Vegetarian
Bengali cuisine
Dum Aloo
Intermediate
For 4 people

Goyna Aloor Dum: Aromatic Potato Curry with Posta, Cashew, and Charmagaz Pastes


Goyna Aloor Dum is a splendid Bengali potato curry that's enriched with luxurious pastes of poppy seeds, cashews, and melon seeds. The potatoes are decoratively shaped before being parboiled and fried, then slowly simmered in a luscious gravy fragrant with fresh spices. Though it requires some prep work, this showstopping dum aloo is utterly worth the effort. The result is tender potatoes in an aromatic, silky-smooth curry - perfect with rice, dal, or flatbread.

Ingredients

  • Potatoes (large, peeled)

    1 kg
  • Sunrise Posta/Poppy Seeds (soaked in lukewarm water for 30 mins)

    2 tbsp
  • Green Chillies (stems removed)

    6-8
  • Coriander Leaves (washed and chopped)

    1 cup
  • Cashews (soaked in warm water for 15-20 mins)

    10-12
  • Charmagaz/Melon Seeds (soaked in warm water for 15-20 mins)

    1 tbsp
  • Refined Oil

    1/2 cup
  • Sunrise Jeera/Cumin Seeds

    1 tsp
  • Bay Leaves

    2
  • Dried Red Chilli (whole)

    1
  • Tomato (large, pureed)

    2
  • Sunrise Haldi/Turmeric Powder

    1/2 tsp
  • Sunrise Jeera/Cumin Powder

    1/2 tsp
  • Sunrise Dhania/Coriander Powder

    1 tsp
  • Sunrise Lal Mirch/Red Chilli Powder

    1 tsp
  • Sugar

    1 tsp
  • Salt

    to taste
  • Water

    As needed
  • Sunrise Aloo Dum Masala (or use garam masala if unavailable)

    1 tsp
  • Sunrise Kashmiri Mirch Masala (optional, for colour)

    1/2 tsp
  • Fresh Coriander Leaves (chopped, for garnish)

    2-3 tbsp

Sunrise tip: For a richer curry, add a splash of thick coconut milk along with the water when simmering the potatoes in the gravy.

 

Steps

Step 1: Prepare the Pastes

Time: 10 minutes

For the poppy seed paste, drain the soaked poppy seeds and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.

For the green chilli-coriander paste, grind 4 green chillies with 1/2 cup coriander leaves to a fine paste. Set aside.

For the cashew-charmagaz paste, drain and grind the soaked cashews and melon seeds to a smooth paste. Set aside.

 

Step 2: Prep the Potatoes

Time: 10 minutes

Slice the peeled potatoes into thick rounds, about 1-1.5 cm thick.

Use cookie cutters to cut out decorative shapes from the potato slices. You can use any shape you like - hearts, stars, flowers, etc.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shaped potato pieces and parboil for 3-4 minutes until just tender. Drain well.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a kadai or deep pan. Fry the parboiled potato pieces until lightly golden and partially cooked. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside.

 

Step 3: Temper the Oil

Time: 5 minutes

In the same pan, heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil. Reduce heat to medium.

Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, and whole red chilli. Let them sizzle and turn fragrant, about 30 seconds.

 

Step 4: Sauté Pastes and Spices

Time: 8 minutes

Add the green chilli-coriander paste and tomato puree. Sauté until the oil starts to separate from the masala.

Stir in the poppy seed paste and mix well.

Add Sunrise Haldi Powder, Sunrise Jeera Powder, Sunrise Dhania Powder, Sunrise Lal Mirch Powder, sugar, and salt. Mix with a splash of water to combine.

 

Step 5: Add Cashew-Charmagaz Paste

Time: 5 minutes

Stir in the cashew-charmagaz paste until well blended with the masala.

Sauté until the oil starts to release again.

 

Step 6: Add Potatoes and Simmer

Time: 12 minutes

Gently add the partially cooked potato pieces to the bubbling gravy. Stir lightly to coat the potatoes in the masala.

Pour in 1/2 to 1 cup water, depending on the consistency you prefer. Sprinkle in the aloo dum masala and Kashmiri mirch masala.

Stir lightly again. Cover and let the potatoes simmer in the gravy until fully cooked and tender, 8-10 minutes. Add a splash more water if needed.

 

Step 7: Garnish and Serve

Time: 5 minutes

Once the potatoes are cooked through, taste and adjust salt if needed.

Garnish liberally with fresh coriander leaves.

Serve piping hot with rice, dal, roti, or paratha. The Goyna Aloor Dum tastes even better the next day!

 

Goes Best With

  • Side Dish: Steamed rice, jeera rice, roti, paratha, luchi

  • Accompaniments: Dal, raita, pickle, papad, chutney