dum aloo

I think this is a Mughlai dish. It takes a while as a beginner to finish this dish. Took me about 2 hours with some faulty equipment and impatience.
Equipments needed:
* pressure cooker or something to boil the potatoes
* grinder
Ingredients:
* small potatoes (1/2 kg)
* onion (1 medium) - grated
* ginger and garlic paste (1 tbsp)
* asafoetida (a pinch)
* turmeric powder (1/2 tbsp)
* chilli powder (as required)
* fine yoghurt (1/2 cup)
* milk (2 cups)
* ghee / oil (4 tbsp)
* salt (as required)
* water (as required)
* coriander leaves (for garnishing)
(for special garam masala)
* coriander seeds (1 tbsp)
* cloves (4 - 5)
* cardamom (5 - 6)
* caraway seeds or cumin (1/4 tsp)
* pepper seeds (7 -8)
(other spices such as cinnamon sticks, bay leaves could be added to the garam masala)
Method:
Depending on how good the potatoes get cooked, the boiling has to be done accordingly. Potatoes that I used to have in India were smaller in size and easily boiled within a few minutes. On the hand, here, it takes them a while and they are rebellious.
To soften them before hand, pressure cook the potatoes in water (just enough to cover it) and switch off just before the first whistle from the cooker escapes (it's OK if you missed it). After about 5 minutes (once the pressure seems to be subsided), remove the potatoes from the cooker and drain the water. Careful here, the water is scalding hot! Run the potatoes under cold water and then set aside for a couple minutes and then drain the water. Arrange the potatoes on a flat surface - this helps in cooling them down faster. Peel the skin off the potatoes and prick them all over with a toothpick. Keep aside.
If not boiling potatoes beforehand, then peel the potatoes and prick them all over with the toothprick. Keep aside.
To make the special garam masala, put in all the spices listed under garam masala and make into fine powder. Keep aside.
TIP: Grind the onion, ginger and garlic together since they would be added at the same time.
Heat a pan with the ghee / oil for a minute. Fry the potatoes until they lose their white colour (for unboiled potatoes) or until they seem to be getting a crispy coating (for boiled potatoes). Remove the potatoes from the pan and keep aside.
Keep the heat to medium for the following steps if you are unfamiliar with the culinary surroundings.
Add the onion, ginger, garlic paste to the remaining oil. Add asafoetida. Keep cooking until the mixture turns reddish brown and the grease starts to separate from the paste.
Add the special garam masala and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt and cook for about a minute.
Add the milk and yoghurt to the mixture. If the gravy seems too thick, add water.
Finally add the potatoes and then pressure cook it. Switch off just before the first whistle goes off. No harm will befall the taste if the whistle goes off or if it is additionally cooked (the potatoes would seem mashed, but without the cooking, the potatoes would be raw and distasteful - this is out of experience).
After switching off, wait for 5 minutes and then open the cooker. Add garnishing to the dish and serve with rotis, naan, pita or basmati rice.