Kashmiri Dum Aloo

Ingredients

• 700g baby potatoes, even sized
• 500ml neutral oil, for frying
• 3 tbsp mustard oil
• 300g plain yoghurt, whisked
• 2 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1.5 tbsp saunf (ground fennel seed)
• 1 tsp sonth (dry ginger powder)
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida
• 4 cloves
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1.25 tsp salt
• 400ml hot water
• 1/2 tsp garam masala

Before you cook

• Boil the baby potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes until just tender, then drain and cool them.
• Peel the potatoes and prick each one all over with a cocktail stick or fork, going deep.
• Whisk the yoghurt until completely smooth.
• Mix the chilli powder with 3 tbsp water to a paste.

Steps

1. Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to 180C.
2. Fry the potatoes in two batches for 4 minutes each until the skins turn golden and slightly wrinkled.
3. Drain the fried potatoes on kitchen paper and set them aside.
4. Heat the mustard oil in a heavy pan until it smokes, then lower the heat.
5. Add the cloves, green and black cardamom and cinnamon and let them sizzle for 30 seconds.
6. Add the asafoetida, then take the pan off the heat for a moment so it does not scald the yoghurt.
7. Pour in the whisked yoghurt and return the pan to low heat, stirring constantly for 4 minutes until it thickens without curdling.
8. Stir in the chilli paste, ground fennel, dry ginger, black pepper and salt and cook for 3 minutes until oil shows at the edges.
9. Add the hot water and bring the gravy to a gentle simmer.
10. Slide in the fried potatoes and turn them over once in the gravy.
11. Cover the pan tightly and cook on the lowest possible heat for 20 minutes so the potatoes drink up the sauce.
12. Uncover, check that the gravy has reduced enough to cling to the potatoes, and simmer a few minutes longer if it has not.
13. Sprinkle over the garam masala and rest for 5 minutes before serving with rice or roti.