Kashmiri Dum Aloo (Baby Potatoes sauteed in a Spicy Yogurt Gravy)

Today was a day of sadness. Watching the events unfold in Japan broke my heart. We have all heard about tsunamis, but to actually witness water gushing across the fields and washing cars away was like nothing I had ever seen before. I can't begin to fathom the fear and anxiety felt amongst all those involved. Its times like these you realize how fragile human life is and how we are all interconnected. Just a tragic day!!!

I'm not sure how to transition into my next thought which is food, but I'll try. Today I made Kashmiri Dum Aloo which comes from the Northern most region of India, perhaps the most beautiful region in India - Kashmir.

This dish consists of baby potatoes which are typically deep fried and then added to a spicy yogurt gravy. For health reasons I skipped deep frying the potatoes and instead boiled and sauteed them.

I sort of winged this recipe and it tasted amazing, but it was definitely on the spicier side. If you can't handle spice I suggest omitting the red chili powder from this dish. Serve with naan/rice. Enjoy!

NUTRITION: Potatoes are a very good source of Vitamin C and are also rich in fiber, however keep in mind they do contain lots of carbohydrates. Yogurt is a good source of Protein and Calcium. Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamins A and C.

INGREDIENTS:

Baby Potatoes - 10 (washed, boiled, peeled, & pricked)
Sunflower Oil - 2 ½ tbsp (1 tablespoon for the potatoes, 1 ½ tablespoon for the saute)
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - ½ tsp
Dry Red Chilies - 4-5 (broken)
Cloves - 4
Bay Leaves - 3
Cinnamon Stick - ½ stick
Green Cardamom - 2
Ginger - 1 inch piece (chopped)
Garlic - 4 cloves (chopped)
Red Onion - 2 medium (finely chopped)
Plum Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)
Red Chili Powder - ½ teaspoon (if it's too spicy, omit)
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Low Fat Yogurt - 1 cup
Water - 1 ½ cups (add another ½ cup if you want, this will help reduce the spice)
Garam Masala - ½ tsp
Dry Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori Methi) - 1 dollop (crushed... shown below)
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Start by boiling the potatoes in cold water. This will take about 25 minutes.

2. In the meantime, chop your ginger and garlic. I used my Magic Bullet.

3. Finely chop the onions and tomato.

4. Heat a pot on medium heat, once hot add oil and the following spices... cumin seeds, turmeric powder, dry red chilies, cloves, cinnamon stick, and green cardamom. Once they sizzle saute for about 10-15 seconds.

5. Add the onions, ginger, and garlic. Saute for 10 minutes or until the onions are golden brown. Season with salt and combine.

6. Check on the potatoes, they should be boiling away. Prick them with a fork to make sure they are soft and done. Don't boil them all the way though. Drain.

7. Back to the onions, this is what you should have.

8. Add the tomato, red chili powder, coriander powder, and salt. Combine and allow this to saute for another 5-10 minutes or until the mixture forms into a paste-like consistency.

9. In the meantime, peel the potatoes. Set aside.

10. In a bowl/mug, combine yogurt and 1 ½ cups of water.

11. Check on the onion-tomato mixture. This is what you should have.

TEMPER
12. Add the mixture to the yogurt. This will bring the yogurt temperature up to avoid any curdling.

13. Now pour the yogurt back to the mixture.

14. Mix and allow this to simmer on low heat for 3-5 minutes.

15. Heat a nonstick pan on medium heat (I used a stainless steel pot, but I should have used nonstick to avoid sticking), add 1 tablespoon of oil, once hot, add the potatoes.

16. Season with salt and cut the bigger potatoes in half. Notice how my potatoes got stuck, they should have browned better, hence use a nonstick pan. Saute for about 5 minutes or until slightly brown. Keep stirring in between. PRICK THEM with a fork!