How can I not post the recipe of the Nepali Aloo Dum when around 12 people asked for the same from day before yesterday! A spicy, tangy Potato side Nepali dum Aloo or Darjeeling style Aloo Dum is pure bliss.This happened when I posted a picture of our Christmas family lunch. The Nepali Aloo Dum was part of the deshi lunch I made. The platter was having Bengali Ghee Bhat, Roti, Deshi Murgir Dum, Nepali Aloo Dum, Tomato Amsotto Khejur Chutney and Gajar Ka Halwa.
By the way, I learned the recipe from Doma Wang, a friend who runs The Blue Poppy, a Kolkata based popular Tibbetian and Chinese casual dining. Doma Di is from the hills and hence has amazing knowledge about the food from the hilly areas including Nepal.
I first had this simple potato delicacy in Darjeeling. In fact, the Dum aloo actually is an easily available dish in that part of the country. The recipe actually hailed from Nepal, the neighboring country. I was planning to make it at home since long and was searching for the recipe too. I found a few recipes while searching the net, however, was not sure which one to go with. Finally, I contacted Doma Di. “Doma Di can you please share the recipe for Nepali Aloo Dum”; I wrote without the second thought to Doma Wang a few days back.
I somehow knew that she is going to help me and exactly the same happened. She shared the recipe gladly. Spicy, flavored with garlic, reddish color and tempered with Panch Phoron, this is what Nepali Dum Aloo to me. The rustic flavors, in fact completely different from other forms of Dum Aloo, makes Nepali Aloo Dum special for sure. The recipe she shared is a simple potato preparation dominated by the flavor of garlic and almost no spices apart from Chili; this aloo Dum is completely different from the Bengali version of the same dish. Following her recipe, I cooked the Nepali Aloo Dum for around 3 times though posted it for the first time on Christmas.
The recipe I am sharing is almost similar to whatever I learned from Doma di with very little modification. For Example, I have used baby potatoes; and two types of chilies while her recipe was with normal potato and one type of chili.
How do you like your portion of Aloo Dum; is it the North Indian Dum Aloo or Bengali vegetarian version of the same or the Bengali Aloor Dum with chorbi (Mutton fat) or the simple Nepali Aloo Dum! Oh, how can I forgot the Kashmiri Aloo Dum! Well, I love my portion of Aloo (and Aloor Dum) and I cook it quite often at home.
- Serves: 5 People
- Serving size: 5 People
- Calories: 233
- Fat: 11.7g
- Saturated fat: 1.4g
- Carbohydrates: 3.4g
- Sugar: 5.1g
- Sodium: 1410mg
- Fiber: 4.1g
- Protein: 3.8g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
- Potato: 1 Kg
- Tomato: 4
- Garlic: 20 Cloves
- Dry Red Chili: 4+ 1
- Dry Kashmiri Red Chili: 2
- Panch Phoron/ Bengali 5 Spices" 1 Tsp.
- Turmeric Powder: 1 Tsp.
- Salt: to Taste
- Mustard Oil: 4 Tbsp.
- Wash the Potatoes under running water.
- Take Potatoes along with water in a pressure cooker and cover the same with a lid with the whistle on.
- Cook on high flame till the pressure builds.
- Reduce the flame and switch the stove off after two whistles come out.
- Open the Lid once the pressure drops completely.
- Now Peel the skin off the Potatoes.
- I have used Baby Potatoes and hence didn't cut those into pieces.
- In case using normal potatoes cut those into halves after boiling.
- Make a puree of the Tomatoes.
- Soak both the Chilis in boiling water for 15 minutes.
- Make a paste of the Chillies (4 Red Chili and 2 Kashmiri Red Chili) with the Garlic.
- Heat Oil in a pan.
- Temper the oil with one Red chili and Panch Phoron.
- Add Tomato Puree and cook until the aroma of tomato goes.
- Now add Chili garlic paste and cook on low flame until oil comes out from the mixture.
- Add Salt to the mixture.
- Now pierce the potatoes using a fork and add those to the mixture.
- Using a spatula coat the potatoes with the spice and cook on low flame for around 5 minutes.
- Take one potato out and after massing it add to the pan again
- Add a cup of water and cook on low flame till the water reduces completely and oil comes out from the Nepali Dum Aloo.
- Serve it hot with your choice of Bread or Rice.
Panch Phoron: a mixture of Fennel Seed, Mustard Seed, Cumin Seed, Fenugreek Seed and Nigella Seed.
You can increase or decrease the quantity of Chili depending on how hot you want your Nepali Dum Aloo or Darjeeling style Dum Aloo to be.
I don't add any spice powder apart from Turmeric and Chili while making this dish.
Tomato Puree can be replaced with chopped Tomato.
If not available Whole Kashmiri Chili can be replaced with normal Red Chili.
Potato Based Recipes apart from the Nepali Aloo Dum from Debjanir Rannaghar:
- Bori Begun Aloo diye Ilish Macher Tel Jhol
- Aloo Fulkopi diye Macher Jhol
- Bengali Niramish Aloor Dum
- Stir-Fried Bottle Gourd and Potato Peel
- Aloo Posto
- Aloo Potol Diye Macher Jhol
- Bedmi Poori Aur Aloo ki Sabzi
- Tandoori Dum Aloo
Here goes the Christmas meal picture with Nepali Aloo Dum I was referring to in the first paragraph!
Have you tried the Nepali Aloo Dum Recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
Do let me know how it came out. Also, I would love to see a picture of the same which you can share here on dolonchttrj@gmail.com or in Instagram you can use my hashtag #debjanirrannaghar or can tag me at @foodofdebjani.
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