Aloo Posto Recipe Bengali Poppy Seed Potato Fry Whiskaffair

on Aug 31, 2022, Updated Dec 21, 2023 Potatoes are everyone’s favorite. Here are a few of my potato recipes that you must try: Aloo Methi Sabzi, Aloo Baingan, Aloo Matar Curry, and Bombay Potatoes.

About Aloo Posto

Aloo Posto (Alu Posto, Poppy Seed Potato Fry) is an authentic Bengali dish in which Aloo means ‘Potatoes’ and Posto means ‘Poppy Seeds.’ It translates to potatoes cooked with poppy seed paste. To make this potato sabji, poppy seeds are ground to a powder or a paste, and potatoes are cooked in this paste along with a few other basic spices. This popular West Bengali dish is comfort food for many Bengalis. It is best enjoyed with lunch, steamed white rice or roti, and a dal. I like to pair it with crispy parathas. Aloo Poshto is made for all Bengali festivals, such as Durga Puja and Basant Panchami, and special occasions like weddings and birthdays. It is also a part of every Bengali household’s everyday meals. This no-onion, no-garlic recipe can also be made for vrat days (Hindu fasting). It is a great dish to pack in office and school lunch boxes. Potato – This recipe’s key ingredient is potatoes. You can use any variety of potatoes that are easily available. Mustard Oil – Always make this Bengali aloo dish in mustard oil for the traditional flavor. If it’s not available, then you can use any cooking oil. White Poppy Seeds (Posto, Khus Khus, Posta Dana) are the star ingredient that makes aloo posto recipe different from others. Others – You will also need nigella seeds (kalonji), dry red chilies, and green chilies. Some people add turmeric powder to their recipes, but I don’t. Feel free to add it if you wish to. You can also add Paanch Phoron for tempering instead of only cumin seeds and kalonji. Make sure the poppy seeds are fresh. If kept for a long time, they will develop a stale smell. I always store them in the refrigerator, significantly increasing their shelf life. Traditionally, white poppy seeds were ground to make a paste using a stone grinder. The paste made using this technique is very fine. But nowadays, with stone grinders unavailable in most kitchens, we only have spice or coffee grinders. Using modern appliances, making fine poppy seeds powder or paste in small quantities is impossible, so I grind them in big batches. I use a little to make the recipe and freeze the remaining ground poppy seed powder for later use. You can try this trick too! Add ½ cup of white poppy seeds to a grinder and grind to make a fine powder. Measure out 4 tablespoon of powder and freeze the remaining for later use. Cover the cubed potatoes with water; otherwise, they will turn black from oxidation. Add the following ingredients once the oil is hot, and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.

½ teaspoon cumin seeds ½ teaspoon kalonji seeds 2 dry red chilies

Now add the following ingredients to the pan along with ½ cup of water and mix well to coat the potatoes with the mixture.

4 tablespoon of poppy seeds powder 1 teaspoon salt 2-3 green chilies (slit into half)

Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the potatoes are tender and the raw smell of poppy paste is gone. Stir a few times in between. Remove the lid and cook uncovered until the sabji is almost dry. Check for salt and add more if needed. Serve hot! Poppy seeds should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. They can also be stored in the refrigerator or freezer to extend their shelf life. Avoid storing poppy seeds in direct sunlight or a humid environment, as this can cause them to spoil or become rancid. You can also make a poppy seed paste (posto paste) instead of a powder. Traditionally, a fine paste of these seeds is used to make this dish. But I have switched to the powder version since it is easier to powder them than to make a paste using modern appliances. Soak 1.8 oz (50 g) of white poppy seeds in ½ cup of hot water for two hours to make a poppy-seed paste. Strain and add them to a grinder jar, along with two green chilies and 3.4 oz (100 ml) water. Grind to make a smooth paste. Use this paste instead of the powder in this aloo posto recipe.