Bengali Aloo Posto (Poppy Seed Potato Fry) is a perfect side to enjoy with Luchi or Dal Rice. Make this traditional dish using my easy recipe (vegan, gluten-free).
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About Aloo Posto
Bengali Aloo Posto (Alu Posto, Poppy Seed Potato Fry) is an authentic Bengali dish where Aloo means ‘Potatoes’ and Posto means ‘Poppy Seeds’. It literally translates to potatoes cooked with poppy seeds 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 dish of West Bengal is comfort food for many Bengalis. It is best enjoyed with steamed white rice or roti along with a dal on the side. I personally like to pair it with crispy parathas.
Aloo Poshto is made for all Bengali festivals like Durga Puja, Basant Panchami, etc, and also for special occasions like weddings, birthdays, etc. It is also a part of everyday meals in every Bengali household.
This no onion no garlic recipe can be made for vrat days (Hindu fasting) as well. It is also a great dish to pack for office and school lunch boxes.
This simple Bengali-style aloo posto recipe is vegan and gluten-free. You can easily double or triple the recipe if making it for a crowd.
Potatoes are everyone’s favorite. Here are a few of my potato recipes that you must try
- Aloo Methi
- Aloo Baingan
- Punjabi Style Aloo Gobhi
- Punjabi Jeera Aloo
- Aloo Matar Curry
- Aloo ke Gutke
- Kashmiri Dum Aloo
- Bombay Potatoes
- Aloo Palak Dry
- Aloo Tuk
Ingredients
All the ingredients to make this dish are easily available in any Indian grocery store.
Potato – The key ingredient of this recipe is potatoes. Use any variety of potatoes that are easily available to you.
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.
Poppy Seeds – White poppy seeds (posto, khus khus, posta dana) are the star ingredient that makes this aloo sabji recipe different from others.
Others – You will also need nigella seeds (kalaunji), dry red chillies, and green chillies.
Some people also 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. They get a very stale smell if they are kept for a long. I always store poppy seeds in the refrigerator. This way their shelf life increases a lot.
How To Make Aloo Posto
Make Poppy Seeds Powder
This is the most tricky part of making alu posto sabji.
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 not available in most kitchens, the only choice we have is the spice grinder or a coffee grinder.
Now making fine poppy seeds powder or paste in small quantities is not possible using modern appliances and hence, I grind them in big batches. I use a little to make the recipe and freeze the remaining ground poppy seeds powder to use later.
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.
Prepare The Potatoes
Peel 1 pound (500 g) of potatoes and cut them into ½-inch cubes.
Cover the cubed potatoes with water otherwise they will turn black from oxidation.
Make The Sabzi
Heat 4 tablespoon of mustard oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon kalonji seeds, and 2 dry red chilies, and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
Drain the water from the cubed potatoes and add them to the pan. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
Now add 4 tablespoon of poppy seeds powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2-3 green chilies (slit into half) to the pan along with ½ cup of water and mix well to coat the potatoes with the mixture.
Reduce the heat to low.
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!
Pro Tips By Neha
The poppy seeds turn bitter very soon. Make sure to check the best-before date before using them in the recipe otherwise they will spoil the taste of the entire dish.
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 in a humid environment as this can cause them to spoil or become rancid.
Instead of making a powder, you can also make poppy seeds paste (posto paste). In fact, traditionally, a fine paste of these seeds is used to make this dish. But since it is easier to powder them than make a paste using modern appliances, I have switched to the powder version.
To make poppy-seed paste, soak 50 g of white poppy seeds in ½ cup of hot water for two hours. Strain and add them to a grinder jar, along with 2 green chilies and 100 ml water. Grind to make a smooth paste. You can use this paste in place of the powder in this recipe of aloo posto.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make aloo posto with onion as well. Fry ½ cup of chopped onions in oil until lightly browned. Then add potato cubes and follow the recipe as mentioned below.
You can also add some fried onions at the end of the cooking, it tastes really nice.
Jhinge aloo posto (Aloo posto with ridge gourd) is a very popular version of this dish and is made in many traditional Bengali households.
To make it, peel 200 g ridge gourd and cut them into small cubes. Add them along with the poppy seed paste in the below-mentioned recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Aloo posto is best served with Dal Bhaat (Steamed Rice and lentils). It also tastes amazing with hot rice and ghee.
In summer when raw mangoes are in season, serve it with Tok Dal.
You can also serve it with Luchi.
A typical Bengali thali can be made with Aloo Posto, Cholar Dal, Macher Jhol, Payesh, and Steamed Rice.
You can also serve this classic Bengali dish with other Indian bread such as Tawa Paratha, Laccha Paratha, or even Phulka.
Storage Suggestions
Aloo Posto will stay good for 2 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat it in a pan or in the microwave thoroughly before serving.
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Recipe Card
Bengali Aloo Posto Recipe (Poppy Seed Potato Fry)
Ingredients
- ½ cup white poppy seeds powder (posto) (check the instructions for details)
- 1 pound potatoes (500 g)
- 2 tablespoons mustard oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji)
- 2 whole dry red chilies
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 2-3 green chilies (slit into half)
Instructions
Make Poppy Seeds Powder
- Making fine poppy seeds powder or paste in small quantities is not possible using the modern appliances and hence, I grind them in a big batch. I use a little to make the recipe and freeze the remaining powder to use later.
- Add ½ cup of white poppy seeds to a grinder and grind to make a fine powder.
- Measure out 4 tablespoons of powder and freeze the remaining for later use.
Prepare The Potatoes
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into ½-inch cubes.
- Cover the cubed potatoes with water otherwise, they will turn black from oxidation.
Make The Sabzi
- Heat mustard oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, kalonji seeds, and dry red chilies and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
- Drain the water from the cubed potatoes and add them to the pan. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add 4 tablespoons of poppy seeds powder, salt, and green chilies to the pan along with ½ cup of water and mix well to coat the potatoes with the mixture.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- 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 required.
- Serve hot!
PRANITA DESHPANDE
Very nice recipe.But why did you have not used color masala or chilly powder? It will give good color to your recipe.
Neha Mathur
This recipe is traditionally made like this only. You can add turmeric powder if you want to.
Random Thoughts
This is a genuine question. What makes this dish so popular and loved? I made it for my Bengali husband who as it turned out has never been a fan of alu posto (He must be the exception to prove a rule). But I was excited for my first taste of this much loved Bengali dish. I was disappointed with the result.. A bland potato bhaji with a hint of chilly and a certain oiliness that the posto lends to the dish. But to each his own, I suppose. Will try again till I figure out the ‘Bengali love connection’ 😉 I doubt at the moment if I’ll ever grow to love it…
Neha Mathur
Some tastes are acquired I guess.