London chef shares his own recipe style of Bengali's favourite aloo posto curry. Netizens demand 'Shukto' next

Traditional Bengali dishes have a charm of their own. Picture this: It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon and you are sitting by the window when the unmistakable aroma of shorshe bata mach (fish in mustard curry) and piping hot gobindobhog bhaat (short-grain, sticky white rice) drifts in from the kitchen. The first bite hits home. Similarly, the joy of tearing a fluffy luchi (puffed flatbread) and dipping it into a rich, flavourful kosha mangsho (slow-cooked mutton) curry makes our tummy do a happy dance.

Aloo posto recipe with a twist

But Bengali food is not simply restricted to meat and fish. There’s another lip-smacking potato-based recipe that has been a part of the Bengali kitchen for decades. It is known as aloo posto, aka potatoes cooked in aromatic poppy seed paste. Recently, chef and food influencer Jake Dryan shared a video on Instagram where he was seen preparing the humble yet iconic dish. Fun fact: Legendary chef Sanjeev Kapoor approves aloo posto too.

Jake Dryan, in the clip, revealed that the preparation method for aloo posto was unique to every individual. While the base featuring potatoes cooked in a creamy poppy seed paste remains the same, the chef madeit with onions. The ingredients required include 2 medium-sized potatoes, diced into medium cubes, 4 tablespoons of white poppy seeds, 2 tablespoons of mustard oil, 1 tablespoon of nigella seeds, 1 finely chopped green chilli, 1 tablespoon of turmeric, salt as per taste and water.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jake Dryan (@plantfuture)

Easy aloo posto preparation

Now let’s dive into the method. First, the poppy seeds were soaked in warm water for 15 minutes before blending them with water into a thick and smooth paste. Mustard oil was heated in a pan until smoke escaped before adding the nigella seeds and allowing them to sizzle until fragrant. Next, the diced potatoes were tossed in the pan, given a gentle stir and cooked for about 2 to 3 minutes. After that, salt, green chilli mix and turmeric were sprinkled and mixed well. Jake Dryan ensured to stir the concoction repeatedly so that it didn’t turn sticky.

Once the potatoes softened, the chef poured the poppy seed paste with a splash of water, making sure it coated the potatoes evenly. It was again cooked for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the potatoes became tender and the paste thickened into a creamy, rich coating. And voila! Aloo posto is done. While Jake served the delicious dish with steamed rice, you can also enjoy it with luchi.

Jake Dryan grew up in London. At 16, he decided to take cooking seriously and studied at Westminster Kingsway College. After that, he finished a three-year professional chef course, which helped him build a foundation for his cooking career. Jake's training helped him become a chef, but his main passion was helping others cook with confidence. He loves teaching people to make meals for themselves and their families as well as being committed to helping people create meals and have fun while doing it.