Aloo Posto is a delightful vegetarian preparation that combines the earthiness of potatoes with the nuttiness of poppy seeds, known as posto in Bengali.
This traditional recipe originates from the Indian state of West Bengal, where it is a popular part of culinary heritage.
The star ingredient of Aloo Posto is the posto or poppy seeds, which give the dish its distinct taste and texture. Here are the simple recipe steps to follow.
Key Takeaways:
- Aloo Posto is a classic Bengali dish known for its simplicity and rich flavors.
- The dish has a creamy and luscious curry texture with a mildly spiced and slightly sweet flavor profile.
- Aloo Posto can be served with steamed rice or accompanied by traditional Bengali breads like luchi or paratha.
- If you are looking for alternatives to Aloo Posto, you can try aloo posto’r bora, potol posto, jhinge posto, posto bora or Poppy Seed Fritters.
The Ingredients:
- Aloo or potato: 500 gms (peeled, cleaned & cut into chunks)
- Posto or poppy seeds: 3 tbsp (soaked in water for 20 mins) and pasted with 5 green chilis (red color)
- Salt: as per taste
- Green chilis: 8 pieces (5 pieces used in poppy seeds paste)
- Nigella seeds: ½ tbsp
- Turmeric powder: less than ½ tbsp
- Mustard oil: 3 ½ tbsp
How to Cook Aloo Posto (Step by Step Images)?
1. Prepare a fine posto or poppy seed paste with green chilies (red color green chilis).
(Pro Tip: You can also prepare this with green chili. To give the posto paste a slightly red color, I use green chilis that are red in color.)
2. Add 3 tbsp of oil into the wok or according to your preference.
3. Heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the nigella seeds and three green chilies. Sauté them for 2 to 3 seconds.
(Pro Tip: I broke off the end part of the green chilies to prevent them from crackling in the oil.)
4. When they start emitting a good aroma, add the potatoes. Sauté the potatoes for 2 minutes. Add ½ tbsp of salt. Mix everything well. Close the lid.
(Pro Tip: Add salt according to your preferred taste.)
5. Cover with a lid for 2 minutes so that the potatoes can cook in the steam.
6. Open the lid after 2 minutes. The potatoes should be half cooked. Add the posto or poppy seed paste. Mix everything nicely.
(Pro Tip: You can add water while cooking the potatoes and then add the paste.)
7. Add turmeric powder. Stir with an arm-twisting method for 5 minutes. In between these 5 minutes, add the posto mixed water from the bowl of paste. Close the lid.
(Pro Tip: If desired, you can keep it without adding any color.)
8. Open the lid. The oil will start oozing out from the potatoes. Now add 1 cup of water. Close the lid again for 5 minutes.
9. Open the lid. Aloo posto is ready. Add less than ½ tbsp of raw mustard oil to enhance the taste. Close the lid. Turn off the flame and let it rest.
(Pro Tip: You can add or omit this step of adding raw mustard oil.)
10. Aloo Posto is ready and transfer it to a bowl. Serve it with steamed rice, luchi, paratha, roti or chapati.
Recipe Card:
Aloo Posto (Potato with Poppy Seeds)
Ingredients
- 500 grams Potato (peeled, cleaned & cut into chunks)
- 3 tablespoons Poppy seeds (soaked in water for 20 mins) and pasted with 5 green chilis (red color)
- 8 pieces Green chili (5 pieces used in poppy seeds paste)
- ½ tablespoon Nigella seed
- ⅓ tablespoon Turmeric powder
- 3½ tablespoon Mustard oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare a fine posto or poppy seed paste with green chilies (red color green chilis).(Pro Tip: You can also prepare this with green chili. To give the posto paste a slightly red color, I use green chilis that are red in color.)
- Add 3 tbsp of oil into the wok or according to your preference.
- Heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the nigella seeds and three green chilies. Sauté them for 2 to 3 seconds.(Pro Tip: I broke off the end part of the green chilies to prevent them from crackling in the oil.)
- When they start emitting a good aroma, add the potatoes. Sauté the potatoes for 2 minutes. Add ½ tbsp of salt. Mix everything well. Close the lid.(Pro Tip: Add salt according to your preferred taste.)
- Cover with a lid for 2 minutes so that the potatoes can cook in the steam.
- Open the lid after 2 minutes. The potatoes should be half cooked. Add the posto or poppy seed paste. Mix everything nicely.(Pro Tip: You can add water while cooking the potatoes and then add the paste.)
- Add turmeric powder. Stir with an arm-twisting method for 5 minutes. In between these 5 minutes, add the posto mixed water from the bowl of paste. Close the lid.(Pro Tip: If desired, you can keep it without adding any color.)
- Open the lid. The oil will start oozing out from the potatoes. Now add 1 cup of water. Close the lid again for 5 minutes.
- Open the lid. Aloo posto is ready. Add less than ½ tbsp of raw mustard oil to enhance the taste. Close the lid. Turn off the flame and let it rest.(Pro Tip: You can add or omit this step of adding raw mustard oil.)
- Aloo Posto is ready and transfer it to a bowl. Serve it with steamed rice, luchi, paratha, roti or chapati.
Video
Notes
- Aloo posto must be made with fresh ingredients always to achieve the desired, flavor, taste, and texture of the dish. The potatoes and the green chilies should be fresh and even the spices should be freshly ground, preferably after dry roasting them a bit in a dry pan.
- To make the paste of poppy seeds, toast them in a dry pan and soak them in water,
- Aloo posto should not have a runny consistency. So, make sure you check the consistency throughout and adjust it to achieve the desired creamy texture of the dish eventually, coating every piece of the potatoes evenly. Add water as required and simmer it every time after adding.
- Make sure you temper the whole spices, such as the nigella seeds, in the hot oil at the beginning of the cooking process. Let them sizzle or crackle for a few seconds. This step will help release their natural fragrance enhance the overall taste of the dish.
- After completing your cooking, I let the dish sit for a while. Make sure to cover the dish at this stage. This will allow the necessary time to the flavors of the spices and ingredients to blend together perfectly and add more depth to the dish, enriching your dining experience even further.
