Published 18:32 IST, December 19th 2019
Bengali Aloo Posto recipe: Try these easy steps to prepare the delicious Bengali dish
Bengali Aloo Posto is one of the classic examples of how few ingredients too can yield a delicious dish. It is also one of the most-liked Bengali recipes.
There are times when the simplest ingredients produce a delicious dish which one should savour for years to come. Aloo Posto is one of the classic examples of how few ingredients too can yield a delicious dish. It is one of the staples in Bengali households. It is best served with dal, rice and some pickle to savour the flavours. It can be prepared using baby potatoes and diced potatoes work well too.
Most of the Bengali kitchens always have two ingredients which are mustard oil and white poppy seeds. Adding mustard oil to Aloo Posto brings out a great flavour to the dish so if you have mustard oil handy, make sure you use it while making this dish. One should also not forget to soak poppy seeds in warm water before cooking the dish because it will only grind well to a fine paste if they are soaked in warm water. As the Aloo Posto cooks, the water dries out slightly, so add a little more at the end if you feel it is too dry. One should make a rich gravy that clings to the potato chunks.
Recipe for Aloo Posto
- Soak the poppy seeds in a bowl of hot water for 2 hours and make sure that all the poppy seeds are covered in water. Use 4 tbsp of the soaking liquid and then add the poppy seeds to a blender and grind to a paste. Once this paste is ready, keep it aside.
- Take a heavy bottom saucepan and heat the oil over a medium flame. Add nigella seeds (fenugreek) and green chillies to it and then fry it for 7-8 seconds and add the peeled potatoes. Mix well and fry for 5 minutes.
- Add some turmeric powder to the dish and stir it well. Put the lid on and continue to fry it for further 5 minutes. Stir and add the poppy seed paste making sure it coats all the potato pieces. Add the water and season to taste.
- Bring to a boil and simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes. Stir halfway through cooking. Add a pinch of sugar and a few more chillies and simmer for 2 minutes. Add a little more water if it gets too dry.
Updated 19:31 IST, December 19th 2019