Kashmiri Dum Aloo – Instant Pot Style

Step 1: Prepare Onion-Ginger-Garlic Paste

Add 1 roughly chopped onion, 1 green chilli, 4-5 garlic cloves, and 1 inch of ginger to a food processor. Finely chop everything until a paste-like consistency is achieved.

Step 2: Prepare Potatoes

Take mini potatoes (approx. 500g), peel them, and keep them in water to prevent browning. Prick each potato several times with a fork to allow flavors to penetrate.

Step 3: Fry Potatoes

Turn on the Sauté mode in your Instant Pot. Add 3 tablespoons of oil. Once hot, add the peeled and pricked potatoes. Fry for about 3 minutes until they are lightly golden, then remove them and set aside in a separate bowl.

Step 4: Sauté Whole Spices

In the same Instant Pot, add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and a pinch of hing. Add the whole spices: 2 bay leaves, 2 star anise, 2 black cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick, and 4-5 cloves. Sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Step 5: Cook Onion Mixture

Add the prepared onion-ginger-garlic paste to the Instant Pot. Sauté well for approximately 2 minutes until the raw smell disappears and it turns light golden.

Step 6: Add Powdered Spices

Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon of cumin powder, 1 tablespoon of coriander powder, 1 tablespoon of Kashmiri red chilli powder, and 1 teaspoon of crushed fennel seeds powder. Sauté all the spices for about 1-2 minutes until aromatic.

Step 7: Cook Tomatoes

Add 3/4 tin of peeled red tomatoes (or 3 fresh chopped tomatoes) to the Instant Pot. Cook the gravy, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the oil starts to separate from the mixture (about 3-4 minutes).

Step 8: Incorporate Curd

Add 1/2 cup of room temperature curd to the gravy. Mix well and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fully incorporated and the gravy thickens slightly.

Step 9: Blend Gravy

Carefully remove the whole spices (bay leaves, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves) from the gravy. Using a hand blender, blend the gravy directly in the Instant Pot until it achieves a smooth texture.

Step 10: Season Gravy

Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of garam masala to the blended gravy. Stir well to combine.

Step 11: Add Potatoes and Water

Return the fried potatoes to the Instant Pot. Add 1/2 cup of water and gently mix to coat the potatoes with the gravy.

Step 12: Pressure Cook

Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to the 'Sealing' position. Turn off the Sauté mode. Select the 'Pressure Cook' function and set it to 'High Pressure' for 3 minutes.

Step 13: Natural Pressure Release

Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally. This will take approximately 10-15 minutes.

Step 14: Final Touches

Open the lid. Crush 1 teaspoon of Kasuri Methi between your palms and sprinkle it over the Dum Aloo. Stir gently.

Step 15: Serve

The Kashmiri Dum Aloo is now ready to be served hot.

• Keep peeled potatoes in water to prevent browning.

• Prick potatoes with a fork for better flavor absorption.

• Use room temperature curd to prevent it from splitting.

• Blend the gravy for a smoother texture.

• Use 3 fresh tomatoes instead of canned peeled red tomatoes.