Aloo Posto (Bengali dish)

Aloo Posto is a popular dish from Bengal. This dish needs very few ingredients and is very easy to make.


Ingredients 
Potatoes ----------------- 500 gm
Onion -------------------- 2
Turmeric ---------------- pinch of (optional)
Garlic -------------------- 2 clove (optional) 
Poppy seeds ------------ 1/3 cup
Onion seeds (Kalonji) --- 1/5 tsp
Dry red chilli ------------- 2
Green chilli --------------- 2
Salt to taste -------------- :)
Mustard oil for cooking -- :)

Let's start 

Step 1. Soak the poppy seeds for 2 hours. Strain the water and grind it to a coarse paste. keep aside.

Step 2. Take a Pan add add 1 tbsp of oil and fry the sliced onion. 

Step 3. Fry it till the onion get translucent and little golden brown, take it out and keep aside. 

Step 4. Now in a same pan add 3 tbsp of oil and add onion seeds, red chili, peeled and cut pieces of potatoes, add salt and turmeric. Saute for couple of minutes. On medium to low flame.

Step 5. Once the potatoes are half done add poppy seeds paste.

Step 6.  Mix it well, add 1/2 cup of water and adjust the salt, cover the lid and cook it on a low flame, until the potatoes are soft.

Step 7. Cook it until the raw smell of poppy seeds goes away. Once the potatoes  are completely cooked, add fried onions and give a final stir. Switch off the flame. Finish with 1 tbsp of mustard oil.

Serving with hot rice and dal, or with rooti / chapati. 

Note* Make sure to cook this dish only in mustard oil, to get that authentic Bengali flavor.

Happy cooking:)