Dum Aloo

Serves: 8-10

Baby Potatoes - 2 lb

Water - 3 3/4 cups

Salt - to taste

Ghee or oil - for deep frying

Ghee - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1 large, finely chopped

Tomato Puree - 4 tbsp

Curd - 3/4 cup

Hot water - 4 tbsp

Green Chilly - 1, seeded and sliced

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Cloves - 4
Bay leaves - 4
Black Peppercorns - 6
Green Cardamom - 4
Brown Cardamom - 1
Cinnamon Stick - 1

Onion - 1 large, roughly chopped

Garlic - 10 flakes
Ginger - 2 tbsp
Black peppercorns - 6
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds
Dry red chilies - 2
Turmeric powder  - 1/2 tsp
Ground mace - a pinch
Ground nutmeg- a pinch

1. Peel the potatoes and prick all over with a fork and soak in salted water for 2 hours.

2. Dry the potatoes on a cloth and heat the ghee or oil for deep frying

3. Deep fry the potatoes until golden brown. Remove using a slotted spoon and set aside.

4. Heat the 1/2 cup ghee in a thick-bottomed pot and fry the onions with the spices - cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon, green cardamoms, brown cardamoms, and 6 black peppercorns until the onion turns golden.

5. In the meanwhile grind the roughly chopped onion, garlic, ginger, black peppercorns, poppy seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric powder, ground mace and ground nutmeg to a fine paste and stir into the onions.

6. Cook for 10 minutes, then stir in the tomato puree, curd and salt.

7. Add the potatoes, hot water and stir over low heat for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

8. Then add the green chilly, garam masala, mix well, cook for another 2 minutes and remove from heat.