Allergens in Aloo Posto: mustard.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 4 medium (about 500g), cut into 2cm cubes Potato
- 4 tbsp Poppy Seedsposto. The whole point of the dish
- 4, 2 ground with the posto and 2 slit Green Chilli
- 3 tbsp Mustard Oil
- 1/2 tsp Nigellakalonji
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Sugarrounds off the bitterness of the poppy seedsoptional
- to taste Salt
- 180ml, plus 4 tbsp for grinding Water
Cookware
stovetop, kadhai, blender
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Soak the poppy seeds in just-boiled water for 30 minutes. Dry seeds will never grind smooth.
- Drain the seeds well before grinding, then blend with 2 green chillies and 4 tbsp water to a thick, pale paste.
- Cut the potatoes and keep them in cold water so they do not brown while the paste is going.
Method
- Heat the mustard oil in a kadhai until it smokes, then take it off the heat for 30 seconds to lose its raw bite.Bengali cooking almost always starts with mustard oil taken to smoking point.
- Return to medium heat, add the nigella seeds and let them sputter for 10 seconds.
- Drain the potatoes, pat dry, and add them with the turmeric and salt. Fry 6-7 minutes, turning, until the edges are pale gold.Dry potatoes fry; wet potatoes steam and go mushy.
- Pour in 180ml water, cover, and simmer 10-12 minutes until a knife slides through the potato with slight resistance.
- Stir in the poppy seed paste and the slit green chillies. Cook uncovered on low for 6-8 minutes.Keep the heat low. Posto catches and turns bitter over a high flame.
- The gravy is ready when it clings to the potatoes and you can see oil at the edge of the pan.
- Add the sugar, check the salt, and finish with the remaining 1 tbsp raw mustard oil off the heat.That last spoon of raw oil is what makes it taste Bengali rather than merely mild.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving with plain rice.
Storage
Keeps 2 days refrigerated. Reheat gently with 2 tbsp water; the posto thickens hard as it cools.
Nutrition Good estimate
One serving of Aloo Posto (184 g) is about 241 calories, or 132 calories per 100 g.
Low protein: 4 g a serving, 7% of the calories
| Per serving184 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 241 kcal | 132 kcal |
| Protein | 4.3 g | 2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 25.7 g | 14 g |
| of which sugars | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Fibre | 4.6 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 14.3 g | 8 g |
| of which saturated | 1.7 g | 1 g |
| of which unsaturated | 11.6 g | 6 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Vegan Indian recipes · Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · No onion no garlic recipes · Bengali recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.