Kashmiri Dum Aloo

INGREDIENTS:
1 kg baby potatoes (or any small potatoes)
1 tsp cumin seeds roasted gently and ground into a powder
1 tsp garam masala
3-4 Kashmiri red chillies roasted and powdered
2 1/2 cups fresh yoghurt (must not be sour)
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tbsp fennel/aniseed powder
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
4 tbsps mustard oil
6 cloves roasted and powdered
A pinch of asafetida
Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil to deep fry potatoes
Salt to taste

PREPARATION:
Mix a teaspoon of salt in a bowl of water (about 3 cups). Poke the potatoes with a fork and then soak in this water for 20 minutes.
Heat the oil for deep frying, on a medium flame. Fry all the potatoes till golden brown.
Drain on paper towels and keep aside.
Mix the yoghurt, Kashmiri chilli, ginger, cardamom and fennel powders. Add the potatoes to this mix and keep aside.
Heat mustard oil in another pan on a medium flame.
Add the clove powder and asafetida and mix well. Add a half cup of hot water and salt to taste and bring to a boil.
Add this to the potato-yoghurt mix, stir thoroughly and cover.
Put on the stove, cook on a low flame for 10-15 minutes.
Turn off the flame, remove the cover and add the cumin and garam masala powders, and cover again quickly. Leave for 5 minutes.
Serve hot with Chapatis (Indian flatbread) or Naan (Tandoor-roasted Indian flatbread).