Aloo posto is everyday Bengali comfort food: potatoes cooked in a creamy paste of poppy seeds and green chillies, with a little kalonji and mustard oil. It has no onion or garlic, and it’s best with hot rice and dal.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp white poppy seeds (posto)
- 2 to 3 green chillies
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
- 3 tbsp mustard oil, plus 1 tsp to finish
- 1/2 tsp kalonji (nigella seeds)
- 2 dry red chillies
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste and a pinch of sugar
- About 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Soak and grind. Soak the poppy seeds in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and grind with the green chillies and a little water into a smooth paste.
- Temper. Heat the mustard oil until it smokes lightly, then lower the flame. Add kalonji and dry red chillies.
- Cook the potatoes. Add the potatoes and turmeric and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Simmer. Add salt and the water, cover and cook on low flame until the potatoes are just tender.
- Add the posto. Stir in the poppy seed paste and sugar and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until it coats the potatoes and the oil starts to show.
- Finish. Drizzle 1 tsp raw mustard oil over the top and serve with rice.
Siddhi’s Tips
- Grind the poppy seeds as finely as you can. A coarse paste feels gritty.
- Heat the mustard oil until it smokes lightly, to mellow its sharp smell.
- Keep the posto thick: it should coat the potatoes, not pool around them.
Serve it with cholar dal and rice. For more about the spices, see Siddhi’s guide to Indian spices and the recipe index.
Prep time: 35 minutes (including soaking) · Cook time: 20 minutes · Serves: 3