We present today the classic “Aloo posto” without which any Bengali lunch seems unfinished. Posto (poppy seeds) is essential to Bengali household, no matter how much its price skyrocketed, and besides liberally being used in veg dishes, many Bengali fish recipes and chicken or mutton dishes also use posto in the recipes. And to me the best one is posto fritters with onions, which is meant to be eaten with steamed rice with a dollop of ghee!
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Aloo Posto – Curried Potatoes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3 1x
Description
Aloo posto, or curried potatoes in clingy poppy seed paste with green chillies to heat it up a little.
Ingredients
- 300 gm : Potatoes (3-4 large potatoes peeled and cubed)
- 30 gm : White poppy seeds (soaked in water to get 5-6 heaped tsp of paste / posto bata)
- 5-6 : Green chillies
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) : Mustard oil
- 1 tsp : Nigella / kalonji / kalo jeera
- A pinch of : Turmeric (optional)
- 1 tsp : Cumin powder (optional)
- Salt and Sugar to taste
- 2 tsp : Ghee
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) : diluted milk
Instructions
- Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into cubes.
- Soak the poppy seeds in little water for 2-3 hours or more, even overnight. Longer the poppy seeds are soaked, easier it will be to grind them in a paste.
- Chop the green chillies and use them with the poppy seeds while making a paste, add very little water to grind the paste. It will take around 10 minutes in multiple pulses and give your mixer a break for 2-3 minutes in between to cool off the heat.
- Heat the mustard oil in a pan till it reaches the smoking point.
- Temper the oil with nigella seeds, let it splutter.
- Add the potatoes, green chillies and a pinch of turmeric if you are using it.
- Fry the potatoes on medium heat, do not brown it.
- Add the cumin powder, if using.
- Add 1/2 cup water , salt and cover the potatoes, let it simmer on lowest heat till half done.
- Now add the poppy seed paste, coat the potatoes well with the paste, saute for couple of minutes.
- Adjust the seasonings, check for salt and add sugar to taste (usually 1/4 tsp).
- Add the milk or water, cover it and let it cook till done, potatoes should not get mashed.
- This is a dry dish, so wait till most of the liquid evaporates.
- You can drizzle few drops of mustard oil or a spoonful of ghee over aloo posto to heighten the flavor.
- Serve aloo posto with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Notes
- This is a very traditional recipe if you are not using the optional ingredients.
- Some like it without turmeric, some with turmeric.
- It is a personal choice.
- Milk though traditionally not added, has been used in the recipe to make it more creamy.
- Posto bata or paste should be very creamy, the grains should not be distinguishable.
- Keep the leftover posto bata in the fridge by mixing it with salt and few drops of mustard oil.
- It will not get blackened.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 200
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Bombay Aloo: Masala Potatoes
- Miso and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Rustic Hungarian Potatoes: Tócsi
- Andouille Sausage and Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do the poppy seeds need to soak for so long, and how smooth does the paste need to be?
The recipe says to soak the 30g of white poppy seeds for 2–3 hours, or even overnight — the longer they soak, the easier they are to grind into paste. The notes are emphatic: the posto bata (paste) should be very creamy with no distinguishable grains. A gritty paste is the most common failure point in this dish. Grind in multiple pulses, giving the blender a 2–3 minute rest between rounds so the motor doesn’t overheat.
Why does the recipe heat the mustard oil to the smoking point before adding anything?
Raw mustard oil has a pungent, sharp flavor that many find too strong. Heating it to the smoking point — as step 4 instructs — removes that sharpness and mellows the oil into the nutty, slightly spicy base that is characteristic of Bengali cooking. Let it cool just slightly before adding the nigella seeds so they don’t immediately burn. 
Is adding milk traditional, and what does it do?
No — the notes say milk is not traditionally added to aloo posto. The author included ½ cup of diluted milk as a personal variation to make the dish more creamy. A traditionally prepared aloo posto uses only water. Either way, the dish should finish dry, with most of the liquid evaporated before serving.
How do I store leftover poppy seed paste?
The notes give a specific tip: mix the leftover posto bata with a pinch of salt and a few drops of mustard oil before refrigerating — this prevents the paste from oxidizing and turning black in the fridge.
yes.Good Job Sukanya. Bengali’s loves posto.
Thank you Pinaki
Nice Post. Keep it up Suknya