Potol posto is pointed gourd cooked in a creamy paste of poppy seeds, mustard oil and green chilli. It is mild, comforting and eaten with plain rice, especially in the summer months when potol is in season.
Ingredients (serves 3 to 4)
- 8 to 10 potol (pointed gourd), lightly scraped and halved
- 4 tbsp Granvia T4 Posto
- 3 to 4 green chillies
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 1/2 tsp kalo jeera (nigella seeds)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric, salt and a pinch of sugar
Method
- Soak the posto in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes, then grind it with 2 green chillies and a little water into a smooth paste.
- Rub the potol with salt and turmeric and lightly fry in mustard oil until spotted golden. Remove.
- In the same oil, temper kalo jeera and the remaining slit green chillies.
- Add the posto paste and cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Do not let it brown.
- Return the potol, add salt, sugar and about 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook until the potol is tender and the gravy coats it.
- Finish with a drizzle of raw mustard oil.
Getting the posto right
Soaking softens the seeds so they grind smoothly. Grind in short bursts with very little water. A spoonful of extra paste, mixed with mustard oil, chilli and salt, becomes posto bata, eaten on its own with hot rice.
Granvia T4 Posto comes in 5g, 10g, 50g and 1kg packs, so you can buy as much as your kitchen needs.
Quick answers
- Should posto be soaked before grinding?
- Yes. Soaking for 20 to 30 minutes in warm water helps it grind into a smooth, creamy paste.
- What other dishes use posto?
- Aloo posto, jhinge posto, posto bora and posto bata are popular Bengali posto dishes.