Aloo Posto

Aloo Posto is a traditional Bengali recipe made of boiled potatoes and a paste of poppy seeds or posto, in mustard oil and a bit of turmeric powder to add flavour. Posto came to be extensively used in Bengali meals soon after the British engaged in opium trade with China and made Bengal their capital. Huge tracts of land in the Bengal presidency were prepared for growing opium, thus depriving farmers of a good harvest of other useful crops. What were left as a waste residue were the dried out poppy seeds, which found their way into the kitchens. These seeds were ground to a paste, adding a nutty flavour to the cooked potatoes. Since then, this delectable delicacy has become a part of Bengali cuisine, and a staple of every Bengali household.

This image of Aloo Posto is what is cooked in the contributor's family on an ordinary day for lunch. It is a recipe that has been passed down for many generations.

Contributed By :

Anonymous