Dum Aloo Recipe

Dum Aloo is a rich and creamy Indian potato curry. Here is a restaurant-style dum aloo recipe which works for both – instant pot and stovetop.

The Story of Dum Aloo

Potato is one of the most commonly used ingredients in an Indian kitchen. In Hindi, we call it aloo. In Indian Cuisine, a potato is used in a million creative ways. From snacks to sweets and curries, we make a lot of potatoes.

Dum Aloo is one of the most popular Indian curries. Today, many versions of the curry are prepared and served in restaurants worldwide.

First is the Kashmir dum aloo recipe, bright red, cooked without onion and garlic, and loaded with spices to help locals stay warm. Then there’s the Bengali-style aloo dum or alur dum cooked in mustard oil with loads of whole spices.

My dum aloo recipe is a restaurant-style variant of the dish which you can easily make in an instant pot without spending hours in the kitchen. You can find this dum aloo recipe in my cookbook, The 100 Best Curries for your Instant Pot, under the first chapter Restaurant Style Favourites.

Prep Work For Dum Aloo

How To Make Dum Aloo

Dum aloo can be easily made in an instant pot, pressure cooker, or on a traditional Indian kadhai over a stovetop.

• Set the SAUTE MODE of an instant pot for 10 minutes at a normal heat setting.
• Heat cooking oil in the inner pot of an IP. Fry masala-coated potatoes (check prep work steps above) until they turn crisp and golden from the outside. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

• Add bay leaf, dried red chillies, and cumin seeds to the inner pot. Fry for 10 – 20 seconds to release the aroma of the whole spices.
• Add chopped onion. Fry for 2 – 3 minutes or till the onion turns light golden.

• Add cashew paste and whisked curd. Fry for 1 – 2 minutes. Next, add fried potato, salt to taste, and water. Stir to combine.
• Close the lid of the IP. PRESSURE Cook dum aloo curry for 6 minutes at a normal heat setting.

• Release the steam manually. Open the lid. Stir and check the potato for doneness. Taste and add more seasoning if required.
• Set the SAUTE MODE for 5 minutes. Add dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), garam masala, and chopped coriander. Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.
• Instant Pot Aloo Dum is ready. Similarly, you can cook it in an electric pressure cooker as well.

• Heat two tablespoons of cooking oil in the kadhai. Fry masala-coated potatoes (check prep work steps above) until they turn crisp and golden from the outside. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add bay leaf, dried red chillies, and cumin seeds to the kadhai. Fry for 10 – 20 seconds to release the aroma of the whole spices.
• Add chopped onion. Fry for 2 – 3 minutes or till the onion turns light golden.

• Add cashew nut paste, whisked curd, and fry over low heat for 2 – 3 minutes or till oil separates from the masala.
• Next, add the fried potato, salt to taste, and water. Stir to combine.

• Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the curry over low heat till it thickens and the potato are cooked.
• Stir and check the potato for doneness. Add crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), garam masala, and chopped coriander.

Restaurant Style Dum Aloo is ready to serve.

Serving Suggestion

Dum Aloo is an Indian main course gravy dish. Serve it with flatbread like naan, paratha, poori, or chapati. It tastes delicious with rice dishes like matar pulao or jeera rice also.

For a wholesome Indian thali meal, serve it with dal tadka, jeera rice, mint raita, and a kachumber salad.

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