Dum Aloo

Dum is to cook on slow heat and Aloo means potatoes. Dum aloo can be prepared in various styles. Dum aloo is originally from Kashmiri cuisine and happens to be a no onion no garlic dish. Punjabi style makes use of onion and garlic. This is a Punjabi variant. Deep fried potatoes are cooked in onion, tomato and / or yogurt based gravy. It can be served with rotis, puris or rice.

Measurement: 1 Cup = 180 ml
Serves: 3 to 4

Ingredients:

1. Baby potatoes  (peeled) - 16
2. Onion (chopped) - 1 large
3. Tomato (pureed) - 1 large
4. Ginger (grated) - 1/2 tsp
5. Garlic (crushed) - 6 to 8 cloves
6. Green chilly (chopped) - 1
7. Bayleaf - 1
8. Cloves - 2
9. Cinnamon - 1/2" stick
10. Black cardamom - 6 seeds
11. Green cardamom - 4 seeds
12. Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
13. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
14. Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
15. Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
16. Kashmiri mirchi powder - 1/2 tsp
17. Kitchen king masala - 1/3 tsp (optional)
18. Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
19. Cashew nuts - 8
20. Yogurt (beaten) - 1/3 cup
21. Oil - for deep frying
22. Pure / Vanaspati Ghee - 1 to 2 tbsp
23. Sugar - 1/3 tsp (optional)
24. Salt to taste
25. Coriander leaves (chopped) - for garnishing

Procedure:

• Prick the baby potatoes with a fork and dip them in salted water for half an hour.
• In the mean time, dry roast ingredients numbering 8 to 14 for 3 to 5 seconds.
• Combine the roasted spices with cashew nuts and grind it to a fine powder. 
• Add onion and grind it to a fine paste. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a deep frying pan and deep fry the potatoes till golden brown. Keep aside.
• Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan and add bayleaf.
• Add ginger, garlic and green chilly. Stir fry for 3 seconds.
• Add ground paste (onion + cashew nuts + spices) and stir fry till the moisture evaporates.
• Add turmeric powder, kashmiri mirchi powder, cumin powder and kitchen king masala.
• Stir fry for 5 seconds.
• Add tomato puree and stir well. Cook for 3 to 5 min.
• Add yogurt and stir well.
• Add water (2 cups approx), salt and sugar.
• Add fried potatoes and cover it. Simmer for 10 min. Stir occasionally.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with rice, roti or puri.

Tip:

• If baby potatoes are not available, then regular potatoes can be cut into bite size pieces and used.
• Deep frying can be avoided. Alternately, you may boil, peel, prick gently with a fork and shallow fry them with 2 tbsp of oil or ghee.
• If you want them to be spicy, then just check the taste and add regular chilly powder.

Maddechi Xacuti

Maddi or Maaddi is taro or colocasia roots and a seasonal availability in Goa. Xacuti is a Goan spicy dish. It is a coconut and onion based curry with varied spices. The curry paste can be used for non-veg dishes too. I use it mainly for mushrooms, soya chunks and cauliflower.

Maddi is normally shallow fried and served as a side dish. It is used in curries too, but I thought of making a different preparation by using the xacuti paste.

Measurement: 1 Cup = 180 ml

Serves: 3 to 4

Maddi / Taro Root

Ingredients:

For Maddechi Xacuti:

1. Maddi - 3/4 of a small maddi 
2. Onion (chopped) - 1 large
3. Marinade 
4. Xacuti paste
5. Refined Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp tbsp
6. Coriander leaves - for garnishing
7. Sugar - 1/3 tsp (optional)
8. Salt to taste

For the Marinade:

1. Green chilly - 1
2. Coriander leaves - handful
3. Garlic - 8 cloves
4. Ginger - 1/2" piece
5. Yogurt - 1 tbsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Salt - 1/2 to 3/4 tsp approx

For the Xacuti paste:

1. Coconut (scrapped) - 1 1/2 cup
2. Onion (sliced) - 1 medium
3. Cloves - 4
4. Star anise (seeds removed) - 3 petals 
5. Cinnamon - 1/2" stick
6. Peppercorns - 6 to 8
7. Green + Black cardamom - 3 + 3 seeds
8. Nutmeg - a tiny piece
9. Mace - 2 thin petals
10. Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
11. Poppy seeds - 1/3 tsp
12. Cumin seeds - a pinch
13. Coriander seeds - 3/4 tsp
14. Kashmiri mirchi - 1
15. Byadgi mirchi / any other red chilly - 1 to 2 or as per your requirement
16. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
17. Tamarind - half a marble sized ball
18. Oil (preferably coconut oil) - 2 tbsp

Procedure:
For the Marinade:

1. Grind green chilly, coriander leaves, ginger and garlic to a fine paste without water or by adding a spoonful of water. 
2. Combine it with yogurt, turmeric powder and salt.

For making Xacuti paste:

• Heat oil in a kadai.
• Fry spices numbering 3 to 12 till they give out aroma, take them out. In the same oil fry red chillies and at last coriander seeds. Take them out.
• In the same oil fry onion till golden brown, add coconut and stir fry till coconut turns slightly brown (flame should me low to medium).
• Grind all the ingredients including tamarind and turmeric powder to a fine paste by adding sufficient water.

For making Maddechi Xacuti:

• Wash maddi and let it dry completely. Discard one end. Slice 3/4 of it (1/2" thickness). Remaining 1/4 could be refrigerated for some other preparation, but discard the other end while using it later. Peel the slices and cube them. You require  3 1/2 cups of cubes. Immerse them in a bowl of water. Wash them 3 to 4 times and drain. You may use hand gloves, as it may cause itching.
• Combine with the marinade and rest it for at least half an hour.
• Heat oil in a pan and stir fry onion till it softens.
• Add marinated maddi and stir fry for a min.
• Cook it covered on low flame without adding water. Turn it occasionally. Do not over cook. (The cooking time may vary from maddi to maddi, but approximately 20 to 25 min would be required.)
• When maddi is cooked, add 2 to 3 cups of water and stir well. Bring it to boil. Simmer for a minute.
• Add xacuti paste, salt and sugar, stir well.
• Simmer for 3 to 5 min.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with pav, bread or rice.