Aloo Dum is a spicy potato-based recipe with variations all around India. This is the Odia version made with simple ingredients and cooking techniques. This Aloo recipe is very similar to other Indian gravy-based dishes except that it is slow-cooked. The dish has a spicy and tangy onion tomato base that coats the potato chunks and is served with roti , basmati rice or a famous Odisha Stree Food – Dahi Bara with Aloo Dum.
My Inspiration
When I started my journey as a vegan, every time I tried to recreate a new recipe in my kitchen – I would be in awe of the flavours, spices, taste and texture that would come alive on my plate. And I couldn’t wait to share these lesser-known recipes with the rest of the world.
Although there is enough representation of Indian cuisine, there are some regions of India that are less discovered. One of those regions is the East of India where the flavours and dishes change with every state. So, here I am trying to make my recipes as inclusive and diverse as possible so that you too get an explosion and fusion of flavours in your kitchen.
Dahi Vada and Aloo Dum are delicious combinations of creamy, soft Vadas soaked in spiced yoghurt with Aloo coated in garlic, onion and tomato-based gravy. You can check out my recipe for Dahi Vada and I would highly recommend you make both and have them together.
How to make Aloo Dum? (Tips and Tricks)
Prepping the Vegetables:
This recipe required the potato pieces to be on the chunky side and cutting them up into smaller pieces will not give the same effect. So, keep the potato pieces close to an inch or bigger. on the other hand, the onions are finely chopped. The science behind cutting up your veggies in particular sizes is that onion releases more of its flavours when finely chopped. This flavour is what creates the base of the aromatic gravy and coats the potato pieces.
Method
- Peel and chop your potatoes, onions and tomatoes. In a heated pan, add vegetable oil. Once it’s hot add bay leaves and dry red chillies. Roast until flavourful.
- Add ginger garlic paste to this mix and cook until the raw smell goes away. Then add chopped tomatoes. Add a pinch of salt over the tomatoes, to cook them quicker, basically adding salt makes the tomatoes release their water faster making them soft.
- Once the tomatoes are done, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder coriander powder and mix well. Add the chopped potatoes and mix well until all the masalas have coated the potato pieces.
Cover and let the potatoes cook for 7-10 minutes on medium-low heat. Allow the flavours to coat the potatoes.
Add 1 cup water and cover again. Cook until the gravy is semi-thick. Serve hot with roti or on the side with Dahi Vada.
And there you go. Dum Aloo is ready to get demolished. The best way to eat this is with Dahi Vada ( If I haven’t mentioned it already :P) but you could also eat it with fried puris, hot Rotis or steaming hot rice. Try this Aloo Dum with Dahi Vada combination and let me know how you like it. Drop a comment if you have any feedback. If you want to reach out to me on my social media, head over to @beextravegant. 🙂 See you in the next recipe. Ciao!
Check out my other Breakfast recipes from around the world:
- Punjab – Aloo Parantha
- Assam – Til Pitha
- Gujarat – Khaman Dhokla
Aloo Dum
Ingredients1x2x3x
Dum Aloo
- 2 pieces dried red chillies
- 1 big bay leaf
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 2 small tomatoes, chopped
- 2-3 large potatoes, cut into large chunks
- 1 tsp Salt or to taste
- 3 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
Garnishing
- 1/2 cup Corriander leaves chopped
- 1 small onion – finely chopped
Instructions
- In a heated pan, add vegetable oil. Once it’s hot, add bay leaves and dried red chillies. Roast until fragrant.
- Add chopped onions to this and sauté until golden brown on a medium to low medium heat.
- Add ginger garlic paste (or minced ginger and garlic) and sauté until the raw smell goes away.
- Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook until the tomatoes soften, about 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
- Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder and mix well and cook that for about 2 minutes.
- Add the chopped potato pieces and mix until the spicy tomato base coats the potato pieces.
- Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes minutes on a medium to low heat, until the potatoes turn soft.
- Then, add half a cup of water and cook again for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve with roti, basmati rice or Odia Dahi Bara. Garnish with corriander leaves, red chilli powder and finely chopped onions
Nutrition
Introducing you to this infamous Odia street food dish – Dahi Vada with Dum Aloo that originates from a state in Eastern India. This post is part 1, the Dahi Vada, of the complete dish. In the light of emphasising the lesser-known dishes of India, here’s @ beextravegant bringing to you Vegan Dahi Vada – lentil fritters soaked in yoghurt mix and tempered with spices. It is usually served with a spicy potato curry of sorts called Aloo Dum. The ingredients used are basic, at the same time, come together beautifully.
The street food culture in India is ingrained in many Indians, and the vendors are the true essence of the country’s food culture. Indian street food is the go-to answer to any problem or achievement, and it surely takes you on a culinary journey of flavours and fusions. Dahi Vada is one of those dishes that is available in every other state and the toppings change as you cross each state border. Each state has a different story to tell – the Maharashtrians have a different way of serving their Dahi Vade. The flavours take a spicy turn when the Delhi-ites serve Dahi Balla with lots of spices and so on. I chose Odia Dahi Vada to expose you to a different flavour palate of the lesser-known regions of Eastern India. Let’s break down the recipe to the T.
What is Dahi Bara or Vada?
Vadas are crispy, fluffy and yummy doughnut-shaped lentil fritters that have variations all over India and the pronunciations differ from region to region. And Dahi if you know from my previous recipes means yoghurt or curd (in India). Vadas are fluffy golden-coloured doughnut-shaped fritters that are served with coconut chutney in many South Indian cities.
The Vadas are made from soaked and ground urad daal and shaped into doughnuts, then deep fried in neutral oil.
Dahi Vada is when these Vadas are soaked in a yoghurt mix. In this recipe, we will soak them in Hing spiced water for a little while to get them moist and ready to absorb the yoghurt mix.
How to make Vegan Dahi Vada? (tips and tricks)
This Vegan Dahi Vada recipe is a three-part recipe and requires some of prep time. This recipe involves:
- Making the Vadas or lentil doughnuts
- soaking the Vadas in yoghurt mix
- tempering the Dahi vada
Making Crispy Vadas
Soak the urad daal in enough water for up to 4-5 hours, until they soak up water and double up in size.
Note : Like I always say – use the leftover water to feed your plant babies. It makes them happy, and healthy AND it saves the environment. 🙂
- Blend the Urad dal with little water in a high-speed blender. Here, make sure to use minimum water to keep the batter thick. Add salt and Rava, then mix well and set aside.
- Take a medium bite-sized amount of the mixture to your palms. Shape the batter into a doughnut shape using your finger. Keep them aside.
- Heat enough oil, with a high smoke point , to deep fry (around 170C) and drop the Vadas one by one. DO not overcrowd the pan and spread the Vadas apart to make sure they don’t stick to each other. Once all the Vadas have turned golden brown on both sides, remove and set aside to let the oil drain out.
- Soak the Vadas in Hing and salt-spiced water for 2-3 minutes or until they have soaked up the water. We want the vadas to become soft but not soggy. Finally, Remove each vada one by one, while squeezing out the water as much as possible. Set aside.
Note : Do not over soak. The Vadas will crumble apart if they have been soaked in water for too long
For tempering
- Heat oil in a tempering pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chillies, red chillies (dry), and thing, curry leaves.
- Make sure the mustard seeds have popped well, otherwise you will be left with a bitter taste.
- Let this cool down while you prepare the yoghurt mix.
For Yoghurt Mix
- First, in a bowl add soy yoghurt, water, grated ginger, hing and salt to taste. Note : If your yoghurt isn’t sour/tangy enough, add a tbsp of lemon juice to it!
- Secondly, mix well until the texture looks syrupy. Add the tempering on top and then drop the squeezed Vadas in it one by one.
- Next, let the vadas soak in the Dahi or yoghurt mixture for some time before serving. You can serve the Dahi Vada warm or cooled down. Make sure that the Vadas are soft enough and have soaked up the soy yoghurt and temper well.
- Pair these Dahi Vadas with Aloo dum topped with chopped coriander, chaat masala, chopped onions, red chillies powder and a squeeze of lemon and you have the perfect Odia Street Food right at your home.
And here is how you make this famous Indian street food with a few steps. Do try out my recipe for Dahi Vada and let me know how it turned out to be. I would love to know how you liked it. It really makes me happy to see you try out my recipes. Don’t forget to tag @beextravegant on Instagram if you share a post or a story. See you at the next one!
Check my other Soy yoghurt based recipes here:
- How to make Soy yoghurt
- Vegan Sambharam/Chaas or buttermilk
- Vegan Salad or Raita from scratch
Vegan Odia Dahi Vada
Ingredients1x2x3x
For Vada
- 200 gram Urad dal (Whole) soaked
- 2 tbsp Rava sooji
- 1 tsp salt
- Oil to deep fry the Vada
Water to soak the Vadas
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp Hing
- 1 tsp salt
For the yoghurt Mixture
- 2 cups soy yoghurt
- 1 knob ginger grated
- 1 tsp Hing
- Salt to taste
Tempering
- 1 tsp Neutral oil
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Urad dal Split
- 2 Dry red chillies
- 1 green chilli Split lengthwise
- 10 – 15 curry leaves
Toppings
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp chaat masala
- Red onion finely chopped
- Coriander/Cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
For Vada
- Rinse and soak the urad daal in enough water for upto 4-5 hours.
- Grind the urad daal into a thick paste. Avoid adding too much water and keep it on the thicker end.
- Add Salt and Rava, mix well and set aside.
- Shape the batter into donut shape using your palms and finger. Dip your hands in water to help the batter from sticking to your hand.
- Heat enough oil to deep fry, close to 170C, and drop the Vadas one by one. Do not overcrowd the pan and make sure they don’t stick to each other.
- Once all the Vadas have turned golden brown on both sides, remove and set aside to let the oil drain out.
- Soak the Vadas in Hing and salt spiced water for 2-3 minutes or until they have soaked up the water. Do not oversoak, we want the vadas to be soft, not soggy.
- Remove each vada one by one, while squeezing out the water, without ruining the shape. Set aside.
Tempering
- In a tempering pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, urad daal, dry red chillies, and green chillies.
- Once they turn fragrant and start chasing colour, turn off the heat and let it cool.
Yoghurt Mix
- In a bowl add soy yoghurt, water, grated ginger, hing and salt to taste. Mix well until the texture looks syrupy.
- Add the tempering on top of the yoghurt and mix well.
- Drop the squeeze Vadas in it one by one. Leave it in for some time before serving. Serve with a side of Aloo dum and toppings mentioned here.
Notes
Nutrition
This is Pav Bhaji, a mashed vegetable dish with a spicy tangy base that is served with soft fluffy dinner rolls called Pav. This recipe is my go-to recipe when I have a lot of leftover vegetables that are breathing their last breath. I have explained the ingredients and method to prepare in detail in the next few sections.
What is Pav Bhaji?
This delectable fast food dish is a household favourite of almost everyone. It originates from the state of Maharashtra and is a popular fast food that has now made its way to the rest of the country. Pav means dinner rolls or bread and bhaji means sabzi or veggie preparation. Ideally, the Pav bhaji is made by boiling a bunch of vegetables and then adding them to an onion-tomato gravy base. Once the vegetables have been coated in the masala, they are mashed into a grainy pulp.
How to prepare Bhaji in Pav Bhaji? (detailed recipe)
My aim for this recipe was to bring to light all the veggies that go waste in our kitchens on a daily basis. Did you know that food waste totals up to million tonnes each year and nearly 570 million tonnes of this waste occurs in household kitchens? That’s a LOT of waste considering the number of people who are having food scarcity in this world. I am not trying to bum you out with these facts but I want to bring to light the things that are in our control viz. using leftover veggies and ingredients instead of just throwing them out.
The secret ingredient is the Pav Bhaji Masala – which you can procure from any Indian shop or make it at home if you prefer. The amount used can vary depending on your taste buds and spice tolerance capacity. I like it on the higher end
This classic Maharashtrian dish has been blessed with @ beextravegant’s magic touch.
Ingredients for Pav Bhaji (in this recipe)
Cauliflower
Potatoes
Carrots
Green peas: frozen or fresh
Bell peppers
Garlic: minced
Ginger: Minced
Alternatively or additionally, you can also use chopped green beans, radishes, beetroot, cabbage etc.
Method to prepare bhaji
Cooking the vegetables
- Add all the chopped vegetables to a pressure cooker with enough water, and a pinch of salt and cook them until soft.
- Pressure cook the veggies for about 12 minutes on medium flame or 20 minutes in a pot. (If you have leftover vegetables that have already been prepared, do not add them to the pressure cooker.
- Roughly chop the vegetables that have been cooked and keep them aside.
For Gravy base
- Add 2-3 tbsp neutral oil in a hot pan and add cumin seeds – roast until they crackle. Continue to add chopped onions and saute until golden brown and translucent.
- Add the minced ginger and chopped green chillies. Once the raw garlic smell subsides, add diced tomatoes.
- Add a pinch of salt and allow the tomatoes to get soft. Sauté on low to medium heat till the tomatoes turn soft and the oil starts releasing from the sides.
- Add the spices: turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli powder, and Pav Bhaji Masala.
- Add the cooked veggies along with the stock or water from the pressure cooker or pot that they were cooking in. Add salt and mix well.
- With a potato masher, mash the veggies directly in the pan (make sure it’s not a non-stick pan in case you use a metal masher).
- Mash the veggies according to the consistency you prefer. I prefer somewhere in between super smooth and super chunky. For a smooth mixture, mash more.
- Keep on stirring occasionally while the bhaji simmers for about 8-9 more minutes. The bhaji is ready to be served.
For plating
This bhaji is usually served with Pav or dinner rolls. Ingredients for plating and garnishing are:
- Pav (dinner rolls)
- 3 to 4 tbsp Vegan butter – for roasting pav and topping the bhaji
- 3-4 lemon wedges
- 1 onion – medium to large, finely chopped
- 6-7 stalks of coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish
Serve the bhaji with a bit of vegan butter, chopped coriander, chopped red onions and a squeeze of lemon along with the pav! Enjoy!
Q: Can I customize the vegetables to go into Pav Bhaji? A: Yes, definitely! The most common vegetables include potatoes, cauliflower, green peas, tomatoes, bell peppers, and carrots. You can customize it with seasonal veggies, just keep in mind the moisture levels of each vegetable so that you can adjust the cooking time accordingly. Vegetables with higher moisture content need to be cooked longer to cook out the water.
Q: What can I use instead of pav if I can’t find it? A: You can use burger buns, dinner rolls, or even toasted sandwich bread. The key is to toast them well with vegan butter or oil.
Q: How spicy is Pav Bhaji? A: It’s moderately spicy, but you can adjust the heat to taste by reducing chili powder or green chilies. Adding a bit of sugar and lemon juice can also help balance spice levels.
Q: Can I make Pav Bhaji ahead of time? A: Absolutely! The bhaji actually tastes better the next day as the flavors develop. Reheat it on the stovetop and toast the pav just before serving.
Q: Can I freeze Pav Bhaji? A: Yes, the bhaji freezes well for up to 2 months. Store it in an airtight container and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Pav is best fresh or frozen separately.
Q: Is Pav Bhaji gluten-free? A: The bhaji is naturally gluten-free, but pav (bread rolls) usually contains gluten. Use gluten-free bread or buns if needed.
Q: What toppings go best with Pav Bhaji? A: Chopped onions, a squeeze of fresh lemon, a dollop of vegan butter, and plenty of coriander are traditional and delicious!
Similar to Pav Bhaji
Give my other vegetable-based dishes a try:
- Achinga Kaya Mezhekkupuratti
- Sambar with Idli
- Pumpkin/Kaddu Sabji
- Easy Creamy Kidney Bean Dip
Pav Bhaji – Spicy Vegetable Mash
Ingredients1x2x3x
Vegetables for the Bhaji
- 2-3 Potatoes large to medium
- 1 cup cauliflower, roughly chopped about 130 g
- 1 cup carrot, roughly chopped about 130 g
- 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen about 140 g
- 1 bell pepper green, red, or yellow
- Enough water – for pressure-cooking or boiling the veggies in a pot
For gravy base
- 2-3 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium to large onion
- 1 tbsp minced ginger and garlic 1-inch ginger & 3 large garlic cloves minced, or ginger-garlic paste
- 1 to 2 green chilies chopped
- 2 to 3 large tomatoes diced
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2-3 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 2 to 3 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala
- Additional water for the gravy as needed
- salt to taste
For plating and garnishing
- 1 pack Pav vegan dinner rolls
- 3 to 4 tbsp Vegan butter
- 3-4 lemon wedges
- 1 onion – medium to large finelychopped
- 6-7 stalks of coriander leaves chopped, for garnish
Instructions
Cooking veggies
- Rinse, peel and chop the veggies in equal sizes
- Place all of them, including the green peas, in a pressure cooker on a large pot with enough water covering the veggies.
- Pressure cook the veggies for about 12 minutes on medium flame or 20 minutes on a pot.
- When the pressure naturally releases, keep aside and check for doneness.
Gravy base:
- Heat oil in a pan and add 1 tsp cumin seeds.
- Once they crackle and start to change colour, add finely chopped onions to it.
- Saute on a low to medium flame till the onions turn golden.
- Then add minced ginger and garlic. Cook till the raw smell of ginger and garlic go away.
- Add chopped green chilies and tomatoes. Saute well. (Add water if the tomatoes start sticking to the bottom)
- Then add ground turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli powder and pan bhaji masala, and mix well.
Making the Bhaji
- Add the cooked veggies along with the stock or water from the pressure cooker or pot. Add salt and mix well.
- With a potato masher, mash the veggies directly in the pan.
- Mash the veggies according to the consistency you prefer. For a smooth mixture, mash more.
- Keep on mashing/stirring occasionally while the bhaji simmers for about 8-9 more minutes.
Assemble the Pav and Bhaji
- Toast/fry the pav in butter and 1-2 tsp Pav Bhaji masala (dropped directly onto the butter) until the pav turns reddish-golden and crispy.
- Serve the bhaji with a bit of vegan butter, chopped coriander, and chopped red onions on top along with the pav.
Nutrition
Aloo Dum
Ingredients1x2x3x
Dum Aloo
- 2 pieces dried red chillies
- 1 big bay leaf
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 2 small tomatoes, chopped
- 2-3 large potatoes, cut into large chunks
- 1 tsp Salt or to taste
- 3 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
Garnishing
- 1/2 cup Corriander leaves chopped
- 1 small onion - finely chopped
Instructions
- In a heated pan, add vegetable oil. Once it’s hot, add bay leaves and dried red chillies. Roast until fragrant.
- Add chopped onions to this and sauté until golden brown on a medium to low medium heat.
- Add ginger garlic paste (or minced ginger and garlic) and sauté until the raw smell goes away.
- Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook until the tomatoes soften, about 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
- Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder and mix well and cook that for about 2 minutes.
- Add the chopped potato pieces and mix until the spicy tomato base coats the potato pieces.
- Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes minutes on a medium to low heat, until the potatoes turn soft.
- Then, add half a cup of water and cook again for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve with roti, basmati rice or Odia Dahi Bara. Garnish with corriander leaves, red chilli powder and finely chopped onions
