Aloo posto

Aloo Posto  is extremely tasty and very easy to cook. It is a very delicious Bengali recipe which is best served with rice. 'Aloo Posto' is potatoes cooked in poppy seed paste.

Posto (Khus Khus in Hindi and Poppy Seeds in English) is an integral and popular ingredient in any Bengali kitchen. It is either used in gravies or as a main dish.

While searching for poppy seeds on world wide web I came across its benefits. Apart from its quality of adding flavour, poppy seeds are a great source of fatty acids, calcium and carbohydrates. It enhances enzymes too. Other not so known benefits of poppy seeds are:

• Poppy seeds are storehouses of opium, which serves as a useful ingredient for preparing various herbal medicines.
• The seeds are a source of different types of minerals, like iodine, manganese, magnesium, zinc and copper.
• They are beneficial in enhancing enzymes, like diastase, lipase and nuclease, in the human body.
• Poppy seeds are a good source of fatty acids, especially the omega-3 fatty acids, which are required by the human body to ensure good health. These seeds can be consumed in various forms to supply these acids to the body, to make it immune to various diseases.
• They help in enhancing energy levels in human body, as they are a good source of carbohydrates.
• The linoleic acid present in poppy seeds helps protect human body from heart attack and other heart-related disorders.
• These seeds are also considered to be helpful in facilitating effective digestion in human body.
• The oil made out of poppy seeds has proven beneficial in treating breast cancer, as it contains oleic acid.

Ingredients

4-5 Potatoes

2 tablespoon Poppy seeds

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds

1/4 teaspoon Mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon Kalongi

2 Green chillies

1 tablespoon oil

Salt

Water to make poppy seed paste

Method

Wash, peel and dice the potatoes into one inch sized cubes. Take a microwave bowl, add potato cubes with enough water to cover them. Microwave for 5 mins or untill the potatoes are cooked(ensure that the potatoes do not become too mushy). Keep aside. Soak poppy seeds in 1 cup of boiled water for 30 mins. Drain and put poppy seeds in a blender. Add green chilli, ½ tsp salt and ¼ cup water and blend to form a smooth paste. Heat oil in a kadhai. Add mustard seeds, methi, jeera, kalongi  and let them splutter. Reduce the flame. Add the poppy paste and stir fry for 3-4 mins. Add the semi-cooked potatoes to the poppy paste, mix well and again stir fry for 2-3 mins.  Add water and cook till the water evaporates and the potatoes are done. 8. Transfer in a serving bowl and serve hot with rice and daal. Instead of steaming the potatoes, you can directly cook them with the poppy paste with with enough water to cook the potatoes until tender.