Dahi Bara Aloo Dum- Odia Street Food
To celebrate Odisha’s famous and quintessential street food we are celebrating Dahi Bara Aloo Dum Dibasa on 1st March 2019. Unlike its Dahi Bhalle or Dahi Vada, in odisha we serve the fried lentil dumplings soaked in spiced buttermilk topped with spicy Potato gravy, hence the name Dahi Bara Aloo Dum.
For most of my childhood,I lived in the northern part of India, where Dahi Bara Aloo dum was an alien concept. It was only during my Graduation days, I ate Dahi Bara Aloo Dum for the first time. It amused me that there was no chutney on the dahi bara/ bhalle. Instead it was topped with a spicy aloo gravy and chopped onions and bhujia/ namkeen. When I finished eating the entire plate….I said its the best thing that I ever ate.
In Odisha, Cuttack is famous for Dahi Bara Aloo dum specifically, although it has different variations across the state. People are quiet fond of having it in their breakfast or as evening snack. Its a perfectly filling dish, most enjoyable during summers. Also the cool spiced buttermilk will soothe your gut in the scorching heat.
I have tried to simplify the process of making Dahi Bara Aloo Dum so that you can relish it at the comfort of your home. Here is a pictorial representations of the key steps.
Dahi Bara Aloo Dum
An Odia Street food where spicy potato gravy is topped on deep fried Lentil dumplings soaked in Spiced Buttermilk.
Ingredients
For Dahi Bara
- 1 1/2 cup Urad Daal without skin
- Oil for Frying
- 400 gms Yogurt/ Curd
- 1 tbsp Roasted Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp Rock Salt
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- To Taste Salt
For Aloo Dum
- 1 kg Baby Potatoes
- 1 tbsp Mustard Oil
- 2 medium Chopped Onions
- 2 medium Tomato Pureed
- 1 no. Bay Leaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 2-3 nos. Green Cardamom
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
- 8-10 cloves Garlic (grated)
- 1 inch Ginger (grated)
- 1 no. Green Chilli (pureed with tomatoes)
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
- 2 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
- To Taste Salt
- 2 tbsp Finely chopped Coriander Leaves
For Final Toppings
- Finely Chopped Onion
- Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves
- As per Requirement Roasted Cumin Powder
- As per Requirement Rock Salt
- As per Requirement Sev/ Bhujia/ Namkeen
Instructions
For Dahi Bara
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Soak the thoroughly washed Urad daal (without skin) in water for 3-4 hrs. Once the Urad Daal is soaked well, grind it into a paste adding very little water. Do not add any salt at this stage.
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Whisk the ground Urad Daal Paste until light and fluffy. The paste should be thick yet smooth similar to a basic wada batter.
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Heat Oil in a Frying Pan. Make small dumplings of the Urad Daal paste and fry them on low-medium flame until they turn light golden in color. Drain the fried urad daal bara on a kitchen towel and let it cool for few minutes.
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In a large bowl, Add water up to the half level of the bowl and add salt to taste. Now soak the fried Bara into this salted water for 15-20 minutes. After the Bara is soaked, lightly squeeze the water and keep aside.
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In another bowl, Whisk the yogurt until no lumps are found. Add Roasted Cumin Powder, Rock Salt, Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder, Salt to taste and mix well. Now add water into the spiced yogurt until a buttermilk consistency is achieved.
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Now add the water-soaked bara into this spiced buttermilk and refrigerate the Dahi Bara for a minimum 1-2 hrs before serving.
For Aloo Dum
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Boil the baby potatoes until cooked. Approximately for 1-2 whistles in a pressure cooker. The potatoes should not be over boiled.
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In a pan, heat the mustard oil and add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamom and cumin seeds. Fry the whole spices until they release their aroma. Now add freshly grated Ginger and garlic and fry till the raw smell goes off.
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Add the finely chopped onions and saute till they become brown. Add the pureed tomatoes with green chili and cook the mixture for about 2-3 minutes
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Once the onion-tomato mix is cooked, add the the dry spices viz. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, Coriander Powder, Salt as per taste, Turmeric Powder. Cook the spices until oil starts separating.
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Add the boiled Baby Potatoes into the masala and cook on low flame for -7 minutes with the lid on. Once the potatoes are coated with the masala, add water sufficient for gravy. Simmer the Aloo Dum for 3-5 minutes.
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Add the garam masala and adjust salt in the aloo dum if required. Now add the finely chopped Coriander. Gently mix the gravy and turn off the flame.
Final Presentation for serving
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In a bowl, take 5-6 Dahi Bara and add the prepared Aloo Dum over it. Now add a pinch of Rock Salt and Roasted Cumin Powder. Then add the finely chopped Onions and Coriander leaves. Lastly sprinkle sev, bhujia or namkeen as per your liking and serve it to your loved ones.
