About The Author
Hello! From Chuchura (in Hooghly District) and a foodie, I created this blog with a mission to preserve the food of the land; with a message to encourage and promote clean and real food. I hope you enjoy and gain out of this blog, happy reading!
Looking forward to read and hear your feedback.
There are probably a dozen ways to cook an aloo’r dum, and a niramish aloor dum always tops the chart for a Bengali.
Understanding the nomenclature of ‘Niramish’
It is tough to explain the word ‘niramish’ to a non-Bengali. In simple words ‘niramish’ translates to ‘veg’.
But wait! It’s not so simple. In a Hindu Bengali household, a dish is termed niramish when it does not contain meat, onions and garlic.
A niramish aloor dum is a dish devoid of onions and garlic. And yet is loved by every Bengali who has savored it once.
And why not? This no-onion, no-garlic aloo’r dum is a dish that has tons of emotion attached to it – it is served during Hindu festivals along with khichuri (Bengali khichdi) as a side dish. Remember Saraswati Pujo bhog at school? Or the Lokkhi Thakurer bhog at your neighbour’s?
The parar kochurir dokan (local shops that sells kachori) serves it, and who can forget a niramish aloor dum served with luchis. And I can already smell the aroma waft through my nasal sensors.
What Makes a Niramish Aloor Dum Special?
A simple dish can’t just stay dear to an entire region just on emotion, it has to be flavorful to be special. A simple affair is made special by several components, some of which are listed below.
When you tuck in a piece of nirmaish aloor dum, you immediate taste a multitude of flavors. The tangy notes are complimented with a tinge of sweetness while the spicy flavors make its presence felt, albeit it does not hurt your palette
Baby Potatoes
During the winter, around December or January, markets in Bengal sees an influx of baby potatoes. Called ‘notun aloo’, these are inexpensive and are always in demand by customers, who wish to prepare a nirmalish aloor dum.
Over the decades, these baby potatoes have earned the nickname of “aloor dum er aloo” (meaning, potato for aloor dum).
However, you can always use normal potatoes available in the market. For this recipe, I have used potatoes that are a bit larger than baby potatoes and hence have halved them.
Gravy Consistency
Generally, this is a curry with a semi-thick consistency. Some prefer it lighter which goes well with steaming rice and kachoris that can soak in the deliciousness.
Tomatoes
While many people use curd, tomatoes add flavor and induces a rustic nature to the curry.
During winter, the market sees raw tomatoes (green in color), however, for this recipe the red/ripe tomatoes are used.
Tomatoes add bulk to the gravy as well.
You may use curd alternatively, or a mix of both. This recipe only uses tomatoes.
Green Peas
Little specs of green in the golden aloo dum cooked without onion and garlic provides a visual delight.
Geen peas have a subtle sweetness in them; and while it does not make a huge difference to the flavor of the curry, it certainly adds some crunch.
So if you have green peas, I would recommend you use them.
And if you do not have them in your pantry, it should not be an excuse to not cook this delicious Bengali niramish alur dum.
Spices
In our country, spices are an every day affair.
Coriander, garam masala, hing are important spices in this recipe. Coriander helps in providing thickness to the gravy, while hing and the garam masala powder ensure that the right notes of flavor are added to the gravy.
You may add in Kashmiri/Byadgi red chili powder for the color, but that is not necessary. And to replace it, I have used sugar to provide the reddish color from caramelization.
With all the gyaan done, here’s a niramish aloor dum recipe that you can whip up in an hour!
Note
The equipment & ingredient quantity provided in this recipe is to assist you in cooking this dish. Feel free to experiment with your ingredients. Remember that we all have different set, size & shape of kitchen tools in our pantry.
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker
- 1 Toothpick to prick holes in the potatoes
- 1 Knife & Chopping Board
- 1 Mixer Grinder
- 1 Wok & Spatula
- Preparation & serving bowls
Ingredients
To Boil the Potatoes in Pressure Cooker
- 750 g baby potato normal potatoes will also do
- 5 tsp salt
- water
Ginger Paste
- 4 inch ginger
- 5 pc green chilli
- 1 pinch salt to have a smooth paste
Tomato Paste
- 5 pc medium-sized tomatoes
- water to boil and blanch the tomatoes before making a puree/paste
For Frying the Potatoes
- 4 tsp mustard oil
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Other Ingredients Required
- 3 tsp mustard oil
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/3 tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 100 g green peas 1 big cup, optional
- salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 cup warm water depends on the size of your cup
- 1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped finely, a few sprigs of coriander leaves
- 1 tsp ghee
Instructions
Boil & Peel the Potatoes
- Prick a hole in each of the baby potatoes. If you are using normal potatoes, you must cut the potatoes in halves before pricking in multiple holes
- In a pressure cooker, add in the water, potatoes and salt. Close the lid and switch on the flame
- Allow to cook. When you near the first whistle, switch off the flame and allow to release the pressure naturally
- Unlid the pressure cooker, take out the potatoes and wash over tap water to cool them down
- Peel the potatoes. If you are using new/baby potatoes, you may still keep the peel on for added flavor profile
Fry the Potatoes
- Put on the wok, switch on the flame
- Add the mustard oil and allow it to smoke
- Drop in the potatoes and add the turmeric powder
- Fry for 5-7 minutes. Ensure even frying on all potatoes through regular stirring. You do not want your potatoes to turn crispy, hence keep a watch through out
- Take out the potatoes from the wok and keep aside
Prepare the Tomato Paste for Niramlish Aloor Dum
- Take a wok or any silver container where you can boil water
- Using a knife put a coupe of gashes on each of the tomatoes, and drop them in the water
- Add water, bring it to a boil and drop in the tomatoes
- Allow it to cook for 5 minutes
- Now bring out the tomatoes, run under tap water to cook it down
- Peel the outer skin and put them in the mixie (mixer grinder)
- Make a paste and keep aside
Prepare the Ginger and Green Chili Paste
- Peel the ginger, chop into small pieces
- Chop the chili in smaller pieces
- Add both and a pinch of salt to the mixie and prepare a fine paste. Keep aside
Prepare the Niramish Aloor Dum Curry
- In the wok, add oil. Keep the flame on medium
- When the oil starts smoking, add in a teaspoon of sugar
- Once the sugar turns red and starts caramelizing, add in the ginger green chili paste and saute
- Add in turmeric powder and saute till the raw smell persists
- Drop in the coriander powder and asafoetida (hing) and saute till the oil separates
- Add in the tomato paste (puree), salt and garam masala powder
- Saute till the gravy mix is properly cooked. You will know this when the oil starts separating and is a very important part of the recipe
- Add in the potatoes, stir in the spicy nirmaish gravy
- Add the green peas and water
- Bring to a boil and check for seasonings. Adjust if needed
- Add in the sugar
- Lower the flame and allow to simmer till the gravy has reached the desired consistency
- Switch off the flame, throw in the chopped coriander leaves and give it a good stir
- Cover and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes
- Serve hot with kochuri, luchi or khichuri
Notes
- Peeling the potatoes after boiling is optional. The potato peel is nutritious and adds flavor to the dish. I have not peeled the potatoes
- Irrespective of whether you peel the potatoes or not, pricking the potatoes is important to allow the flavor (mostly salt) to seep in
- As a pro tip, you may add in 2-3 tsp of ketchup, but most ketchup contains onion and garlic, so your niramish aloor dum will not remain ‘niramish’
- Always keep an eye on whether the tomato puree/paste is cooked properly before adding the potatoes. Rule of thumb – when the oil separates you will know that the niramish aloor dum gravy has cooked properly
- You may prepare your own garam masala powder for the recipe. To do so take 4-5 pieces of cardamom (elach/elaichi), 2 inch cinnamon stick (dalchini) and 4-5 pieces cloves (lobongo/lavang); and grind to a coarse powder. Preparing your own spice mix is always recommended and ensures better results
- Coriander powder is one spice that takes a lot of time to cook thoroughly, hence be patient, keep stirring on a low or medium flame to prevent it from getting burnt or staying raw. A sweet fruity aroma will confirm that the coriander powder has cooked properly
- If you see the spice mix drying out, sprinkle in some water and give it a good stir
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