Chef Vikas Khanna’s New York restaurant sells out Odisha’s famous dahi bara aloo dum. How to make the street food at home.

Odisha's street food landscape celebrates regional flavours with culinary heritage, attracting food lovers across India. From crispy gupchups and spicy mudhi mansa to sweet chhena poda and savoury bara ghuguni, the Indian state offers a diverse range of iconic local delicacies that hit the right flavour notes. But among these popular street foods, it is dahi bara aloo dum that stands out as the ultimate favourite. This beloved Odia snack features soft lentil dumplings soaked in creamy yoghurt with spicy potato curry, topped with tangy chutneys, aromatic spices, and fresh garnishes, creating a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, tangy, and savoury flavours.

Odisha street food dahi bara aloo dum

Chef Vikas Khanna recently introduced Odisha’s famous dahi bara aloo dum at his iconic New York City restaurant Bungalow, where it instantly generated remarkable enthusiasm among diners.


Patrons who visited the restaurant treated their taste buds to the regional delicacy, with many experiencing its distinctive blend of flavours for the very first time. Vikas Khanna shared glimpses of customers, mostly foreigners, enjoying the dahi bara aloo dum in his latest Instagram post, showcasing the food’s widespread appeal.



Due to the dahi bara aloo dum’s exceptional reception, growing popularity and special requests from the guests, Vikas Khanna had to extend its availability at the restaurant, allowing more culinary enthusiasts to savour this cherished Odia street food beyond its original limited offering. In his caption, Khanna called the dish ‘rooted in memory, spice, comfort, and celebration.’

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How to make dahi bara aloo dum at home

For those who are already drooling at the thought of dahi bara aloo dum, here’s an easy-to-make, homemade recipe of the iconic Odisha street food. Here is a step-by-step process for preparing the dish.


Begin by soaking urad dal and rice for six hours until soft. Next, blend them into a thick and smooth batter using minimal water, shaping the mixture into small vadas and deep-frying until golden and crisp. After that, dip the fried vadas in warm salted water for 10 minutes before transferring them to a broad serving dish. Whisk curd with salt and sugar until creamy, pour it generously over the soaked vadas, and garnish with chaat masala, roasted cumin powder, and chilli powder.

For the aloo dum, heat oil in a pan and temper it with hing, cumin seeds, onions, and green chillies. After the onions soften, stir in a freshly prepared paste of onion, ginger, garlic, and cumin seeds along with coriander powder and turmeric. Cook until aromatic and add the potatoes, season with chilli powder and a sprinkle of salt, and sauté briefly. Mix in tomato puree and cumin powder, allowing the masala to cook thoroughly before pouring in water. Let the curry simmer over medium heat until rich and flavourful, then finish with garam masala and freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Finally, combine the dahi vadas with the spicy aloo dum, and top with green and sweet chutney to enjoy the delicious meal.