Posto is a Bengali word for Poppy seeds. It is used in many Indian curries as a thickener. In Bengali Cuisine, poppy seeds are ground into a paste and cooked with vegetables. Sometimes we eat ground Posto with just mustard oil and salt. We add green chilies and mix it with a little cooked rice as a starter.
In this recipe I have used Jhinge or Ridge gourd with the Potatoes / Aloo. In Bengal, the weather is very hot and humid in the summer. We do not feel like eating spicy food then. That is foods cooked with onion, garlic, ginger, etc. So in the summer months we often make different types of Sabzis ( vegetable dishes ) with posto. Posto dishes are sometimes paired with a special Dal called Biuli Dal ( Urad In Hindi and Blackgram in English).
This dish Aloo Jhinge Posto is very simple and easy to make. However, there are two important things. One is mustard oil. The other is grinding the Posto poppy seeds properly. The only spice used is green chilies and salt, so the chilies have to be hot.
It is very easy to make this dish. In a kadai/ wok, heat some mustard oil. Drop a couple of slit green chilies in the oil. Then add the vegetables and stir fry a little. Add salt and cover the vegetables. Lower the heat. Let them cook until the vegetables are soft enough to be cut with a spoon. Ensure the water has almost dried out. Add the ground posto then stir to mix it in well. Let the water dry out as much as possible then take it off the heat.
Prepping.
Grinding the Posto /poppy seeds involves three techniques. One method is to soak the poppy seeds in some water for at least 30 minutes. Drain the water out and crush the poppy seeds with a green chili and a pinch of salt, on a Sheel Bata (a flat stone used for grinding spices). This is the traditional and the best way.
The next one is using a good electric blender/ grinder. First, strain the water from the soaked seeds using a strainer. Then put the seeds in the grinder. Grind them with a green chili, a pinch of salt, and a few tablespoons of water.
The third method is to grind the seeds first and then soak them. Any coffee grinder can be used. In this case you won’t be capable of grinding the green chili with the Posto seeds. When using the coffee grinder, you have to grind in intervals. The grinder becomes very hot, so you need to let it cool down before trying again. This takes a time as you have to grind the Posto/Poppy seeds to a paste. Then take the Posto paste out in a bowl. Add some water to it. Soak it for about half an hour.
Potatoes or Aloo : Wash the potatoes. Peel off the skin. Then, dice it as shown in the photos above.
Jhinge or Ridge gourd: wash the Jhinge. Peel only the ridges and some of the green skin . Then dice it like the photo below.
Green chilies: Wash and then slit them lengthwise.
Transfer to a serving dish and serve warm or at room temperature with boiled rice.
The Article below is about how the Opium Trade influenced our food, especially the use of Poppy seeds/ Posto.
THE STORY OF ALOO POSTO: A FOOD HERITAGE THAT EMERGED FROM HISTORY OF OPPRESSION by Tanuka Guria
Aloo Jhinge Posto | Traditional Bengali Ridge Gourd and Potato with Poppy Seeds
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
How to Grind the Posto (Poppy Seeds)
There are three ways to grind posto, each producing slightly different results. 1. The traditional method is to soak the poppy seeds in water for at least 30 minutes. Drain the water and grind the seeds with a green chili and a pinch of salt on a sheel bata (a traditional flat grinding stone). This method produces the best texture and flavour and is the way posto has been prepared in Bengali kitchens for generations.2. A quicker alternative is to use a good electric grinder or blender. After soaking the seeds, drain them well using a strainer. Transfer the seeds to the grinder along with a green chili, a pinch of salt, and a few tablespoons of water. Grind to a smooth paste, scraping down the sides of the jar if necessary.3. The third method is to grind the poppy seeds before soaking them. A coffee grinder works well for this purpose. Since the seeds are ground dry, it is not possible to grind the green chili along with the posto.When using a coffee grinder, grind the seeds in short intervals, as the grinder can become quite hot. Allow it to cool down between sessions before continuing. This method takes a little time, as the poppy seeds need to be ground very finely to achieve a smooth paste.Once the seeds have been ground, transfer the posto paste to a bowl and add enough water to cover it. Let it soak for about 30 minutes before using it in the recipe.- Jhinge or Ridge gourd: wash the Jhinge. Peel only the ridges and some of the green skin . Then dice it.
- Potatoes or Aloo : Wash the potatoes. Peel off the skin. Then, dice it .
- Wash and slit the Green Chillies.
- Heat the Kadai/Wok.
- Add the mustard, and let ir become smoking hot
- Add 1 slit green chili as tarka,/ seasoning and let it brown a little
- Add the diced Potatoes and stir fry till they are slightly brown at the edges
- Now the ridge gourd / jhinge goes into the Kadai/ wok. also add the slit green chillies, and salt.
- Stir and cover with a lid and lower the heat.
- The jhinge/ Ridge Gourd releases a lot of water and the potatoes will cook in that water.
- Once the vegetables are cooked, and you can cut them with a spoon, take off the lid and let all the water evaporate.
- Add the Posto / poppy seed paste to the vegetables and stir fry till all the Posto and the vegetables are mixed nicely. Since Jhinge is a vegetable with a lot of water the Aloo jinge posto is not very dry.
- Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of Mustard oil as a garnish and extra flavor before taking it off the heat .
- This is best eaten with Hot steaming rice. You can serve the alu Jhinge Posto Hot or at room temperature.
