Low Sugar Vegan Bengali Aloo Posto
This classic Bengali potato dish is pure comfort — tender Yukon Gold cubes coated in a thick, fragrant poppy seed paste that clings to every piece. The posto paste is made by soaking and grinding white poppy seeds with green chilies into a dense, opaque mixture that gives the dish its signature nutty richness without a single drop of sweetener. Mustard oil is the backbone here, bloomed with nigella seeds and a dried red chili until the kitchen smells impossibly good, then finished with a final drizzle of raw mustard oil for that unmistakable pungent edge. Every ingredient on this list is naturally free of added sugar, so there's nothing to scrutinize or swap — just honest, whole-food cooking the way this dish has always been made. The technique of cooking the paste low and slow until it thickens and dries onto the potatoes is what separates a great aloo posto from a mediocre one, and the instructions walk you through exactly when to add water and when to let it cook off. Serve it with a slit green chili on top for a little extra heat, or leave it off for a milder plate — either way, this is the kind of dish that makes plain rice feel like a full meal.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the posto paste
- ½ cup white poppy seeds (posto)
- 2 green chilies, roughly chopped
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp water, plus more as needed
For the aloo
- 1.5 lb (about 4 medium) yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- ½ tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
- 1 dried red chili
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¾ tsp salt, or to taste
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tsp raw mustard oil, for finishing
For serving
- 1 green chili, slit lengthwise (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the white poppy seeds in a small bowl, cover with cold water, and soak for 30 minutes. Drain well.
- 2
Transfer the drained poppy seeds to a spice grinder or blender along with the 2 roughly chopped green chilies, 1/4 tsp salt, and 3 tbsp water. Grind to a smooth, thick paste, scraping down the sides as needed and adding water 1 tsp at a time only if the blades stall. The paste should be dense and opaque, not watery.
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