Dum Aloo
Ingredients
- 500g baby potatoes
- 2 medium onions, finely grated or blended
- 3 medium tomatoes, blended
- ¾ cup yogurt, whisked smooth
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp fennel powder (saunf)
- ½ tsp ginger powder (soonth)
- ¼ tsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp ghee
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coriander to finish
Steps
- 1
Prick and par-cook the potatoes
Wash baby potatoes thoroughly. Prick each potato all over with a fork — this allows the gravy to penetrate. Place in the microwave with a splash of water, cover, and cook on HIGH for 6 minutes until just tender but not mushy. Alternatively, boil briefly on induction.
- 2
Make the masala base
In an oven-safe pot on a stovetop (induction) or separately in a pan, heat oil and ghee. Add onion paste and cook until deep golden, 10–12 minutes. Add ginger and garlic paste, cook 2 minutes. Add tomato blend and all spices except garam masala. Cook until oil separates, about 8 minutes.
- 3
Add yogurt
Reduce heat to low. Add whisked yogurt one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Once all yogurt is incorporated, cook the masala for 5 more minutes.
- 4
Add potatoes and seal
Add the par-cooked potatoes to the masala and coat thoroughly. Transfer to a heavy oven-safe pot if not already in one. Cover with foil pressed tight around the edges, then the lid. This is the dum seal.
- 5
Oven dum cook
Bake at 170 °C for 30–35 minutes. The potatoes will braise in the sealed gravy, absorbing all the spice flavour.
- 6
Finish and serve
Carefully open (hot steam will escape). Add garam masala, stir gently, and cover for 5 more minutes. Garnish with coriander. Serve with roti or paratha.
Tips for Best Results
💡 Prick the potatoes deeply
The more you prick, the more the gravy seeps into the potato during the dum cook. Use a toothpick or fork and go deep.
💡 Do not skip the yogurt step
The yogurt adds creaminess and balances the spice. Add it slowly off high heat to prevent curdling.
💡 Baby potatoes are better than large ones
Whole baby potatoes hold their shape and absorb flavour better. If using large potatoes, halve or quarter them.
About this recipe ↓About this recipe ↑
Dum Cooking Is What Ovens Were Made For
"Dum" means sealed cooking — trapping steam inside a pot to slowly braise the contents in their own moisture and the gravy's flavour. It is a technique that actually suits an oven better than a gas stove, where controlling a very low, even flame under a sealed pot requires constant attention.
Dum aloo — whole baby potatoes cooked in a sealed pot with aromatic Kashmiri-style spiced gravy — is one of the best demonstrations of oven-based dum cooking. The potatoes become silky, the gravy intensifies, and the spices develop a depth that 20 minutes of stovetop cooking cannot achieve.
More details ↓More details ↑
Your Oven Can Cook Indian Food
Dum aloo is just one of many Indian dishes that the oven handles beautifully without gas. Explore biryani, dal makhani, baked kheema and more in our oven recipe collection.
