Hi! When I read RV has announced the theme of Think Spice as Poppy Seeds, I knew I have a perfect entry for the same. I had made this preparation for S’s birthday in a complete jiffy but it came out so well that S mentioned to me that it’s better than what we ate in “Oh Calcutta”. For people who do not know about Oh Calcutta, let me tell you that it is one of the most renowned Bengali Restaurants.
Before I tell you the recipe let me tell you some thing more about Aloo- Posto. It is pronounced as Aloo-Poshto, is a very popular dish from West Bengal and is popularly served in marriages along with Poori/Luchhi or steamed rice.This is a dry recipe in which the potatoes are cooked in Poppy paste and has very mild flavors. I have read various versions of this preparation where people add bayleaf, panch phoron etc, but I have always preferred only Nigella seeds over them.
I had this for the first time at a Bengali friend’s place. That time I forgot about the preparation completely and then tasted it again in “oh calcutta” which had opened in my neighbourhood in Andheri during my stay in Mumbai about 4yrs back. S who has been a big fan of Bengali food took me out for dinner there and that’s when I had aloo-posto and luchhi. To tell you truly I was not at all impressed with this preparation there and kept wondering what’s so special about it. But as you know the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, I attempted making this at home for him and over a period of time have mastered the preparation and has become one of ‘OUR FAVORITES’.
Ingredients
5-6 medium sized potatoes
4-5 tbsp poppy seeds
6-7 green chilies
1/2 tsp nigella seeds/ kalonji
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/8 tsp turmeric pwd
mustard oil + sunflower oil for cooking
salt to taste
Method
Peel and wash the potatoes and cube them.
Soak poppy seeds in 1/2 glass of water for an hour. Drain the water and grind the poppy in a coffee blender ( I used my stone pestle and mortar).
Add 1/2 tsp mustard and grind it with the poppy.
Chop the green chilies and add it to the poppy paste and grind it coarsely along with it.
Heat the mix of oils and add in Nigella seeds followed by the turmeric. Put in the cubed potatoes and mix properly. Cover and cook till half done.
Put in the poppy paste, salt to taste and a glass of water. Mix properly. Cover and cook till done. The water prevents the poppy sticking to the base plus it helps the poppy to coat the potatoes properly and does not make the curry too dry.
Serve hot with steamed rice/ Pooris.
I am also re-posting my Okra in Poppy and Sesame and Churma Laddoo for the event.
44 comments:
Nice reading about your experience about "oh calcutta!"
Aloo-poshto is "Wow!"
Picture is "AWesome"!
Can you believe it ??? My dinner yesterday was @ Oh Calcutta ... Awesome food !!
I am still drooling over it , I had fish but veg friend was equally satisfied !
I might not have asked the chef over there for the recipes.. but I have got Pari for it :)
Yummy yum yum recipes for the contest...do visit mine when free
Delectable aloo posto..looks scrumptious!
The potato dish look delicious!
Nice entries..love that potato curry.yummy pics..
Aloo posto looks awesome.....
Looks lovely.....This that aloo Postu....?Yummy dishes
yummmy! love the aloo posto!
lovely pic pari,never tried any bengali dish till now,surely looks yummy...
wow.lovely curry dear.....nice post for the event.
Aaloo Poshto looks delicious, discovering this recipe actually with poppy seeds; very interesting combination btw!! and nice entries for the events too!!
I really like this with simple ingredients :D
It is looking really yummy
the potato curry looks delicious...i like to use poppy seeds in the masala..
looks too delicious..
Hi Pari,
Thanks for letting me know about your blog. Loved the pics and recipes, hope to see you with more.. :)
Looks so tempting...new to me...must try this!..very nice clicks, dear!
I ve seen many aloo posto in Bong blogs.. Simplicity brings this aloo curry to the whole new level.
I m new to bengali cuisine.Never ever cooked or tasted this cuisine.The aloo posto looks so good.Maybe i shd start my bengali cooking with this dish.
hey pari...ur aloo posto luks damn tasty...from many days i was looking for its recipe and my search ended here...thnx:-)
yummmm! looks awesome. I have never made bengali dishes.. I shd try it some times as this looks great!
I could eat potato every single day so I am always happy to see a new way to prepare them. Your recipe sounds delicious!
am not too sure if I wud like this..( cos I love spicy food and not really bland flavours). but the click really tempts me.
An Oh!Calcutta fan?! Wonderful! :-)
I guess you did not like it the first time as you had it with luchis ... the best way to enjoy this is with steamed rice. Good one. :-)
new and nice recipe with a superb click.i dont get poppy seeds here.next time when i go to india i have to stock it up to really try out these delicious recipes
hmm..Lovely look of the potatoes wid the poppy seeds over it...looks yummy...will give a try sometime..
Lovely click... I will try your version next time.
I simply love potatoes in every form. And now in winters, potatoes do wonders in every dish. This is a nice recipe from you.
Wow...the combination sounds awesome...looks so tempting and comforting...I have to try this yummy dish soon :)
Very authentic! I have had this only a couple of times at some dinner party but loved it totally :-)
I agree with you on the fact that Bengali cuisine is awesome..Tempting clicks...:-)
Oh Nice one, I haven't received the entry though :-((
aloo poshto looks absolutely delicious! I have some poppy seeds sitting in my spice rack which I was wondering what to do with.. now I know what I am going to make with these! Such a simple recipe but yet so flavorful! thanks for sharing :)
Dear pari
Sorry I came late here as I was out in the hills. This alu posto is perfectly made. I liked your using pestle and Mortar. Cold grinding is preferable for low aroma spices, like posto, pepper, mustard, Kala jeera and if possible for all type of spices.
Happy cooking
Thanks a lot Ushnish for dropping by and reading the Aloo Posto, i am glad u liked the preparation, a comment from Bengalis like u and Sharmila makes me more confident in my indulgence in ur cuisine.
I agree low aroma spices are best ground using pestle and mortar, especially for Poppy that fineness is not achieved in a mixer grinder.
Dear PJ, do try the preparation and u will fall in love with the cuisine.
dear Shubha, this preparation is not bland but is not overly flavoured.Even I like spicy preparations but Posto has a different kind of freshness which I am sure u will relish when u try it.
I thought I commented here previously... But some how missed..
Looks and sounds good and wonderful click too !
Beautiful Clicks.Love the recipe.Never made Aloo-Posto but will make them soon. It looks so delicious.
Nice entries to the event... aloo posto looks yummy... would have given a nice crunch by the addition of poppy seeds right... yummy :)
I too have this in my draft, will be posting soon. Aloo Posto looks yummy and tempting.
Lovely & yummy dish,Beautiful clicks
Hi pari, I was wondering if I could do with normal potatoes cubed and not filling them. Now your recipe tells me that I can. My next try will be this way. They vanished quickly this morning. So need to repeat the posto once again. Thanks for letting me know:)
Your masala is also very different. I was not aware of them. Just copied from my microwave cookbook. This recipe is so differently delicious.
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