Calcium: 231.84mg | Iron: 1.81mg

Tried this Recipe? Share your creation by tagging me on Instagram @Cookilicious using #cookiliciousveg!

Love watching recipe videos?Subscribe to my Cookilicious YouTube channel now to get your weekly recipe fix - Youtube

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. For more information on my Affiliate and Advertising Policy, please click here.