Cinnamon Free Vegan Bengali Aloo Posto

Total time1 hr 15 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

4.6

(21)

This classic Bengali potato dish is pure comfort — tender Yukon Gold cubes coated in a thick, nutty poppy seed paste with just enough heat from green chilies and a dried red chili to keep things interesting. The star of the show is posto, a dense white poppy seed paste that gets ground with chilies and water into something almost creamy, then clings to every piece of potato as it cooks down. Mustard oil does serious heavy lifting here, giving the dish its signature pungent depth, and a final drizzle of raw mustard oil right before serving brings that flavor roaring back to life. Nigella seeds bloom in the hot oil at the very start, adding a subtle onion-like warmth that layers beautifully with the turmeric and the richness of the paste. For anyone navigating a sensitivity to warming spices like cinnamon, this recipe is a genuine find — it delivers bold, complex flavor through an entirely different spice vocabulary, with not a trace of the usual suspects. The technique is straightforward: sauté, coat, cover, and let the paste do its work until everything is thick, fragrant, and clinging together. Serve it with a slit green chili on top and something simple alongside to soak up every last bit.

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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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