The popular vegetarian dish – Kashmiri dum aloo in royal gravy – is one of the best Indian main courses for parties and get-togethers. Include this irristible curry with potatoes stuffed with cottage cheese, dry fruits and fresh cream in your weekend menu. Savour the dish with chapatti or lachcha paratha.

Serves: 4; Preparation time: 30 minutes; Cooking time: 45-60 minutes

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Ingredients:

Potatoes – 4 large, Tomatoes –10 large, Onion – 1

Ginger – 1” piece, Garlic –  4 flakes, Green chillies -3

Few Coriander leaves, Cottage cheese – 100 grams

Fresh yogurt – 1 cup, Fresh cream – 4 tbsp, Besan – 1 tbsp

Cashew nuts – 24, Raisins – 12, Degi mirch – 1 tsp

Red chilli powder – ½ tsp, Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp, Kasoori methi – 1 tbsp

Bay leaves – 2, Garam masala – ½ tsp, Salt to taste

Oil – for frying, Pure ghee – 1 tbsp

Method:

Boil potatoes partially giving them two whistles on high flame. Peel them off and cut into two halves width wise.

Scoop the halves to make hollow from the centre for stuffing.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan and fry the scooped potatoes. Take them out on a kitchen towel.

For stuffing – mix well crumbled cottage cheese, finely chopped 12 cashew nuts and all whole raisins.

Add a teaspoon of cream and little salt. Mix all ingredients well.

Stuff the masala in the fried scooped potatoes.

Keep one stuffed piece on another stuffed piece of potato facing each other and seal with the help of two toothpicks making a criss-cross in the centre (The ends of the toothpicks should be visible so that they can be easily removed before eating).

Make a fine paste of onion and tomatoes separately. Make a fine paste of garlic, ginger and green chillies altogether.

Soak remaining 12 cashew nuts in half cup of milk for half an hour and then make a fine paste of them, including milk.

Take a separate deep pan. Heat it and put pure ghee. Add bay leaves.

After few seconds add garlic-ginger-green chilli paste. Saute for five minutes.

Add onion paste. Cook for 10 minutes stirring it on low flame.

Add besan and keep stirring for a minute more. Keep the flame low.

Add tomato puree, kasoori methi and degi mirch. Cover the pan and let the gravy simmer for half an hour on low flame.

Add cashew nut paste and all other spices except garam masala. Stir for few more minutes on low flame.

Add water in small quantity so that the gravy should have neither too thin nor too thick consistency.

Give a boil on high flame and then cook it covered on low flame for 15-20 minutes.

Remember that potatoes will soak up some gravy after few minutes of adding them.

Turn off gas. Add garam masala and cream. Give a good stir.

Put stuffed potato pieces in the gravy while serving after reheating the gravy.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

If you’re an ardent foodie and a passionate cook, you will enjoy this curry vegetable dish.