Aloo Posto Bengali Potatoes In Poppy Seed Sauce

What is Aloo Posto?

Aloo posto (alu posto) is an Indian recipe of potatoes cooked in a lightly but vividly spiced poppy seed sauce. Although this is one of the better known vegetarian dishes from West Bengal, a state in eastern India, you might never run across it at an Indian restaurant. Not eating it, however, would be missing out on one of the most delicious Indian potato recipes ever. Potatoes feature commonly in many Indian side dishes, like Aloo Gobi, Bombay Potatoes, Jeera Aloo and Dum Aloo. But Bengali Aloo Posto, pronounced “aa-loo poash-tow” with a soft “t”, is rather unique, for a couple of reasons. For one, it is spiced with a vibrant mix of seed spices, panch phoron, that laces the dish with notes of spicy, bitter, earthy and sweet. For another, Aloo Posto is doused in a dry but creamy poppy seed sauce instead of a coconut sauce or a cream sauce, like many south Indian and north Indian recipes are. Poppy seeds are used in many spicy Indian curries but no one uses them with quite the skill, prolificacy and love that Bengali cooks do. They blend them up into creamy sauces for fish, meat, beans and vegetables, mix them up into a chutney with mustard and green chilis, and mash them with potatoes to make crunchy fritters, among dozens of delicious applications. How well they understand the use of poppy seeds is vividly demonstrated in an Aloo Posto. One wouldn’t really think of neutral potatoes and poppy seeds as culinary soulmates. But when Bengali cooks marry them to each other with a sprinkle of panch phoron, the result is a dish that sings to your taste buds and brings them to life.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Uniquely delicious. This aloo posto recipe is a very different dish from aloo matar, aloo palak and other Indian aloo dishes you might be used to, but it is absolutely scrumptious. Easy to make. This is an easy Indian dish to add to your repertoire. Cooking it couldn’t be any simpler and the result is stunningly flavorful. Versatile. Serve this aloo posto with nearly any Indian meal for a true comfort food experience. Nut-free, soy-free, vegan and gluten-free. The creaminess here comes from poppy seeds, not nuts, making this dish friendly to most diets.

Variations

Some cooks add onions to this recipe. If you’d like to include this, slice a medium red onion thinly and add to the skillet or wok after the seeds sputter. Saute until soft before adding potatoes. Turmeric is not traditionally added to aloo posto but if you want to add it for its health benefits, add ½ a teaspoon of turmeric powder to the wok after the mustard sputters, then quickly add the potatoes.

How to make aloo posto

Expert tips

Use small potatoes to make aloo posto for a nice presentation. This dish can look rather plain because of the neutral colors, and small potatoes add more visual appeal. Multicolored baby potatoes, if you can find them, would be spectacular in this recipe. You don’t need to peel the potatoes. Edible mustard oil is hard to find in the United States (except in Indian stores where it is sold as a massage oil due to FDA labeling requirements) but it is the oil used most commonly in Bengali cuisine. If you have mustard oil, use it in this recipe for an authentic and traditional flavor. Always heat mustard oil until it smokes gently before you add other ingredients to it.

Storage instructions

Refrigerate: Aloo posto can be refrigerated for up to three days. Place in an airtight container before placing in fridge. Freeze: Place the aloo posto in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Reheat: Thaw and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a little water if needed.