Aloo Posto | Potatoes cooked with poppy seeds

Posto or poppy seeds or khus khus are obtained from opium poppy and are used across various cuisines. Bengalis are one of those kinds that ate deeply awed by their POSTO. It is highly versatile and can be incorporated virtually into any vegetable/fish/chicken to satisfy a Bengali gastronome. Born into a Bengali family, I have very fond memories of having posto cooked by my mother every now and it still remains an integral part of my favorite food list. 

One of my ever favorites and my ultimate comfort food is Aloo Posto and here is how I love to make it:

ALOO POSTO (POTATOES COOKED WITH POPPY SEEDS)


Preparation time :                                                          Cooking time :
Serves : 2

Ingredients

Potatoes -  (3-4 large potatoes peeled and cubed)
30 gm : White poppy seeds (soaked in water to get 5-6 heaped tsp of paste / posto bata)
5-6 : Green chillies
1 tbsp : Mustard oil
1 tsp : Nigella / kalonji / kalo jeera
A pinch of : Turmeric (optional)
Salt and Sugar to taste
2 tsp : Ghee

Method

1. Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into cubes.
2. Soak the poppy seeds in little water for 2-3 hours or more, even overnight. Longer the poppy seeds are soaked, easier it will be to grind them in a paste.
3. Chop the green chillies and use them with the poppy seeds while making a paste, add very little water to grind the paste. It will take around 10 minutes in multiple pulses and give your mixer a break for 2-3 minutes in between to cool off the heat.
4. Heat the mustard oil in a pan till it reaches the smoking point.
5. Temper the oil with nigella seeds, let it splutter.
6. Add the potatoes, green chillies and a pinch of turmeric if you are using it.
7. Fry the potatoes on medium heat, do not brown it.
8. Add the cumin powder, if using.
9. Add ½ cup water , salt and cover the potatoes, let it simmer on lowest heat till half done.
10. Now add the poppy seed paste, coat the potatoes well with the paste, saute for couple of minutes.
11. Adjust the seasonings, check for salt and add sugar to taste (usually ¼ tsp).
12. Add the milk or water, cover it and let it cook till done, potatoes should not get mashed.
13. This is a dry dish, so wait till most of the liquid evaporates.
14. You can drizzle few drops of mustard oil or a spoonful of ghee over aloo posto to heighten the flavor.
15. Serve aloo posto with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.

Note:

The poppy seeds paste should be very smooth and turns out better when soaked for a couple of hours. Traditionally, my mother would make the paste in a sheel noda. But for working people who do not have this can dry grind the seeds and mix them with water.

Image source: Google Images