Bengali style dum aloo

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A yummy, mildly spiced potatoes and peas curry to go with your Indian flatbreads – rotis, parathas, pooris

If you have a Bengali friend or have been to Kolkata, chances are that, you have tried this spiced potato curry. A quintessential Bengali breakfast comprises of the Bengali style dum aloo and luchi or porota. Which is, mostly, a regular Sunday affair. To begin with, luchi is a deep fried flatbread, which is made of plain flour (maida). And it pairs very well with vegetarian and non vegetarian side dishes. Especially, aloor dom, kosha mangsho and chicken curries. While the luchi is similar to pooris, the difference lies in the type of flour used. While the former is always made using plain flour, pooris are generally made with wheat flour.

Now, coming to the hero of this post, my aloor dom or Bengali style dum aloo. In India, the recipe is made with the newly harvested potatoes (notun aloo) in winter. So, in a way this is a winter recipe too. Now, like most vegetarian dishes in the Bengali cuisine, this one too is made without onions and garlic. And in mustard oil too, which imparts a beautiful pungency and sweetness. This recipe does not have a curry as such, rather more of a ‘makha makha’ consistency. That means, the masalas coat the potatoes very well, giving it a thick curry.

This dum aloo is a very common side dish in my mother’s house and we generally team it up with flatbreads like parathas. Just like how you see in my pictures. In fact, even rotis make a great match with this spiced potato recipe. On the other hand, I know a lot of people who also enjoy this with rice. Especially, with the Bengali style fried rice. Therefore, you have quite a few options to pair this deliciousness with.

Also see,

Bengali aloo posto (potatoes with poppy seeds)

Bengali aloo tamatar ki sabji

Cholar dal (Bengali chana dal)

Easy and quick

Now, while I have used whole baby potatoes here, you could also make this with quartered regular sized potatoes, too. Also, generally, peas are added to the aloor dom. And I have too, however, if you don’t prefer them, you could leave them out. Like I already mentioned this has a thick gravy. But if you wish you could adjust the amount of gravy you would prefer. In fact, if you’d want to pair this up with rice dishes, then you might want some.

This is an easy and quick recipe, with a tomato based, mildly spiced curry. You can easily make the delicious Bengali style dum aloo in under 30 minutes. Ans that is a reason why this is a pretty popular weekend brunch idea. Moreover, this is an amazing lunch box recipe too. Pack some for yourself with some parathas and salad. You could also make this when entertaining guests for dinner. Vegetarians and non-vegetarians, both, love it. And every time I have made it, it has been a hit!

No matter what occasion you choose, be sure try this yummy Bengali recipe soon! Moreover, if you could also add a Bengali sweet along with your meal, then you are set for a treat. Leaving you with a few ideas here.

Eat hearty!