Dum Aloo Recipe – Hasselback Potatoes Style

Indulge in the fusion of traditional Indian flavors and modern culinary techniques with our Dum Aloo recipe presented in the innovative Hasselback style. If you’re unfamiliar, Hasselback potatoes are named after the Hasselbacken restaurant in Sweden where they were first introduced. This method involves thinly slicing potatoes while leaving them connected at the bottom, resulting in a beautifully fanned appearance when baked. Now, imagine these Hasselback potatoes soaking up the rich, aromatic gravy of Dum Aloo – a symphony of textures and flavors that will surely tantalize your taste buds.

Before diving into the cooking process, it’s crucial to understand the significance of each step. From selecting the right potatoes to mastering the art of combining flavors, every detail plays a pivotal role in achieving the perfect Dum Aloo – Hasselback Potatoes style. With my guidance, you’ll learn the importance of choosing Yukon gold baby potatoes of optimal size and how to skillfully slice them to create the iconic accordion effect. Plus, I’ll provide insights into baking techniques that ensure your potatoes are crispy on the outside yet irresistibly tender on the inside. So, grab your apron and get ready to embark on a culinary adventure that blends tradition with innovation, resulting in a dish that’s sure to impress even the most discerning palate.

I love Hasselback potatoes and I love the Indian Dum Aloo. So I decided to combine the two and viola we have Hasselback Dum Aloo! A spectacular gravy dish that looks impressive and is equally delicious. So, let’s get started and learn how to make this delicious and impressive dish that’s sure to impress your guests.

What are Hasselback potatoes?

Each potato is sliced into thin wedges but left joined at the bottom, and baked until the layers fan out into rounds of crispy bliss. This is one of my favorite ways to cook a potato for a side dish. The most popular seasoning for these is, of course, olive oil, salt, and pepper but the possibilities are endless. 

What is Dum Aloo?

Dum Aloo is a potato gravy-based dish. It is a part of the traditional Kashmiri Pandit cuisine from the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The potatoes, usually smaller ones, are first deep fried, then cooked slowly at low flame in a gravy with spices.

For my fusion dish, I have combined the best of both these dishes. The Hasselback potatoes are coated in rich Dum aloo gravy of cashews and tomatoes. 

Ingredients used to make Dum Aloo – Hasselback Potatoes style

• 1 ½ lbs Baby potatoes (about 2-3 inches in length)
• 5 Roma tomatoes, cut into large pieces
• ½ Yellow Onion, cut into large pieces
• ¼ cup Cashew pieces
• 1-inch piece of ginger
• 1 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds
• 2 small pieces of cinnamon
• 4 cloves
• ¼ tsp turmeric (haldi) powder
• 2 tsp coriander (dhaniya) powder
• 1 ½  tsp red chili powder (adjust according to your spice tolerance), divided
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ¼ cup plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp kasoori methi
• 3 tbsp Cooking Oil (I use Avacado oil), divided
• Salt to taste
• Chopped cilantro for garnish

Important steps to make Dum Aloo Recipe

Choosing the right potatoes

In my opinion, the small Yukon gold baby potatoes work best in this dish. Get medium-sized ones that are about 2- 3 inches in length. If you get very small potatoes, the “accordion” effect of the Hasselback potatoes won’t show on them, and the Dum Aloo potatoes are the smaller size, so I would stick with the medium-sized potatoes for this recipe. 

Cutting the potatoes

Slice straight down into the potato but stop just short of cutting all the way through. You can rest the potato on 2 wooden chopsticks and use that as a guide for when to stop slicing – slice straight down and when your knife hits the skewers, stop slicing. I have a handy potato slicer to make this job easier and gives slices of uniform thickness. If you plan on making Hasselback potatoes a few times a year or are just fond of gadgets like I am, I recommend buying them. It makes the job very easy and quick. 

Baking the potatoes

The sliced potatoes are generously brushed with oil and baked at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes. Once the potatoes start to open up and fan in the oven, they dry out, so it is important to brush them with additional oil halfway through the cooking process. 

Making the Dum Aloo gravy

You can start making the gravy once the potatoes are in the oven. Tomatoes, onion, cashew pieces, and ginger are blended smoothly in a sauce and then cooked with a few Indian spices. All of the spices listed can easily be obtained from any Indian store in the neighborhood. 

Combining the Hasselback potatoes and the Dum Aloo gravy

Once the gravy is cooked and the potatoes are baked, gently place the potatoes in the gravy pan. To do this make sure you are using a wide pan and your gravy still has enough liquid, adding any more water as required. Use a spoon to ladle the gravy all over the potatoes ensuring they go in the fanned crevices of the potatoes. Cook the potatoes in the gravy for 5-7 more minutes for the potatoes to absorb the flavors of the gravy.

An alternate method of combining for parties

You can place the baked Hasselback potatoes in a large oven-proof casserole in a single layer. Pour the gravy all over the potatoes, ensuring it reaches the crevices. The gravy in this method needs some extra liquid, so adjust with water accordingly. Cover with aluminum foil and place in a 200-degree oven for 3-4 hours. When you are ready to serve dinner, you just have to pull the dish out of the oven and garnish it with chopped cilantro. 

Recipe tips – Dum Aloo

• The baby potatoes I use are thin-skinned, so I do not peel the potatoes here. If your potatoes have thick skin, peel them before slicing them in an accordion shape.
• The gravy will thicken as it cools, so if you need to reheat it before serving, add some water before reheating.

Serving suggestions

Hasselback Dum Aloo goes well with Indian Parathas, Naan or Tandoori Roti.  If you don’t want to make it from scratch at home, there are some wonderful frozen ones available at Indian stores. Trader Joe’s frozen naan is one of our family favorites. 

FAQs – Dum Aloo (Hasselback Potatoes) recipe

Other Restaurant Style North Indian dishes to try

Recipe Card – Dum Aloo Recipe Hasselback Style