Jhinge Posto is a delicious and traditional Bengali dish that features tender ridge gourds (jhinge in Bengali) cooked in a creamy and nutty poppy seed paste (posto).
This dish is a popular vegetarian preparation in Bengali cuisine and is known for its unique blend of flavors and textures.
The main ingredient of Jhinge Posto is posto, which refers to poppy seeds. Poppy seeds are an essential component of many Bengali recipes and add a rich, nutty flavor to the dishes.
Key Takeaways:
- Jhinge Posto is a traditional Bengali dish featuring ridge gourds cooked in creamy poppy seed paste.
- It’s a popular vegetarian dish known for its nutty, creamy, and slightly spicy flavors.
- The main ingredient is poppy seeds (posto), which add richness to the dish.
- The dish is flavored with spices like mustard oil, nigella seeds, and green chilies, and it has a vibrant yellow hue from turmeric.
- Jhinge Posto pairs well with steamed rice.
- You can even try postor bora or poppy seed fritters, and, if you are a seafood enthusiast, you can even try shorshe posto maach as a substitute to this dish.
How to Cook Jhinge Posto Recipe (Step by Step Images)?
Preparing the Ridge Gourds:
1. Take 1 kg of ridge gourds and cut them into roundels. Clean the pieces and set them aside.
Preparing the Poppy Seed or Posto Paste:
2. Make a posto (poppy seed) dry paste by grinding 5 tbsp of poppy seeds. Then add 6 green chilis, 1 tbsp of cashew nuts, ½ tbsp of salt, and a little bit of water. Grind altogether to form a smooth creamy paste.
Starting the Cooking Process:
3. Heat 2 tbsp of mustard oil in a wok. Once the oil is hot, add ½ tbsp of nigella seeds and 1 dry red chili. Sauté until a pleasant aroma is released.
(Pro tip: Adjust the amount of oil as per your preference)
4. Add the ridge gourds to the wok and mix them well. Cover the wok and allow them to cook.
5. Uncover the lid. Continue cooking over high heat. Incorporate the poppy paste into the ridge gourds and mix everything thoroughly. Sprinkle in ½ tbsp of turmeric powder and 1 tbsp of salt. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
Adding Liquid and Finalizing:
6. Pour in ½ cup of water, and then cover the wok for 5 minutes to let the dish cook.
(Pro tip: Adjust the amount of water according to your desired gravy consistency.)
7. After 5 minutes, add ½ tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of mustard oil. Introduce slitted green chilis and cover the wok. Turn off the flame.
8. Jhinge posto is ready.
9. Transfer Jhinge posto to a serving bowl and serve it with steamed rice and chapati.
Recipe Card:
Jhinge Posto | Ridge Gourd Recipe with Poppy Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 kg Ridge gourd (cut into roundels & cleaned)
- 2 pieces Green chili (slitted)
- 1 piece Dry red chili
- ½ tbsp Nigella seed
- ½ tbsp Turmeric powder
- ½ tbsp Sugar
- 3 tbsp Mustard oil
- Salt to taste
Poppy Seep Paste
- 5 tbsp Poppy seed
- 1 tbsp cashew nut
- 6 pieces green chili
- ½ tbsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Water
Instructions
- Take 1 kg of ridge gourds and cut them into roundels. Clean the pieces and set them aside.
- Make a posto (poppy seed) dry paste by grinding 5 tbsp of poppy seeds. Then add 6 green chilis, 1 tbsp of cashew nuts, ½ tbsp of salt, and a little bit of water. Grind altogether to form a smooth creamy paste.
- Heat 2 tbsp of mustard oil in a wok. Once the oil is hot, add ½ tbsp of nigella seeds and 1 dry red chili. Sauté until a pleasant aroma is released.(Pro tip: Adjust the amount of oil as per your preference)
- Add the ridge gourds to the wok and mix them well. Cover the wok and allow them to cook.
- Uncover the lid. Continue cooking over high heat. Incorporate the poppy paste into the ridge gourds and mix everything thoroughly. Sprinkle in ½ tbsp of turmeric powder and 1 tbsp of salt. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
- Pour in ½ cup of water, and then cover the wok for 5 minutes to let the dish cook.(Pro tip: Adjust the amount of water according to your desired gravy consistency.)
- After 5 minutes, add ½ tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of mustard oil. Introduce slitted green chilis and cover the wok. Turn off the flame.
- Jhinge posto is ready.
- Transfer Jhinge posto to a serving bowl and serve it with steamed rice and chapati.
Video
Notes
- Select fresh and soft ridge gourds that are not overly mature as it may taste bitter. Fresh and green ridge gourds will enhance the flavor of the dish.
- Choose the best quality poppy seeds to get the best results. Before grinding them to a paste, I soak them in water for about half an hour.
- Mustard oil is essential to make this dish. The distinct pungent and strong flavor of the oil will add to the taste and flavor of the dish. Of course, if you do not want it to be very strong, heat the oil smoking hot and then cool it down. This will mellow the taste down.
- Control the consistency of the gravy precisely. Add water gradually as the gravy thickens. Check the consistency according to your preference.
- Regulate the amount of spices and sugar added to the dish according to your taste preferences. An ideal jhinge posto is mildly spicy and sweet without overpowering the taste of the poppy seeds and the ridge gourd.
