Aloo Jhinge Posto

Another delicious recipe with poppy seeds (or posto as known in Bengali). Well the most popular of the posto recipes is Aloo Posto (Potatoes cooked in poppy seeds paste). Here is the recipe of Aloo Jhinge Posto (Potatoes and Ridgegourd cooked in poppy seeds paste).

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sized potatoes
• 4-5 medium sized ridgegourd / jhinge
• 50 gms / 4 tbsp poppy seeds / posto / khuskhus
• 3-4 green chillis
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp mustard oil
• 1-½ tsp (salt to taste)

Procedure:

1. Soak the posto in warm water for atleast 30 minutes. Grind to a fine paste with 2 green chillies and a little water. Ensure that the consistency of the paste is not too watery. Keep aside.
2. Wash, peel and dice the potatoes (cubes). Wash and ridge gourd and peel the skin alternatively. First cut it lengthwise and then chop to small pieces (should be a half-moon sized shape).
3. Heat oil in a Kadai/Pan. Add the potato cubes, sauté a little and add the ridge gourd slices and saute a little. (do not deep fry).
4. Add the poppy seeds paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well with the vegetables and stir fry for for 2-3 mins.
5. Add water, bring to a boil and simmer. Cover the kadhai and cook for about 15-20 mins till the vegetables are tender and cooked thoroughly. (do not add too much water or else the vegetables will be mushy).
6. Sprinkle a little oil on top, adjust seasoning, bring to a final boil and remove from flame.
7. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot with steamed rice, biuli daal or masoor daal.

This recipe is going to WYF -Side dishes by EC of Simple Indian Food

Tip:
While cooking aloo posto, generally turmeric is not addded, but while you are adding any other vegetables with aloo (potatoes), add turmeric.

Click here for the recipe of biuli dal

Click here for the recipe of Aloo Posto