Kashmiri Dum Aloo, Indian Cooking Challenge, Nov 2010

Traditional Kashmiri cuisine is characterized by the use of curds in the gravies, which gives the dishes a creamy consistency.

In Kashmir, potato is called 'Oluv' (Singular), and potatoes are called 'Olav' (Plural). 'Dama Oluv' is a poular North Indian cusine, having its origin in Kashmir.

Better known as Kashmiri Dum Aloo, it is an all time favourite and mouth watering potato based curry recipe, prepared with whole / diced baby potatoes simmered in a rich and creamy gravy.

The credit for the mouth watering and unique taste goes to the use of exquisite spices and ingredients. Dum means anything cooked under pressure. Here the aloo / potatoes are cooked under pressure in their own juices.

Kashmiri Dum Aloo recipe is generally flavored with Kashmiri chillies and it uses typical Kashmiri spices like fennel / aniseed and ginger powder. Kashmiri Dum Aloo is particularly served with naan or roomali roti.

Srivalli choose this dish as the recipe for Indian Cooking Challenge for the month of November. She choose the recipe of Kashmiri Aloo Dum from Indian food.

Ingredients:

• Baby potatoes / small potatoes - 1 kg (round and uniform size)


• Cumin seeds, roasted and powdered: 1 tsp


• Kashmiri red chillies, roasted and powdered: 3-4


• Curd / yogurt: 2 1/2 cups (must not be sour)


• Ginger powder: 1 tsp


• Fennel / aniseed powder: 1 tbsp


• Cloves, roasted and powdered: 6


• Mustard oil: 4 tbsp


• Garam Masala: 1 tsp


• Mixed powders (Black cardamom, Cinnamon and Black Pepper): 1 tsp


• Asafoetida: a pinch


• White oil to deep fry potatoes


• Salt to taste


• Firm dough made from wheat flour and water Chopped coriander leaves: 1 tbsp

Method to prepare:

1. Wash the potatoes well, peel, and prick the potatoes all over with a fork. Then soak in salted water for 15-20 mins.


2. Heat white oil in a kadhai and fry the potatoes on medium flame on all sides till golden brown. Drain excess oil and keep aside.


3. Make a paste of curd / yogurt, chilli powder, ginger powder and fennel powder. Add the potatoes and marinate for about an hour.


4. Heat mustard oil in another kadhai, add the clove powder and asafoetida and mix well. Add a half cup of hot water with a little salt and bring to a boil.


5. Slowly add the marinated potatoes and the yogurt mix and thoroughly stir to mix the spices.


6. Cover with a lid, seal the edges with the dough for the �dum� so that steam do not escape. Cook in a low flame for 10-15 mins.


7. When the gravy thickens and the oil begins to separate, turn off the flame.


8. Add garam masala, roasted cumin seeds powder and the mixture of cardamom, cinnamon and black pepper powders. Turn gently with a spatula so that all the spices are mixed well.


9. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Naan / Roomali Rotis / Chapatis.

Punjabi Kadi with Pakora (Dahi Besan Kadi)

For the month of September, Srivalli announced a delicious dish, Punjabi Kadhi for the Indian Cooking Challenge. Thanks to Srivalli for choosing this yummy Punjabi kadi and Simran for the awesome recipe.

Kadhi / karhi is an Indian dish, specially a part of Gujarati and Punjabi cuisine, basically made up of vegetable fritters (pakodas) simmered in a spicy yogurt-based gravy containing chickpea flour (besan / gram flour) with tempering of black mustard seeds, cumin, asafoetida, dried chili peppers, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves in oil / ghee and eaten with steamed rice and roti / phulkas.

Pakoda is a common Indian snack like onion pakoda, potato pakoda, eggplant, cauliflower or chopped spinach or chilies, prepared by dipping the ingredients in batter and fried into crunchy pakodas.
Punjabi kadhi is a typical North Indian recipe made up of pakodas simmered in a thick yogurt gravy.


Ingredients:
For Pakodas:

• Gram flour: � cup
• Onions, sliced: 2 medium
• Red Chilli Powder: � tsp (as per taste)
• Baking Powder: � tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Water, for batter
• White oil, for deep frying pakodas

For Kadi

• Curd / Yogurt: 1 cup
• Chickpea flour / Besan: � cup
• Onion, chopped: 1 large
• Mustard Seeds / Sorse: 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds / Jeera: 1 tsp
• Carom seeds / Ajwain: � tsp
• Fenugreek seeds / Methi: 1 tsp
• Curry leaves: 5-6
• Dry red chillies: 2 whole
• Turmeric powder: � tsp
• Red Chili powder: � tsp
• Garam Masala powder - � tsp
• Asafetida / Hing: a pinch
• Oil: 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste

Preparation
Pakora:

1. Take slice onions in a bowl, crush them a little to separate the slices.
2. Add besan and all the other ingredients except water and oil to the bowl. Mix well. Slowly add water and make a batter of semi thick consistency.
3. Heat oil in a deep bottomed kadhai. Add a little oil in the batter and mix again.
4. Take small amount of batter coated onions, form a round shape and slowly release the balls in the hot oil.
5. Deep fry the pakodas, turn and cook both sides until crispy and golden brown.
6. Drain oil and take out the pakodas, put on a paper towel to soak the extra oil. Keep aside.

Kadhi:

1. Blend yogurt, besan and water with a pinch of turmeric powder, salt and red chilli powder to make a thin batter / buttermilk (lassi) mixture consistency. Keep it aside for half an hour before starting to make kadi.
2. Heat oil in a kadhai, add the dry spices (mustard seeds, cumin seeds, carom seeds and fenugreek seeds) and let them splutter. Add curry leaves and dry red chilli to tadka (frying mixture).
3. Add chopped onions and saut� them until light brown. Add the turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, salt and saut� a little more.
4. Add the yogurt / besan (kadhi mixture) to the tadka. Keep stirring the gravy, as it may stick to the bottom. First keep it on a medium flame, bring it to a boil, reduce flame and simmer on low flame for 20-30 mins.
5. Keep stirring occasionally, check if the gravy is thick enough (add little water if required) and release the pakodas in the kadhi.
6. Boil for 2-3 mins more and turn off gas. Garnish with chopped coriander, serve hot with steamed rice or chapati.

Khara Papeta

The Zoroastrian Parsi community is a prosperous, peace and fun-loving community. Their cooking combines techniques and ingredients from across the globe, specially known for the unique blend of spices & flavours that makes the food very appetizing, nutritious and wholesome.

At present, Parsi cuisine or Parsi Bhonu (feast fit for a king) is a delicious blend of western and eastern influences. Parsi community in India adopted foods and recipe cooking processes, procedures and ingredients from the Persians, British, French, Germans, Portuguese, Irish, Italian including several others.

They settled in India, first at Sanjan, Udvada, Navsari and Surat in Gujarat and later spread to Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune and other places and adopted the regional cooking techniques. Parsis are known to prefer non-vegetarian (Iranian cuisine) dishes like fish, meat and chicken. They also have a large selection of delectable vegetarian (Gujarati - Indian cuisine) recipes.

The basic feature of a Parsi lunch is rice, eaten with lentils / curry. Dinner would include a meat dish, often accompanied by potatoes / other vegetable curry. Onion-cucumber salad, known as Kachubar is a must for most meals in Parsi household.

Here is the recipe for Khara Papeta, a popular Parsi recipe, made of papeta (potatoes) and tomatoes.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes, peeled and diced: 4-5 medium sized
• Onions, finely sliced: 2 large (sliced)
• Tomato, roughly chopped: 1 large (chopped)
• Cumin seeds: � tsp
• Garlic, finely chopped: 4 flakes
• Ginger, finely chopped: 1� size
• Green Chiili, finely chopped: 1-2 (as per taste)
• Turmeric: 1/2 tsp (optional)
• White Oil: 2-3 tbsp
• Salt (to taste)
• Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped: 2-3 bunches
• Chopped coriander leaves & tomatoes and a little grated ginger, for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat oil and fry the onions until translucent / golden brown in colour.
2. Add cumin seeds, chopped ginger & garlic and saute for 1-2 minute.
3. Add potatoes and salt and saute for 2 minutes (I didn't use turmeric, if you want, you can use a pinch for a yellowish tinge).
4. Add a little water, lower flame and cook until potatoes are tender. Try to dry the water. (Basically this is a dry curry / sabji, but if you want a little gravy, adjust the water accordingly).
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes.
6. Remove from fire, garnish with chopped coriander leaves & tomatoes. Sprinkle some grated ginger on top and serve hot.

Sending this recipe to RCI - Parsi Cuisine, hosted by Meera, event started by Lakshmi.