Alu Deem Posto - Potatoes & Eggs in White Poppy Seed Sauce

Alu Deem Posto

Posto (white poppy seeds) dishes are a common item at Bengali tables. White poppy seed sauce is used in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The general procedure is to temper the oil with nigella seeds (kalonji) and green chilies, add the vegetables, or eggs and potatoes in this case, simmer them with ginger until cooked and add the poppy-seed sauce at the end. The poppy seeds are soaked in boiling water until cooled and blended with green chilies & salt until smooth and creamy.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'm providing a pictorial of the steps I followed in making this dish.

Eggs are hard-boiled, peeled and browned

Potato wedges are peeled, boiled & browned

Nigella seeds are tempered, onions & ginger fried

Potatoes are returned to skillet

Boiling water & eggs added & simmered
until potatoes are cooked

Poppy seed paste is added

Simmered for 5 minutes
 with mustard oil and green chilies

Transferred to serving dish
and garnished with deep-fried onions

Ingredients:
6 eggs

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 6 pieces each

5 Tbsp. white poppy seeds or posto

4 green chilies, 1 diced & 3 slit

1 + 1 cups boiling water

1 onion, sliced

1 tsp. ginger paste

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. mustard oil

salt to taste

1/4 cup deep-fried onions or birista

Directions:

1. Soak posto in 1 cup boiling water and set aside to cool to room temperature. 
2. Place eggs in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil.
3. Boil eggs for 10 minutes and set aside. When cool enough to handle, peel and make vertical slits around the egg so sauce can penetrate.
4. Peel potatoes and cut into 6 pieces each. 
5. Blend poppy seeds and soaking water with diced chilies and salt until it forms a thick paste.
6. Heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil over medium-high heat and fry eggs until golden brown.
7. Remove eggs and fry potatoes until golden brown.
8. Remove potatoes from skillet and heat remaining vegetable oil.
9. Sputter nigella seeds and slit green chilies until skin chars.
10. Remove chilies from oil and set aside.
11. Stir-fry onions, some salt and ginger until onions turn translucent.
12. Return potatoes to skillet, stir, cover and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
13. Add remaining boiling water along with the eggs and simmer until potatoes are cooked.
14. Pour posto into skillet, stir and simmer for 3 minutes.
15. Pour mustard oil around the edges and return green chilies to skillet.
16. Transfer to serving dish, garnish with birista and serve with steamed Basmati rice or chapatis.