Dum Aloo banarasi is this quintessential North Indian dish where humble potato gets put together with aromatic spices and rich, full-bodied gravy to bring about a dish that is as indulgent as it is satisfying. This lovely dish is native to Varanasi, formerly Banaras, where simple baby potatoes are combined with complexly spiced gravy to make this much-loved comfort food and festive favourite. The heavy gravy flavours soak into the potatoes, making every bite soft and flavourful. This gives the dish an excellent depth in flavour; it is savoury and aromatic when that gravy is combined with a mix of cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala. A touch of fresh cream at the end enriches this dish. Traditionally consumed with warm parathas, rotis, or rice, Dum Aloo banarasi is a crowd-pleaser that would impress guests, unite family members during special occasions, or enjoy an authentic Banaras taste straight from the comfort of their homes. The art of rich Indian culinary traditions is epitomised in the preparation of this dish. This dish shows that even the humble potato can be elevated with the right combination of spices and cooking techniques.

• 1/2 kg potato
• 2 tsp ginger garlic
• Tomato puree
• 2 tomato
• 3 tbsp coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• Dairy cream
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 3 tbsp mint
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 onion
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• Yoghurt
• Salt
• Cooking oil

• This Dum Aloo banarasi (Potato Balls in Spicy Gravy) recipe is rich and tasteful enough to come out at any family gathering or special occasion.
• First, put 1/2 kg of grated boiled potatoes in a large bowl. The base of the kofta mixture is mashed potatoes and 50g of sesame seeds may be added for crunch and flavour.
• Add one teaspoon of each turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder to the mix.
• Add two teaspoons of ginger-garlic paste for an aromatic kick to bind all the ingredients together.
• All mixed until smooth and cohesive. Shape the mixture into small, even-sized balls, which are compact and hold shape well. After forming the balls, lightly dust them with cornflour to give a crispy exterior when fried.
• Fill a deep frying pan with oil, and at the point in time when the oil begins to smoke, drop the potato balls into the hot oil.
• Fry them deep until golden brown and crisp all over, doing them so they don't burn. Once done, remove the koftas, place them on paper towels to wipe out excess oil, and then set them aside. Next is making the rich gravy.
• Fry three sliced onions in heated oil till they turn light golden and get caramelised.
• Mix the deep-fried onions with 250g of yoghurt once they cool down and blend till smooth and delicate. This onion-yoghurt paste, thus prepared, will provide a creamy texture to the gravy.
• For the next step, warm up in a pan with two tablespoons of butter. After that, add two chopped onions and one tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste and saut this mixture until the onions soften and become translucent.
• Add two chopped tomatoes to this mixture and let them cook on low heat for nearly 15 minutes so that while you are cooking, tomatoes break down and become a part of the onions.
• Once the tomatoes are softened, add two tablespoons of tomato paste and mix all of these with one teaspoon each of cumin powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and coriander powder.
• Fold in the prepared onion-yoghurt paste, salt and pepper to taste.
• Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes on low heat.
• Slow cooking enables the flavours to combine and thicken beautifully into a spicy, flavourful, rich gravy. Now add the fried potato balls to the gravy and let the mixture simmer on low for a few minutes; the koftas absorb the flavours of the gravy.
• Finish it up with some cream and chopped coriander on top.
• Serve this Dum Aloo banarasi recipe hot with parathas, rotis, and rice.