Mughlai Dum Aloo…… on a foggy day

Hi.

We have been facing dense fog and chilly winter these days. Have a look at this pic which I managed to click around 10 AM ..

 

Mornings are gloomy with the sunshine missing. With kids back to school and S too busy again I needed something interesting to eat to cheer myself…I had picked up baby potatoes this weekend. I had been wanting to make my kind of Dum Aloo since long. The last time when I had indulged with these baby potatoes and wanted to make the Dum Aloo I could not, as I wanted to make it with an ingredient that was missing in my pantry that time and I insist using it for my Mughlai version..so had landed making tangy baby potatoes  which were equally tasty.

So this time I ensured that I had that ingredient in my pantry well stocked before I could make this. Do not laugh friends it’s a very simple ingredient but makes the curry rich (not fattening) and enhances the creamy texture…. Magaz or the water melon seeds. The curry when completed was well spiced and  creamy.

I had not made this curry in the true DUM fashion…those who want to try this in DUM way can read my post Dum Arvi… instead I opted cooking on slow fire, this surely ensured that the potatoes imbibe all the flavours.

I would have personally loved to have this preparation with Tandoori roti…..I feel Dum preparations taste best with it…nevertheless I had it with Roti and some rice.

Do try this curry…surely a finger licking one…

Ingredients
300 gm baby potatoes
3 onions chopped
3 tomatoes
3 tbsp watermelon seeds (magaz)
1-1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
an inch piece of ginger
2-3 garlic pods (optional)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
2 tsp coriander pwd
a large pinch garam masala
1-1/2 tsp chili pwd
salt to taste
oil for cooking about 2-1/2 tbsp


Method

Par boil potatoes with some salt and turmeric, later drain the water and wash with some cold water. One can also deep fry the potatoes, choice is…..

 
Soak the poppy and magaz in water for about 30 mins and grind them to make a paste.
 

In a pan take chopped onions and saute til they turn dark brown in colour. Now add half a spoon of oil and saute further. Alternatively if one wants to indulge in higher calories can deep fry the onions till nicely brown. Cool it and grind it with a little water to a fine paste.

Wash the tomatoes and ginger. In a pan boil together the tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Remove them from the water and grind them together. Do not discard the water, it can be used later in the curry.

Heat oil and put cumin seeds and let them splutter. Now add the onion paste and saute.

Add the tomato paste and mix thoroughly. All the pastes do not need much cooking being precooked.


Now add the spices…turmeric, chili, coriander, cumin, garam masala and some salt, mix and cook for a minute.


Add the magaz-poppy paste. Mix and cook till oil separates.

Add the potatoes and mix it in the masala. Now add the water (use the one in which

 tomatoes were boiled)  and bring the curry to a boil. Cover and cook and low flame for

 20-25 mins.

Once done garnish it some fresh cream (optional), which I had … serve it with hot phulkas and rice.

It is a rich curry to be enjoyed  and the added bonus is …it’s minus the calories.