Sesame 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 deeply comforting — tender Yukon Gold cubes coated in a thick, fragrant paste made from soaked and ground white poppy seeds, with heat from green chilies and a backbone of pungent mustard oil. The flavors are earthy, subtly spicy, and unlike anything in the average weeknight rotation. Mustard oil is the soul of this recipe, used twice — once to bloom the nigella seeds and dried red chili, and again as a raw finishing drizzle that adds a sharp, peppery lift right at the end. For anyone navigating sesame-free cooking, this dish is a natural fit. The richness and depth that sesame paste or oil might bring to other cuisines is completely replaced here by poppy seed paste and mustard oil, so there's no substitution needed and nothing to swap out. Every ingredient is straightforward and easy to source without cross-contamination concerns. The technique is simple but rewarding — the posto paste slowly thickens around the potatoes as they cook, clinging to every piece in a dense, opaque coating that's nothing like a sauce. It's the kind of dish that tastes like it took far more effort than it did, and it pairs beautifully with steamed rice for a satisfying plant-based meal.

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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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