Aloo Posto

This is a traditional Bengali dish prepared using potatoes lightly spiced with poppy seed paste. It is a common comfort food eaten with rice and dhal. This recipe can be made with or without onions and garlic and is light on the palette. Fresh poppy seeds are a key element to this dish and one must ensure to use the freshest possible seeds; using rancid seeds can lead to a sharp bitter flavor in the overall dish.

The three essential ingredients apart from potatoes, which cannot be substituted, are nigella seeds (kalonji), mustard oil, and poppy seeds.