Niramish aloo dum | Niramish aloor dum | Bengali aloo dum | How to make aloor dum

Niramish aloo dum aka niramish aloor dum is a luscious, spicy and flavoured Bengali baby potato curry which is crazily popular among Bengalis. Any reputed Bengali restaurant’s menu card is incomplete without Luchi-Aloor Dum. This Bengali aloo dum is a no onion no garlic recipe which is perfect for Bengali vegetarian days and puja days. In this preparation, boiled & peeled baby potatoes are cooked in spicy tomato gravy with some cashews paste and yogurt. This versatile niramish recipe can be accompanied with luchi, paratha, koraishutir kochuri, basanti pulao, khichuri and even with plain rice.

Many people think there is nothing called Bengali veg recipe. Few people also have the misconception that Bengalis eat only fish in their meal with some sides like dal, saag etc. But there is a treasure of many rich, delectable and flavoured Bengali veg dishes in Bengali cuisine. Niramish aloo dum is one of the finest examples of it.

About the recipe
Tips and Suggestions
How to make niramish aloo dum (step wise photos)
Recipe Card

Alur dum is basically a spicy Indian potato curry prepared mostly with baby potatoes. This dish is prepared in myriad ways in the different subcontinents of India using different combinations of ingredients. Kashmiri dum aloo, Punjabi dum aloo and Bengali aloo dum are the most popular and beloved version of the recipe.

Bengali aloo dum is a complete vegetarian dish but still it is sub divided into two different categories niramish aloor dum without using onion-garlic and simple aloor dum using onion-garlic.

Bengalis are scrupulous about vegetarian food and they have split it into two different parts. One division is called satvik food where onion, garlic and even masoor dal are prohibited. In another division, normal vegetarian dishes are prepared using onion and garlic. Onion and garlic are considered as rajasik food which produces heat in our body and inflame our passion and incomprehension.

Any ways according to me, though both the version of Bengali aloo dum are different from each other but each type tastes scrumptious. Today, I am going to share the satvik version aka niramish aloo dum recipe without using onion-garlic with you.

Whenever I talk about niramish aloor dum, it always makes me feel nostalgic. As a bong, I have grown up eating this delicacy and have never got bored with it. I still remember how my mother used to prepare niramish aloo dum in a large kadai on vegetarian days and puja days. She used to serve it mostly as a side with phulko luchi or with bhoger khichuri and we used to devour that with immense pleasure. She is undoubtedly a brilliant cook and this recipe is one of her forte. I have learned this traditional Bengali food recipe from her.

Niramish aloor dum is a very simple and easy recipe. It requires very limited ingredients which are easily available in any Bengali kitchen pantry. The difficulty level of cooking the dish is moderate. The only time-consuming part of the recipe is to peel off the skin of boiled baby potatoes. It is a pure Bengali delicacy, and you will get the essence of Bengal in it. The best part of the recipe is that you don’t need to drop your tears for slicing onions. It could be a great option for no onion no garlic days.

Niramish aloo dum recipe with step by step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instruction’ section of the recipe. I have included all the tips and tricks below if you follow each step of my recipe precisely then you will get niramish aloor dum with perfect flavour and consistency which will even taste better than restaurants.

• Baby potatoes work best for Bengali aloo dum.
• Try to use even sized potatoes for the recipe to cook them evenly.
• Always use seasoned aka salted water to boil the baby potatoes.
• Boil the potatoes till al dente aka firm. Don’t overcook them.
• Use tomato paste rather than tomato chunks. It gives perfect consistency to the gravy.
• Addition of cashew paste enhances the taste and flavour of the dish and makes the gravy creamier.
• Always use mustard oil to cook niramish aloor dum. It gives better flavour to the dish.
• Don’t skip the Bengali garam masala powder and ghee from the recipe. It gives the authentic Bengali flavour to the dish.
• The consistency of perfect Bengali aloor dum recipe is thick in Bengali which is called ‘makha-makha’.

According to me, niramish aloo dum is one of the most versatile curries in my entire life. It can be accompanied with luchi, paratha aka porota, ruti and even with plain rice, basanti pulao, Bengali fried rice and of course with bhoger khichuri.

To prepare the niramish aloor dum, first wash the baby potatoes thoroughly and transfer them into a pan. Add salt, boiled water into the pan and give a stir. Put the pan on the high flame and allow the baby potatoes to boil till al dente. Check with a fork whether the potatoes have got cooked properly or not. If it is done, then swich off the flame and strain the baby potatoes. Add cold water into the pan and allow the potatoes to cool down. Then peel off the skin of each potato and keep them aside.

On the other hand, take a jar of a grinder and add cashew nuts into it. Add some water and pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.

Then in the same jar or in a new jar, add the tomato chunks and close the lid. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.

Now take a pan and allow it to become completely dry. Then add mustard oil into it and once the oil is hot, add the whole spices – bay leaf, dry red chillies, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamoms, cumin seeds and let them crackle.

Then put the flame in low and add ginger paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it in lowest flame for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell of ginger goes away. Add tomato paste into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook in medium to low flame for 4-5 minutes until it releases oil.

Now, add whipped yogurt into the pan and cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes until it releases oil.

Add cashew paste into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it low flame for 1-2 minutes. Stir in between.

Then add cumin powder, coriander powder into the pan and mix it well. Cook it in low flame for another 2-3 minutes.

Add boiled baby potatoes, green chillies into the pan and give a nice mix. Add salt, sugar and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for 5-6 minutes.

Add water into the pan for gravy and put the flame in high until the gravy starts boiling. Then put the flame in low and add boiled peas into the pan and mix it. Cover the pan and cook it in low flame for 8-10 minutes.

Add Bengali garam masala powder, ghee at the final stage of cooking and give a nice mix. It induces an irresistible taste and flavour to the niramish aloo dum. Bengali garam masala is the combination of cinnamon, cardamom and cloves powder of equal proportion.

Put the flame in high and simmer the gravy for few seconds and then switch off the flame.

Many Bengali veg recipes have already been shared in my previous post. You can check few of them like

Chanar Dalna
Aloo Posto
Shorshe Begun
Doi Potol

..And Many more…

1 cup = 250 ml

• 1 kg Baby Potato
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 litre boiled Water

• 2 Tomatoes, deseeded and diced for paste
• 1/3 cup boiled green Peas (Optional)
• 2 inches Ginger paste or grated
• 2-3 green Chillies
• 12-15 Cashew nuts
• ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• 4 Cardamoms (Elaichi)
• 4 Cloves (Laung)
• 2 inches Cinnamon stick (Dalchini)
• 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
• 2 dry red Chillies
• 2 tablespoons Yogurt, beaten
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala powder
• 1 teaspoon Ghee (Clarified butter)
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1-1¼ cups Water for gravy

1. Wash the baby potatoes thoroughly and transfer them into a pan. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 litre boiled water into the pan and give a stir. Put the pan on the high flame and allow the baby potatoes to boil for 20-25 minutes.
2. Cook the potatoes till al dente. Check with a fork whether the potatoes have got cooked properly or not. If it is done, then swich off the flame and strain the baby potatoes.
3. Add cold water into it and allow the potatoes to cool down. Then peel off the skin of each potato and keep them aside.
4. On the other hand, take a jar of a grinder and add cashew nuts into it. Add some water and pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
5. In the same jar or in a new jar of a grinder, add the tomato chunks and close the lid. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
6. Now put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add mustard oil into it and once the oil is hot, add 1 bay leaf, 2 dry red chillies, 4 cloves, 2 inches cinnamon stick, 4 cardamoms, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle.
7. Put the flame in low and add ginger paste, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it in lowest flame for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell of ginger goes away.
8. Add tomato paste into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook in medium to low flame for 4-5 minutes until it releases oil.
9. Add the whipped yogurt into the pan and cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes until it releases oil.
10. Add the cashew nut paste into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it low flame for 1-2 minutes. Stir it in between.
11. Add 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder into the pan and mix it well. Cook it in low flame for another 2-3 minutes.
12. Add boiled and peeled baby potatoes, 2-3 green chillies into the pan and give a nice mix.
13. Add salt, 1 teaspoon sugar into the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for 5-6 minutes.
14. Add 1¼ cup water into the pan for gravy and give a nice stir. Put the flame in high until the gravy starts boiling.
15. Put the flame in low and add 1/3 cup boiled peas into the pan and mix it. Cover the pan and cook it in low flame for 8-10 minutes.
16. Add 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon ghee and give a nice mix.
17. Put the flame in high and simmer the gravy for few seconds and then switch off the flame.

Transfer the niramish aloo dum into a serving bowl or on a serving plate. Serve hot or warm to enjoy its best taste. Pair up the comfort food with rice items like steamed Basmati rice, basanti pulao, khichuri or flat breads like luchi, rotis, phulkas, parathas and enjoy your comfort meal.

Niramish aloo dum | Niramish aloor dum | Bengali aloo dum | How to make aloor dum

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 60 Minutes 60 Minutes

Nutrition facts: NA calories NA fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

1 cup = 250 ml

To boil the potato

• 1 kg Baby Potato
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 litre boiled Water

Other ingredients

• 2 Tomatoes, deseeded and diced for paste
• 1/3 cup boiled green Peas (Optional)
• 2 inches Ginger paste or grated
• 2-3 green Chillies
• 12-15 Cashew nuts
• ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• 4 Cardamoms (Elaichi)
• 4 Cloves (Laung)
• 2 inches Cinnamon stick (Dalchini)
• 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
• 2 dry red Chillies
• 2 tablespoons Yogurt, beaten
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala powder
• 1 teaspoon Ghee (Clarified butter)
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1-1¼ cups Water for gravy

Instructions

1. Wash the baby potatoes thoroughly and transfer them into a pan. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 litre boiled water into the pan and give a stir. Put the pan on the high flame and allow the baby potatoes to boil for 20-25 minutes.
2. Cook the potatoes till al dente. Check with a fork whether the potatoes have got cooked properly or not. If it is done, then swich off the flame and strain the baby potatoes.
3. Add cold water into it and allow the potatoes to cool down. Then peel off the skin of each potato and keep them aside.
4. On the other hand, take a jar of a grinder and add cashew nuts into it. Add some water and pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
5. In the same jar or in a new jar of a grinder, add the tomato chunks and close the lid. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
6. Now put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add mustard oil into it and once the oil is hot, add 1 bay leaf, 2 dry red chillies, 4 cloves, 2 inches cinnamon stick, 4 cardamoms, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them crackle.
7. Put the flame in low and add ginger paste, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it in lowest flame for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell of ginger goes away.
8. Add tomato paste into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook in medium to low flame for 4-5 minutes until it releases oil.
9. Add the whipped yogurt into the pan and cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes until it releases oil.
10. Add the cashew nut paste into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it low flame for 1-2 minutes. Stir it in between.
11. Add 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder into the pan and mix it well. Cook it in low flame for another 2-3 minutes.
12. Add boiled and peeled baby potatoes, 2-3 green chillies into the pan and give a nice mix.
13. Add salt, 1 teaspoon sugar into the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for 5-6 minutes.
14. Add 1¼ cup water into the pan for gravy and give a nice stir. Put the flame in high until the gravy starts boiling.
15. Put the flame in low and add 1/3 cup boiled peas into the pan and mix it. Cover the pan and cook it in low flame for 8-10 minutes.
16. Add 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon ghee and give a nice mix.
17. Put the flame in high and simmer the gravy for few seconds and then switch off the flame.