Anti Inflammatory Vegan Bengali Aloo Posto
This Bengali classic is comfort food at its most elemental — tender Yukon Gold potatoes coated in a thick, fragrant paste of soaked white poppy seeds and green chili, finished with a drizzle of raw mustard oil that brings everything alive. The ingredient list is short, but the flavors are anything but simple. Mustard oil, nigella seeds, turmeric, and poppy seeds are all genuinely powerful players when it comes to reducing inflammation, and here they work together in a dish that has been cooked in Bengali kitchens for generations. Turmeric in particular earns its reputation, and using it in a fat-based cooking method like this helps your body absorb its active compounds more effectively. The technique of blooming nigella seeds and dried red chili in smoking-hot mustard oil builds a deeply savory base that carries the whole dish. Soaking the poppy seeds before grinding is the key step that transforms them into a dense, clinging paste rather than a gritty coating — don't skip it. This is the kind of recipe that proves eating with your health in mind never has to mean sacrificing richness or soul.
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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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