Aalu Posto !!

Posto or poppy seeds is a integral part of every bengali kitchen. We bongs cant just stay without our posto..we add it in vegetables, fish, chicken almost everything!! And the most beloved form is "Aalu Posto" with some gorom bhat (steam rice) is our ultimate comfort food. 

Posto or poppy seeds is also very high in nutrition content so incase you havent ever tried it please do because you wont know how a dish so simple with such few ingredients can taste so heavenly unless you try it. Trust me you cant find anything simpler.!!

So lets get started.

Ingredients:

Potatoes : 150 gms or 3 medium size

Poppy seeds :2 tbsp or 20 gms

Kalonji : 1/2 tsp (this is also called nigella sedds and kalo jeere in bengali)

Green chilly : 2 

Mustard Oil : 2 tbsp

Sugar : 1 tsp

Salt as per taste 

In my family we don't add turmeric in posto or poppy seeds. still it takes a pale yellow color from the mustard oil and cooked potatoes. However it is totally optional to add turmeric , in case you wish you can add a pinch of turmeric as well.

Procedure:

Heat mustard oil till you see smoke coming out, lower the flame and add the kalonji/nigella seeds/kalo jeere and the green chilly. Once it sizzles add in the potatoes and some salt. Give it a quick stir and let it cook on low flame covered. This should take around 5-8 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking. We will make the poppy seeds /posto paste. Now traditionally it was made in mortar and stone grinder (seel nora) with hands but since we don't have the time and patience to do the same and besides we don't even have stone mortars .

So here is a quick way to do it. Take the poppy seeds in the smallest jar of your grinder and make powder with a pinch of salt. Once you get a fine powder add 2 tbspn water and one green chilly to it. 

Grind again till everything comes together and forms a paste.

You can also soak the poppy seeds for 2 hours and then make a paste but I find the dry grinding a much easier process. 

By the time your paste is ready the potatoes must have cooked. Add the poppy seeds paste, sugar and around half cup water. Let it cook on low flame till you see oil on top .

Check salt and adjust the consistency. However aalu posto has a thick creamy texture and not watery or runny hence refrain from adding too much water.

And your aalu posto is ready. Wasn't it so simple to make.

Garnish it with slit green chilly and you can also add few drops of uncooked mustard oil. Posto and mustard oil is a combination made in heaven!! 

Serve it with steam rice. 

Do give it a try!!